Free foreclosure help in Iowa

Who to call first, by situation

• You are current but expect to miss a payment

  Before the first missed payment

  Call Iowa Mortgage Help at 877-622-4866. Its site says counselors help whether you are already behind or may soon be in trouble. If property taxes are part of the problem and you are 65 or older or totally disabled, see Iowa Department of Revenue: Property Tax Credit for the claim you file with your county treasurer.

• You are behind but have no notice yet

  This week

  Call your servicer to ask about a repayment plan or forbearance, and call Iowa Mortgage Help so a counselor can work with you on the application. Iowa Legal Aid: Foreclosure and Forfeiture Questions and Answers explains what to expect next.

• You received a notice of right to cure

  Within the 30 days in the notice

  Contact Iowa Mortgage Help right away and apply to Iowa Legal Aid: Get Help. Iowa Legal Aid's own guide says a borrower who gets a notice of right to cure should contact a lawyer right away for advice on how to cure.

  Iowa Code § 654.2D

• You were served with an original notice and petition

  Within 20 days

  Apply to Iowa Legal Aid: Get Help at 1-800-532-1503, or 1-800-992-8161 if you are 60 or older, and say you have a court deadline. Iowa Legal Aid: Foreclosure and Forfeiture Questions and Answers links to a sample answer and a sample demand for delay of sale. Iowa Judicial Branch: Representing Yourself explains electronic filing, and Iowa State Bar Association: Iowa Find-A-Lawyer lists lawyers who charge $25 or less for a first 30 minutes.

  Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.303

• A sheriff's sale date is set

  The day you learn of it

  Call Iowa Legal Aid: Get Help or a licensed attorney, then your servicer and Iowa Mortgage Help. Call the county sheriff's office to confirm the date and time. A lawyer can tell you whether paying the judgment, a court-ordered delay, or bankruptcy is realistic in the time left.

  Iowa Code § 654.21

• Your servicer or lender is not following the rules

  As soon as it happens

  File with Iowa Division of Banking: File a Complaint if the company is a state-chartered bank or an Iowa-licensed mortgage company; its page shows how to check. For other companies, use the complaint link on Iowa Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division: Home and Property. That page warns that filing a complaint does not stop court deadlines or foreclosure timelines.

• A company or investor contacted you about saving your home

  Before you sign or pay anything

  Report it through Iowa Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division: Home and Property. Under Iowa law a foreclosure consultant cannot take money until every promised service is finished, and you can cancel a consultant contract or a sale-and-buy-back contract within 3 business days. Iowa Legal Aid can review anything you were asked to sign.

  Iowa Code §§ 714E.3, 714E.4, 714F.4

Official and nonprofit help in Iowa

None of these charge homeowners for foreclosure help.

• Iowa Mortgage Help

  Statewide hotline backed by the Iowa Finance Authority, the Attorney General and Iowa Legal Aid that offers free counseling, negotiation and mediation with your mortgage servicer.

  877-622-4866

• Iowa Finance Authority

  The state housing finance agency, which ran the now closed Iowa Homeowner Assistance Fund and supports Iowa Mortgage Help.

• Iowa Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division: Home and Property

  Foreclosure assistance tips, warnings about mortgage rescue scams, and a link to file a consumer complaint about a mortgage company or a rescue offer.

• Iowa Legal Aid: Get Help

  Free civil legal help for eligible low-income Iowans, including foreclosure advice; apply online or by phone (Iowans 60 and over call 1-800-992-8161).

  1-800-532-1503

• Iowa Legal Aid: Foreclosure and Forfeiture Questions and Answers

  Plain-language guide to the Iowa foreclosure process, with a sample answer and a sample demand for delay of sale.

• Iowa Judicial Branch: Representing Yourself

  The court system's general guide to handling a civil case without a lawyer, including electronic filing, court forms and court navigators.

• Iowa Division of Banking: File a Complaint

  Takes complaints about state-chartered banks and Iowa-licensed finance and mortgage companies, and points you to the right regulator if it does not cover yours.

• Iowa State Bar Association: Iowa Find-A-Lawyer

  State bar directory of lawyers who charge $25 or less for up to 30 minutes of initial consultation.

• Iowa Department of Revenue: Property Tax Credit

  Explains the income-based property tax credit for older homeowners and links to the claim form you file with your county treasurer.

Iowa Homeowner Assistance Fund (IHAF)

Closed. The U.S. Treasury says all Homeowner Assistance Fund awards ended on September 30, 2026 and states can no longer pay out aid. The Iowa Finance Authority has taken down its own program page. Free counseling is still offered through Iowa Mortgage Help at 877-622-4866. Iowa also has a property tax credit for homeowners who are 65 or older or totally disabled, with income limits. Claims are filed with your county treasurer between January 1 and June 1 each year. If you receive SSI or State Supplementary Assistance, state law also lets the county suspend your property taxes while you own the home. These lower a tax bill but do not pay a mortgage.

Check the program’s current status

Common questions in Iowa