Facing Foreclosure in Scranton or Lackawanna County? Know Your Options and Deadlines

If you've fallen behind on your mortgage in Scranton or anywhere in Lackawanna County, this page lays out the deadlines, the free help available, and the options people commonly consider. Start with the free help below.

Who we are: NEPA Cash Offer is a home buyer. We are not a lender, a housing counselor, a law firm, or a foreclosure-assistance service. We don't charge homeowners any fee, and we can't promise to stop, delay, or resolve a foreclosure. For advice about your situation, talk with a HUD-approved housing counselor or an attorney.

Got an Act 91 notice? Act on it now. Pennsylvania's Act 91 notice gives you the right to apply for the state's Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP). To apply, you must have a face-to-face meeting with a HEMAP-approved counseling agency within 33 days of the date on the notice. The meeting is free and can be held remotely. If you apply on time, foreclosure is put on hold while your application is processed.

Step 1: Get free counseling

NeighborWorks Northeastern PA (HUD-certified housing counselors): 815 Smith St, Scranton, PA 18504 · (570) 558-2490. Its counselors explain the foreclosure process and loss-mitigation options and help with eligible programs.
PHFA / HEMAP: 1-800-342-2397, or find an approved agency at phfa.org.
HUD-approved housing counselors: search by ZIP code at hud.gov/counseling or the CFPB's housing counselor finder. HUD-approved counseling is free or low-cost.

Step 2: Understand the timeline

Act 91 notice. Usually sent before a lender can start foreclosure on a Pennsylvania home. You have 33 days to meet a counselor.
HEMAP process. The agency has 30 days after your meeting to send your application to PHFA, and PHFA has up to 60 days to decide. Foreclosure stays on hold as long as these deadlines are met.
Foreclosure complaint and judgment in the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas.
Sheriff sale. Lackawanna County sheriff sales are held at 10:00 a.m. at the Lackawanna County Courthouse, 200 N. Washington Ave, Scranton. The Sheriff's Office is on the first floor (570-963-6719) and publishes the year's sale schedule.

The Act 91 notice also explains that you can cure the default by paying everything that's due, including reasonable fees and costs, up to one hour before a sheriff sale, up to three times in a calendar year.

Step 3: Know all your options

HEMAP assistance, if you qualify
A loan modification, forbearance or repayment plan with your lender
Refinancing, if you have the equity and the income
A short sale, if you owe more than the house is worth
Selling the house before the sheriff sale, if you have equity and don't want to keep it

How we buy a house that's in foreclosure

If you've looked at your options and selling is on the table, here's how a sale to NEPA Cash Offer works, start to finish. We have been flipping NEPA homes since 2017, and NEPA Cash Offer was founded in 2019. We've bought more than 350 homes across Northeastern PA, and we buy directly with our own cash.

We talk. Call, text or fill out the form. Tell us about the house, the mortgage, and where things stand: an Act 91 notice, a foreclosure complaint, or a sheriff sale date. If you haven't talked with a free HUD-approved housing counselor yet, we'll share how to reach one.
We look at the house as-is. We walk through the house the way it is today. You don't need to clean, fix or stage anything first.
We give you a written cash offer. There's no fee and no obligation. Take your time and compare it with your other options. We encourage you to have an attorney review any agreement before you sign it.
A title company handles the closing. The title company gets the payoff amount from your lender. At closing, it pays off the mortgage and any liens on the property from the sale proceeds. Liens can include judgments or unpaid taxes. Any money left after the payoffs and closing costs goes to you. If you owe more than the house is worth, the sale may need your lender's approval as a short sale. A counselor or attorney can explain that process. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
You pick the closing date. Our standard close is 14 days once title is clear. That's typical, not guaranteed, and if you need more time to plan your move, you can pick a later date.

After closing, the house belongs to the buyer. Whether a sale affects a pending foreclosure depends on your lender, the payoff and the timing. Ask your lender, counselor or attorney about that.

Selling when the house also needs repairs

Foreclosure and repairs often go together. When money gets tight, a leaky roof, an old furnace or a wet basement gets put off, and the list grows. Many of the houses we look at in Scranton and around Lackawanna County need work. That's normal, and it doesn't stop you from selling.

You don't fix anything for us. We buy as-is, and our offer is based on the house's condition today.
You don't clean or stage for us. There are no showings or open houses, because we're the buyer.
We'll explain the number. If repairs affect the offer, we'll walk you through which repairs and why.

To be fair about it, if you have the time, money and energy to make repairs and list with an agent, a traditional sale may bring a higher price. With a sheriff sale on the calendar, a lot of people don't have that time, so it's worth comparing both.

A clean break vs. fighting to keep the house

There's no single right answer. If you want to stay and can afford the house going forward, keeping it may well be worth fighting for, and free counseling is the place to start. For other people, a sale gives them a fresh start. The mortgage is paid off from the sale proceeds and they move on without carrying the house, the repairs or the deadlines. Here's an honest side-by-side.

Option	What it means	May fit when	Trade-offs
HEMAP assistance	State help with mortgage payments for eligible homeowners	You had a hardship you didn't cause and expect to recover from it	You have to meet the 33-day counseling deadline, and you need to qualify
Loan modification	Your lender changes the loan terms to make payments affordable	Your income is steady again and you want to stay	Approval is up to your lender, it can take time, and you'll still have the house's upkeep and repairs
Forbearance or repayment plan	Payments are paused or reduced for a while, then made up later	The hardship is short-term	The missed amount still comes due, and terms vary by lender
Catching up (curing the default)	You pay everything that's due, including fees and costs	You can get the money together in time	Fees and costs keep adding up, and the house's other costs don't go away
Selling (to us or with an agent)	The house is sold and the mortgage is paid off from the proceeds	You don't want to keep the house, or keeping it isn't affordable	You move, and the house is no longer yours. A cash offer as-is is usually less than a fully repaired house would bring on the market
Short sale	The lender agrees to accept less than what's owed	You owe more than the house is worth	Needs lender approval, takes time, and may have tax or credit effects

Selling may make sense if:

You don't want to keep the house, or the payments won't be affordable even after a modification
The house needs repairs you can't take on
You'd rather set your own move date than work around a sheriff sale schedule
You've talked with a counselor and keeping the house doesn't look realistic

Selling may not make sense if:

You want to stay and a modification, forbearance or HEMAP could make the payments work
You haven't met with a free counselor yet. Do that first, especially inside the 33-day Act 91 window
You have time and money to repair and list, and getting the highest price matters most

An attorney or a HUD-certified counselor can help you compare these. Our guide to loan modification vs. selling goes deeper on the trade-offs. If you'd like a written offer to compare with your other options, we can provide one at no cost and with no obligation.

Want a number to compare?

Ask for a written cash offer. There's no fee and no obligation, and free counseling is still the best first step.

Get my cash offeror call/text (570) 600-6504

Frequently asked questions

What is an Act 91 notice?

It's a notice Pennsylvania mortgage lenders send homeowners facing foreclosure. It explains your right to apply for HEMAP, the state's emergency mortgage assistance program, through a face-to-face meeting with an approved counseling agency within 33 days.

Is HEMAP counseling free?

Yes. PHFA says the face-to-face meeting with an approved counseling agency is free, and it's the only way to apply for HEMAP.

Where are Lackawanna County sheriff sales held?

At 10:00 a.m. at the Lackawanna County Courthouse, 200 N. Washington Ave, Scranton. Check the Sheriff's Office schedule for dates.

What does 'curing the default' mean?

The Act 91 notice explains you can cure the default by paying all amounts due, including reasonable fees and costs, up to one hour before the sheriff sale, up to three times in a calendar year. Talk with an attorney or HUD-approved counselor right away if your sale is close.

How does NEPA Cash Offer buy a house that's in foreclosure?

We talk with you, look at the house as-is, and give you a written cash offer with no fee or obligation. If you accept, a title company pays off the mortgage and any liens from the sale proceeds at closing, and any money left after payoffs and closing costs goes to you. You pick the closing date. Our standard close is 14 days once title is clear, which is typical, not guaranteed.

Do I have to fix up a house in foreclosure before selling it to you?

No. We buy houses as-is, so you don't need to make repairs or clean for us. Our offer is based on the house's current condition.

Is selling better than a loan modification?

It depends. If you want to stay and can afford the payments going forward, a loan modification, forbearance or HEMAP may be the better path, and free counseling is the place to start. Selling may make more sense if you don't want to keep the house, can't afford it long-term, or can't take on the repairs. An attorney or HUD-approved counselor can help you compare.

Is NEPA Cash Offer a lender or a housing counselor?

No. NEPA Cash Offer is a company that buys houses. We are not a lender, counselor or law firm, we don't charge homeowners fees, and we can't promise any outcome in a foreclosure. A HUD-approved housing counselor or an attorney can advise you on your situation.

Who offers free foreclosure counseling in Scranton?

NeighborWorks Northeastern PA, 815 Smith St, Scranton, PA 18504, (570) 558-2490, has HUD-certified housing counselors. PHFA lists other approved agencies at phfa.org, and HUD lists approved counselors at hud.gov/counseling.

Related help

Sources

Office addresses, phone numbers and dates were checked on October 18, 2026. Confirm with the office before you go.

Ready when you are

Get a written cash offer, or just ask a question. Talking to us doesn't commit you to anything.