Behind on payments, taxes, or stuck with a property you can't deal with? Start here.

Open the mail

Every certified letter. People avoid the envelopes from the bank or the court and the situation gets worse for no reason. Nothing in there can hurt you more than ignoring it can. The clock that matters is already running. Knowing what it says is how you get ahead of it.

You still own your home

Until a judge orders a sale and the sale actually happens, the property is yours. You don't have to leave. Anyone who tells you otherwise (especially someone offering to "take it off your hands today") is either confused or running a scam. In Ohio, foreclosure goes through court. That takes months. Often more than a year.

Free help is real

Three phone calls cost you nothing: 211 (Ohio's statewide help line — they connect you to local programs). HUD-approved housing counselor — 800-569-4287 (free counseling on mortgage problems; they talk to your lender with you). Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio — 513-241-9400 (Hamilton, Butler, Clermont, Warren, Brown, Highland counties) for free legal help if you qualify by income. They've defended thousands of Ohio foreclosures.

Loss mitigation, in plain English

When the bank reviews you for loss mitigation, they may offer:

• Forbearance — pause payments for a few months; you still owe the missed amount later.
• Repayment plan — catch up gradually with a little extra each month.
• Loan modification — permanent change (rate, term, sometimes principal).
• Partial claim (FHA) — missed amount moved to a separate zero-interest second loan repaid when you sell or refinance.
• Deferral — missed payments tacked onto the end of the loan.

Hamilton County free mediation

If a foreclosure case is filed against you in Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, the court offers a free foreclosure mediation program. You sit with the lender (or their attorney) and a neutral mediator. Many cases settle without losing the home. Ask Legal Aid (513-241-9400) or the court how to request mediation. (Source: Hamilton County Clerk of Courts foreclosure materials.)

Sometimes the math doesn't work to keep the home. Then the goal shifts from keeping the house to keeping the equity. See When selling really is the best move.

Helpful links

• CFPB housing hub
• HUD counselor finder or call 800-569-4287
• Ohio Legal Help — foreclosure
• Hamilton County Clerk — foreclosure
• Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio — 513-241-9400

Most Ohio counties follow a pattern like this:

1. You miss the due date; penalties and interest add up.
2. The county auditor lists you on the public delinquent land list.
3. You get notice that taxes are certified delinquent.
4. You have 60 days from certification before the county can refer your case to the prosecutor for tax foreclosure.
5. If foreclosure starts, the case can run many months before a sale.

Hamilton County Treasurer: 513-946-4800 — delinquent tax department. County Treasurer site.

Homestead Exemption

Ohio lowers taxable value for many seniors, people with disabilities, and some surviving spouses. It is not automatic. Apply through the Hamilton County Auditor (513-946-4000). Even if you're already behind, lowering future bills can make a catch-up plan workable.

If a tax foreclosure case is filed, open the court papers the day they arrive. Every day you wait makes the case harder to settle.

• Ohio Legal Help — property taxes
• Ohio Legal Help — tax foreclosure timeline
• Auditor — tax delinquent

Legal Aid can help qualified homeowners file for free. Even a basic answer buys time to work something out.

Hamilton County's free mediation program is worth asking about again here. Legal Aid can refer you.

Surplus funds after sheriff's sale

If you lost a home to sheriff's sale in the last few years and never heard about surplus, call Legal Aid — the money might still be there.

Sales in Hamilton County

Mortgage foreclosure sales are often online on a set schedule through the real-auction process; tax sales also go through the Sheriff. Properties sell as-is. Confirm current procedures with the Hamilton County Sheriff and Auditor.

• Clerk — foreclosure
• Sheriff
• Legal Aid — 513-241-9400

Does it have to go through probate?

Sometimes no. In Ohio, common ways real estate skips probate include:

• Transfer on Death (TOD) on the deed.
• Property held in a trust.
• Survivorship deed language (joint lives, remainder to survivor).

If none of those apply, you likely need probate before a clean sale.

Hamilton County Probate Court

William Howard Taft Law Center, 230 East 9th Street, 9th floor, Cincinnati. probatect.org. The court appoints an executor (will) or administrator (no will). Probate in Ohio often runs 6–12 months, but sales can sometimes happen during probate with court approval.

Out-of-state heirs

Vacant property still costs money: taxes, insurance, lawn care, utilities, vandalism. If there are multiple heirs, everyone usually has to agree on a sale. The executor still owes duties to all beneficiaries. You don't have to empty the house before a cash sale — heirs take what they want; the rest can go with the property.

Ohio has no state inheritance tax (repealed 2013). Federal estate tax affects very few estates. Capital gains after you inherit are a CPA question.

Simple estates can be handled without a lawyer in Ohio, but real estate and deadlines trip people up. Forms live on the court site. Cincinnati Bar lawyer referral: 513-381-8359.

Helpful links

• Hamilton County Probate Court — probatect.org
• Good Deeds Program — free deed review (volunteer lawyers)
• Estate administration — forms & overview
• Cincinnati Bar Association — lawyer referral 513-381-8359
• Ohio Legal Help — start from the homepage and search for wills, probate, and estate topics.

Divorce

Both spouses often have to sign on a sale. Title in one name can still be a marital asset. A fast as-is sale or a buyout can simplify things. Your divorce attorney should drive that call.

Job loss or relocation

See the mortgage section for forbearance and modification. If you're moving for work and the old house is dragging you down, you usually have more room to work with than it feels like.

Repairs you cannot afford

People Working Cooperatively — 513-351-7921 — low-cost critical repairs for eligible low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners. Call before you assume the house has to go.

Hoarding or cleanout

We have bought many full houses. Heirs take what matters; we take the property as-is. No judgment, no cleanout list from us.

Code violations or vacancy

A code letter is not an instant loss. Cities often work with owners who communicate. Vacant homes bleed value: insurance, taxes, weather, copper theft add up fast.

Landlord burnout

You can sell with tenants in place to another investor. You do not always have to evict first.

Reverse mortgage (HECM)

When the loan comes due after move-out, death, or tax or insurance default, heirs usually get written notice with windows to sell or pay off. Timelines depend on the loan and the notices you received. Call the servicer back as soon as you can. Heir timelines on reverse mortgages move faster than most people expect.

Three real ways to sell in Ohio

1. Traditional agent listing — best when the house shows well and you can wait; commissions plus closing costs apply.
2. Discount / flat-fee broker — lower fee, still usually needs decent condition.
3. Cash buyer — lower than retail because repairs, holding, and resale risk sit on the buyer. You get speed, certainty, as-is, and fewer moving parts.

What a fair cash offer looks like

Honest buyers walk through: ARV minus repairs minus carrying and closing costs minus a margin. If someone will not explain the math when you ask, that is a red flag.

Ohio wholesaler disclosure (SB 155 / ORC § 5301.95)

As of March 2, 2026, wholesale buyers who plan to assign the contract must disclose that in plain writing before you sign. Ask directly: "Are you closing, or assigning?" If you do not get a straight answer, walk. We tell sellers up front how we are closing and put disclosures in writing.

Where Metro One fits

We are a Cincinnati-area investment firm. We have worked with homeowners in every situation on this page. If a cash sale fits, we want a shot to bid. If it does not, we will say so and send you to a better next step. The call costs nothing.