HUD-approved housing counseling agencies

What this actually is

HUD-approved counselors are trained, federally approved advisers who will help you with renting, buying, defaults, forbearances, foreclosures and credit problems, and they do it at little or no cost to you. This is the strongest free-expertise entry in the housing section and the clearest middleman flag in the whole list. The foreclosure and "loan modification" space is thick with for-profit rescue operations that charge thousands of dollars up front to submit paperwork a HUD-approved counselor will prepare with you for free — and charging an advance fee for mortgage relief services is itself restricted under federal rules. If you are behind on a mortgage or facing eviction, call a HUD-approved agency BEFORE you talk to anyone who found you first. They are also independent: a counselor can tell you whether a set of mortgage terms is actually a good fit for your circumstances, which no one selling you the loan will.

Who qualifies, and what trips people up

Anyone can use one — renters as well as owners, before a crisis as well as during. No income test for access, though some specific services are targeted. Find one by ZIP code through the CFPB's search tool, which is powered by HUD's official list, or call the CFPB at 1-855-411-CFPB (1-855-411-2372); HUD also publishes the nationwide list at hud.gov and runs its own counselor search at answers.hud.gov/housingcounseling. Not every agency offers every service, so check the listed services before booking. Bring your lease or mortgage statement, the notice you received, and your income documents. Act on deadlines: a counselor can do far more with three weeks than with three days.