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The foreclosure process depends on the terms of your mortgage, which can vary from loan to loan. When in doubt, always check your mortgage.

With that said, there are certain requirements when it comes to foreclosure in Massachusetts. As such, there’s a timetable that’s somewhat set in stone:

• You forget to make your mortgage payment past the grace period (typically the 15th of every month). You start getting calls and letters from collections agencies.
• The lender sends you a "Right to Cure" notice. At this point, the bank is essentially giving you a second chance. They’re saying that you have 150 days to repay the loan and all will be forgiven. (You’re “curing” the default).
• The lender can shorten that period from 150 days to 90 days if they have a face-to-face meeting or telephone call with you to discuss alternatives to foreclosure.
• After your second grace period is up, the bank will send you an “Acceleration Notice” notifying you the loan is due in full. This acceleration notice needs to be sent 21 days before the foreclosure sale.
• Also, 14 days before the foreclosure sale, you’ll receive a “Notice of Foreclosure Sale” in the mail.
• After the sale – which has to be published in the newspaper – you don’t have to move immediately, but the bank can now issue an eviction notice.
• After the new owner or bank has an eviction notice issued by a Court Order, they can force you out of your home.
• You always have the right to ask the court for more time in your home. If you’re being evicted because of the death of a loved one or serious medical issues, you just might be granted extra time.