How to Prepare Mortgage Assistance Documents for Faxing

This guide is for U.S. homeowners requesting help with an existing mortgage. It covers preparing an assistance packet, rather than documents for buying a home, refinancing or closing a new loan.

1. Get the right application and instructions

Start with the mortgage assistance team listed on your current statement or the servicer's official website. Ask which application applies to your loan, what supporting documents it needs, and the relevant submission deadlines.

Your servicer may use a Mortgage Assistance Application, a Request for Mortgage Assistance or an investor-specific package. The Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Form 710 is one example. Use the version your servicer directs you to complete rather than assuming a downloaded form applies to every mortgage.

Also confirm which documents may be faxed and whether any require an original signature and mailing. Truist's instructions, for example, distinguish documents accepted by fax from documents that must be signed in ink and mailed.

If you are missing something or approaching a deadline, contact the servicer promptly about how to proceed. Do not postpone asking for help while you try to assemble a perfect packet.

2. Build a checklist for your situation

Use the table below to organize the items your servicer requests. It is not a requirement to submit every document listed.

Wells Fargo's homeowner assistance document guide illustrates why the checklist must be tailored: it lists possible documents but says the home preservation specialist will identify which ones are needed.

Check the requested dates and freshness requirements. A statement from the wrong period or an unsigned financial statement may need replacing. If your income or circumstances change during the review, ask which updated documents to provide.

3. Complete the forms and keep supporting documents intact

Read the application before signing its certifications and authorizations. Check the borrower and co-borrower sections, property address, loan reference and every required signature and date. Use the signing method the servicer accepts.

Keep supporting statements complete. For example, Chase's assistance checklist calls for the loan number on each page and all pages of requested statements, including blank pages.

Where required, add the loan number in a clear margin without covering document content. Do not remove statement pages or obscure financial information unless the servicer confirms it accepts that version. If you need to correct an answer, follow its instructions for submitting a clean correction.

A hardship explanation should accurately describe your circumstances and relevant dates. If a separate letter is requested, follow the servicer's prompts. It supports the application; it does not replace requested financial documents.

4. Arrange the packet and add a clear cover note

Follow the servicer's requested order. Otherwise, a practical sequence is:

1. Cover sheet with borrower name, loan reference, property address, callback details and total page count.
2. Completed application and required certifications.
3. Hardship explanation or related evidence, if requested.
4. Income documents, grouped by borrower and income source.
5. Bank statements and remaining requested supporting documents.

You can use a Fax.Plus cover sheet template and a brief message such as:

Re: Mortgage assistance documents, loan [loan number]
Please find the application and supporting documents listed below for [property address]. This fax contains [number] pages, including the cover sheet.
Documents included: [list].
Please confirm receipt and let me know whether additional information is needed to complete the application. Contact: [name and callback number].

If you are sending only a requested follow-up item, say so clearly and reference the servicer's request date. Keep documents for different loans separated according to its instructions.

5. Check the final fax copy

Scan paper documents with every edge visible. Check that names, statement dates, amounts, checkboxes and signatures are readable, and that no page is sideways or cut off.

For filled PDF forms, save a separate printable copy with the completed fields fixed into the page, then reopen it to review every entry. The Fax.Plus PDF preparation instructions explain how. Keep the original file and preserve any original-document or verifiable digital-signature requirement.

Count the complete packet, including the cover sheet. On the Fax.Plus Free plan, a fax must fit within 30 pages and 30 MB. See the sending-limit instructions. If your packet exceeds a limit, ask the servicer how to divide it or use another accepted submission method. For an agreed split, identify each part and its page count clearly.

6. Send with Fax.Plus and confirm the next step

Verify the fax number specifically for mortgage assistance or loss mitigation. A payoff, escrow or insurance department may use a different number.

For occasional sending, our guide to sending a fax without a subscription explains the Free-plan allowance and prepaid credit options.

Open Fax.Plus, enter the verified destination with its country code, and upload the packet in order. Review the recipient and attachments before sending. Our guide to faxing a form covers the sending steps.

Save the final packet and the confirmation report from Sent. Then use the servicer's portal or contact your assistance representative to check:

• Were the documents received and associated with the correct loan?
• Is the application complete, or is anything missing?
• What is the next step and any deadline you need to meet?

The fax report gives you a transmission record. The servicer determines application completeness and available assistance. Faxing an application alone does not establish approval or automatically pause a foreclosure. If a sale or urgent deadline is approaching, contact the servicer and seek qualified help promptly.