Fannie Mae Servicer Toolkit

Many mortgage servicers are looking for help with borrowers’ questions, the volume of forbearance inquiries, and changing guidelines. We are committed to ensuring our servicers have what they need to support borrowers trying to stay in their homes or, if necessary, leave their homes gracefully.

This servicer toolkit is a collection of key resources that will help you as you continue to serve your homeowners. For 24/7 support, visit Ask Poli.

New to loss mitigation

The following resources will help support your discussions with borrowers about loss mitigation options.

In order to report a mortgage forbearance plan, you need access to the Asset Management Network.


Mortgage Forbearance

Use this page to assist with setting borrowing expectations about forbearance plans.
3 minutes | Webpage

View page ›

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Note on mortgage forbearance

Following mortgage forbearance, borrowers must repay their missed payments. However, it is not a requirement that they repay the missed payments all at once.


Default Management and Prevention

Explore various default scenarios and timelines of events from delinquency through resolution of the default.
20 minutes | Online learning

Default Management & Delinquency Prevention ›
Default Management Scenarios ›


Available workout options

Get familiar with mortgage servicing terms and how to determine eligibility and answer questions about workout options. Use the following resources to support your discussions with borrowers about their options after a resolved financial hardship.


Workout hierarchy of options after forbearance Lock icon

Use this at-a-glance matrix to review homeowner options and eligibility requirements.
2 minutes | PDF

View matrix ›


Default Management and Prevention

Explore various default scenarios and timelines of events from delinquency through resolution of the default.
20 minutes | Online learning

Default Management & Delinquency Prevention ›
Default Management Scenarios ›


Lock icon Fannie Mae credentials required
Lock icon SMDU credentials required

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Questions about using SMDU?

If you need to submit a new payment deferral case in SMDU, refer to the SMDU UI Payment Deferral Options User Guide. Lock icon

If you need to check the status of an existing case or have questions about clearing error messages, refer to the SMDU UI Loss Mitigation User Guide Lock icon or tips for resolving common SMDU evaluation messages Lock icon.


Fannie Mae Flex Modification

Learn about this loan modification that offers eligible homeowners mortgage relief payment by extending the terms of the loan.
5 minutes | Webpage

View page ›


Payment deferral

Learn how to evaluate and submit a payment deferral option for borrowers impacted by a financial hardship or a disaster event. The following resources are available to support your discussions with borrowers about payment deferral options.

In order to evaluate a borrower for a payment deferral option, you need access to Servicing Management Default Underwriter™ (SMDU™).


SMDU UI Payment Deferral Options User Guide Lock icon

Use SMDU UI to perform a variety of actions, including evaluating a borrower for a payment deferral.
3 minutes | PDF

Download guide ›


Lock icon Fannie Mae credentials required
Lock icon SMDU credentials required


Script for homeowners with a resolved hardship Lock icon

Use this script with borrowers who have a resolved financial hardship.
5 minutes | PDF

View script ›


Investor reporting & business continuity

Review investor reporting requirements, especially for payment deferrals, to comply with timely submissions. As you're entering a case in SMDU™, check with your investor reporting team to ensure consistent data across submissions and reporting. Inconsistent data may result in hard rejects.


Investor reporting and remitting calendar

Use this resource to identify reporting requirements and key dates.
3 minutes | PDF

View calendar ›


Introduction to investor accounting

Learn how to remit, report, and reconcile for Actual/Actual loans.
21 minutes | Online learning

View training ›


Investor reporting manual Use this manual to help you comply with reporting loan-level detail.
66 pages | PDF

View manual ›


Lock icon Fannie Mae credentials required

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Avoiding hard rejects

  • Did a team member submit a Loan Activity Report (LAR) in the last 72 hours for the loan in question?
  • If YES, was the Last Paid Installment data or the Unpaid Principal Balance (UPB) changed?
  • If YES, please ensure those investor reporting changes reflect your case submission in SMDU/HomeSaver™ Solutions Network.
  • Ensuring your loss mitigation and investor reporting teams work in concert will help you avoid downstream issues that may require case corrections or resubmissions.

Servicers and Business Continuity

Ensure that you have implemented and maintained adequate business continuity and disaster recovery procedures.
1 minutes | PDF

View document ›


Helping borrowers avoid foreclosure

When it's no longer viable for a borrower to remain in their home, you can offer options that help borrowers leave the home while avoiding foreclosure.


Helping borrowers avoid foreclosure

Use this fact sheet to assist with setting borrower expectations about options to gracefully exit their home to avoid foreclosure.
2 minutes | Webpage

View fact sheet ›


Our workout hierarchy in action

This presentation gives an overview of our workout hierarchy, from retention through liquidation, along with real-world scenarios for helping delinquent borrowers avoid foreclosure.

Watch the webinar ›

Download presentation ›

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Borrower's corner

Resources are available for you to provide directly to borrowers.


Alternatives to foreclosure

There are ways to avoid foreclosure while moving on from your current home.
5 minute | Webpage

View page ›

Selling with equity in the home

If the home is worth more than the amount owed on the mortgage and other debts secured by the home, the borrower may have the option to sell with equity.


Script for servicers to use with borrowers who need a graceful exit Lock icon

Use this fact sheet to assist with setting borrower expectations about options to gracefully exit their home to avoid foreclosure.
10 minutes | Webpage

View script ›


Default Management Scenarios eLearning

In this course, choose from various default management scenarios and review the timeline of events that occur from delinquency through resolution of the default.
20 minutes | Online learning

View module ›


Lock icon Fannie Mae credentials required

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Borrower's corner

Resources are available for you to provide directly to borrowers.


Selling your home

Selling the home is an option if the borrower has a financial hardship and can no longer afford it.
2 minutes | Video

Watch the video ›


Guide homeowners to housing counselors

A HUD-approved housing counselor is an experienced, trained professional who can advise borrowers on preventing foreclosure.
2 minutes | Webpage

View resource ›


Selling with equity

While mortgage servicers can offer relief options to help borrowers stay in their homes as they recover from a temporary setback, a long-term or permanent financial hardship may require them to do something different, such as selling their home.
3 minutes | Webpage

View resource ›

Short sale

A short sale is an option if the borrower has a financial hardship and cannot sell the home for more than the mortgage balance.


What is a short sale?

Use this resource to help borrowers understand how a short sale can help them exit their home while avoiding foreclosure.
2 minutes | Webpage

View fact sheet ›


How to submit a short sale to Fannie Mae Lock icon

Use SMDU to report a short sale. Refer to the "Create Liquidation Cases" section of the SMDU UI Loss Mitigation user guide.
2 minutes | Webpage

View SMDU UI user guide ›


Remitting and reporting a short sale (action code 71)

Review this job aid for a brief overview of remitting short sale proceeds and reporting short sale activity on loans.
2 minutes | PDF

View job aid ›


Lock icon SMDU credentials required

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Borrower's corner

Resources are available for you to provide directly to borrowers.


Short sale to avoid foreclosure

A short sale may be an option if the borrower has a financial hardship and the home value is less than the mortgage balance.
1 minute | Video

Watch the video ›


When to consider a short sale

If your borrower is facing foreclosure and can no longer afford their home, they may qualify for a short sale—even if they don't think they can (or haven't been able to) sell their home.
3 minutes | Webpage

View page ›

Mortgage release

A Mortgage Release™ is an option if the borrower has a financial hardship and cannot sell the home, whether for a full payoff or a short sale.


What is a Mortgage Release?

Use this resource to help borrowers understand how a Mortgage Release (Deed-in-Lieu of Foreclosure) can help them exit their home while avoiding foreclosure.
2 minutes | Webpage

View fact sheet ›


How to submit a Mortgage Release to Fannie Mae Lock icon

Use SMDU to report a short sale. Refer to the “Create Liquidation Cases” section of the SMDU UI Loss Mitigation user guide.
2 minutes | Webpage

View SMDU UI user guide ›


Lock icon SMDU credentials required

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Borrower's corner

Resources are available for you to provide directly to borrowers.


Mortgage Release to avoid foreclosure

Learn about Mortgage Release for homeowners seeking options other than foreclosure if they can't afford to stay in their home.
1 minute | Video

Watch the video ›


Learn about Mortgage Release

A mortgage release could help your borrower resolve delinquency, avoid foreclosure, and consider different options to exit the home.
3 minutes | Webpage

View page ›

Property preservation

Fannie Mae requires that servicers preserve both the interior and the exterior of vacant properties securing delinquent loans year-round, regardless of the loss mitigation status.


Property Preservation Matrix and Reference Guide

Use these guidelines for property preservation services throughout the default process. 138 pages | PDF

View guide ›


Pre-foreclosure Inspection & Property Preservation Program

To reduce oversight burden for preservation and inspection activities, enroll in Fannie Mae’s Pre-foreclosure Inspection & Property Preservation Program.
2 minutes | PDF

View flyer ›


Property 360

Take advantage of streamlined technology for faster expense reimbursements, REOgram™ confirmations, and pre-foreclosure preservation.
3 minutes | Webpage

View flyer ›


Expense reimbursement

Fannie Mae allows the servicer to submit requests for expense reimbursement as soon as the expense is incurred.


Servicer Expense Reimbursement Job Aid

Use this resource for guidance on completing requests for expense reimbursement.
22 pages | PDF

View job aid ›

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Questions about expense reimbursement?

You can access the Inquiry Response Tool to submit and track inquiries related to expense reimbursement claims that may be denied, curtailed, or pending. Or, you can obtain guidance for unclear instructions related to a claim submission or system issue.

Bankruptcy & Foreclosure

If a borrower files for bankruptcy, please refer to the Servicing Guide:

A foreclosure may occur when the borrower has defaulted on their mortgage loan by failing to make payments or violating the terms of their mortgage agreement, and all loss mitigation options have been considered.

Please refer to the Servicing Guide:

Default management

Resources are available to support servicers through the default management process.

Default Management Scenarios for Servicers Lock icon

Take this course to explore timelines of events from delinquency through resolution of the default.
20 minutes | Online learning

View training ›


Default Reporting Application

Use our Default Reporting Application (DRA) Lock icon for all default-related data and reporting needs.

Obtain access to DRA

Use this resource to request access to DRA.

View job aid ›

DRA user guide

Review this user guide to use DRA.

View user guide ›


Lock icon Fannie Mae credentials required

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Borrower's corner

Resources are available for you to provide directly to borrowers.

A foreclosure can often be avoided. Borrowers must contact their servicer as soon as possible to discuss their options.


Foreclosure options

Advise borrowers to not just walk away from their homes. There are options.
10 minutes | Webpage

View page ›

Disaster Assistance

Resources to help servicers support borrowers who have been affected by a disaster.


Script for servicers to use with homeowners impacted by a disaster Lock icon

Use this script to help determine if borrowers were impacted by a disaster and if they need assistance with mortgage payments.
10 minutes | PDF

View script ›
Mortgage Forbearance

Use this page to assist with setting borrowing expectations about forbearance plans.
3 minutes | Webpage

View page ›


Lock icon Fannie Mae credentials required

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Borrower's corner

Resources are available for you to provide directly to borrowers.


Disaster assistance

If your home was impacted by a fire, flood, storm, or other disaster, you can get free personalized recovery assistance through the Disaster Response Network.

HUD-approved housing counselors can help you plan and tackle challenges such as working with your mortgage company to determine foreclosure prevention options or identifying financial or housing-related assistance available to renters.

For disaster assistance, call 855-HERE2HELP (855-437-3243).

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