Can a creditor take my home if I do not pay a debt?

If the mortgage is not paid, the creditor can take your house. If you have other types of debt, your home is usually safe.

If you own a home and stop paying your mortgage, the creditor can file a foreclosure action and force a sale of your home. You agreed to this when you took out the loan. Your home provides security to the lender that you would pay back the debt.

If you owe money for most other debts like credit cards and medical bills, you (usually) did not sign a security agreement. So, the creditors cannot seize your home to pay the debt. But, if you want to sell your home and creditors have filed judgments for unpaid debts, you may need to pay those debts before the sale.