You have options throughout the entire foreclosure process, but acting early gives you the most leverage. In New York, foreclosure is a judicial process that typically takes 12-18 months from the first missed payment to actual sale. However, the sooner you get legal help, the more options you’ll have. Once you receive a foreclosure complaint, you have 20-30 days to respond, but you can still defend even after that deadline. The key is not waiting until the last minute when your options become limited.