Your loan can be sold at any time. There is a secondary mortgage
market in which lenders frequently buy and sell pools of mortgages. This
secondary mortgage market results in lower rates for consumers. A lender
buying your loan assumes all terms and conditions of the original loan.
As a result, the only thing that changes when a loan is sold is to whom
you mail your payment. If your loan has been sold, your existing lender
will notify you that your loan has been sold, who your new lender is,
and where you should send your payments from now on.
If your lender goes out of business, you are still obligated to make
payments! Typically, loans owned by a lender going out of business are
sold to another lender. The lender purchasing your loan is obligated to
honor the terms and conditions of the original loan. Therefore, if your
lender goes out of business, it makes little difference with regards to
your loan payments. In some cases, there may be a gap between the date
of your lender's going out of business and the date that a new lender
purchases your loan. In such a situation, continue making payments to
your old lender until you are asked to make payments to your new lender.