A mortgage payoff letter can come in two forms. One form tells borrowers the remaining principal amount and interest they have to pay to close out the loan.A payoff request can be created and mailed for free. How long does it take to obtain a payoff? The Homeowner Mortgage Servicing Unit is open and available to process your requests during regular business hours. Processing times is currently 8 weeks. Short sales happen when properties get sold for lower than what is owed on the mortgage. The mortgage lender is the one who approves the "short" payoff.