Facing Foreclosure in California
California runs most foreclosures outside the courts, on a clock fixed by statute: three months from the recorded Notice of Default, then at least twenty-one days after the trustee sale notice posts. Roughly a hundred and eleven days at the floor. What you can still do depends entirely on where in that window you are — and if you hold equity, an auction is the worst way to realise it.
- We deal with your attorney directly
- As it stands, repairs and all
- Your closing date, not ours
Foreclosure sales — what to expect
The statutory clock, stage by stage
California runs most foreclosures outside the courts, on a clock fixed by statute: three months from the recorded Notice of Default, then at least twenty-one days after the trustee sale notice posts. Roughly a hundred and eleven days at the floor. What you can still do depends entirely on where in that window you are — and if you hold equity, an auction is the worst way to realise it.
California's foreclosure clock starts when the Notice of Default is recorded and runs three months before a sale notice can post. Up to five days before the auction the statutory right to reinstate survives; inside those final five days only a full payoff stops it. A HUD-approved counselor costs nothing and should be your other call.
What we handle
What's still possible at each stage
Your options narrow as the clock runs. Here is what stays open, and for how long.
Sell before auction date
A sale that funds before the auction date cancels the trustee sale. The constraint is the calendar, not the paperwork, so the earlier you start the more room there is to work with.
Pay off the mortgage at close
Escrow wires the servicer their payoff and the balance comes to you. A house worth $480,000 against a $310,000 loan holds $170,000 that an auction is a poor mechanism for realising.
Avoid a deficiency judgment
California's anti-deficiency rules cover many purchase-money loans on owner-occupied homes, but refinances and second liens can sit outside that protection. Worth confirming which you have before assuming you are covered.
Protect your credit
A completed foreclosure stays on your file for seven years and takes a heavy bite out of your score. A sale that pays the loan leaves only the late payments behind, and the road back to a mortgage is considerably shorter.
Walk away with cash, not nothing
A trustee sale satisfies the debt; it does not protect your equity. Homeowners routinely underestimate how much of theirs is sitting in the house, and an auction is the least effective way to get it back.
Short sale alternative
If you owe more than the house is worth, a lender-approved short sale may be the route. It needs the servicer's agreement and the sale date postponed, so it starts earlier than people expect.
The Process
Selling during foreclosure — step by step
The same three steps we run on every property, shaped around what you're dealing with.
Send us the address
Send the address by form or phone. A minute of your time, nothing pulled, nobody assigned to you.
We come back with a number
We work the numbers and come back inside a day with a figure that holds. No revisions after inspection.
Your closing date, not ours
You name the date, anywhere from a week out to a couple of months. Escrow and title are on us.
Honest Comparison
Cash sale vs. listing with an agent
What each route really costs once you count the weeks, not just the price.
FAQ
Foreclosure questions we get most
Something we didn't cover? Pick up the phone, we'll answer it straight.
How much time do I have before auction?
Will selling stop foreclosure?
How much does foreclosure damage my credit vs. selling?
What if I'm already in default?
Can you help with HUD or VA loans?
Get Started
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