Can I Sell My Athens House in Foreclosure?

Yes. You can sell before a Tennessee mortgage foreclosure sale if closing happens first. If a trustee's sale is scheduled, tell us the date right away so we can try to close before it.

Since July 1, 2025, Tennessee’s usual rules require at least two newspaper notices in a newspaper published in the county, with the first at least 20 days before the sale. The notice must also be posted online by a third-party internet posting company for at least 20 consecutive days. The trustee must mail you a copy by registered or certified mail by the date of the first newspaper notice. Unless the loan papers forbid it, the trustee may postpone the sale without a new newspaper notice, but the sale must happen within one year of the original date. Each new date must be announced at the scheduled sale and posted online unless the delay is less than five days. If the sale is delayed more than 30 days, the new date, time, and place must be mailed at least 10 days before the sale. After a sale under a deed of trust or mortgage without a court judgment, Tennessee law gives you two years to redeem unless the loan papers expressly waive that right. Court-ordered sales have different rules.

No. A mortgage foreclosure concerns a home loan; a tax sale concerns unpaid property taxes. Each has its own notice and deadline. McMinn County Trustee handles county property-tax accounts, while City of Athens Finance handles city property-tax bills.

Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before. We can look at the payoff with you alongside the written sale terms and other amounts due at closing.

Share the Athens property address and the date on your notice. We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. You get a written offer and written terms before you commit, and we close through a title company. If you choose to sell, the title company works through title, payoff, tax, and lien details with us as we work toward closing.