Birmingham, AL › Foreclosure
Can I Sell My Birmingham House Before Foreclosure?
Our agreement of sale will often get a foreclosure sale postponed so we can close. Signing alone doesn't postpone it automatically; we use the agreement to ask for the postponement, and it works more often than people think.
Often, yes: you may still be able to sell before an Alabama mortgage foreclosure sale if the transaction can close in time to cover the required payoff. Keep following the date in your notice unless the party handling the sale confirms a change.
USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Birmingham and Jefferson, Shelby, and Walker Counties, Alabama. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
Call 888-274-5006We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Tell us about the property and the foreclosure notice you received.
How we help you work toward closing
We review the house as-is, give you a written offer and written terms before you commit, and work toward a title-company closing. If you choose to move ahead, the title company can work through title and payoff details while we use our agreement to ask for a postponement.
Our agreement of sale will often get a foreclosure sale postponed so we can close. Signing alone doesn't postpone it automatically; we use the agreement to ask for the postponement, and it works more often than people think.
Signing alone does not change the sale date. Keep treating the date in your notice as current unless the lender or party handling the sale confirms a postponement; the agreement does not change Alabama’s statutory deadlines by itself.
Mortgage foreclosure or property-tax sale?
Alabama mortgage foreclosure can use a power-of-sale process: the mortgage lets the lender foreclose without filing a court case. The sale notice generally must be published once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper in the county, or in an adjoining county if none is published there. See Ala. Code § 35-10-12 and § 35-10-13. Your notice and the current sale status control the dates for your property.
A property-tax sale is a different process from a lender’s mortgage foreclosure, with its own notice and dates. Do not use the mortgage publication or redemption periods below as tax-sale deadlines. Follow the tax-sale notice and confirm its dates with the county office named on it.
If the mortgage sale already happened
Alabama gives certain people a limited right to buy the house back, called redemption. For residential property with a homestead exemption claimed in the year of sale, the usual period is 180 days for a mortgage signed on or after January 1, 2016. Other property and older mortgages generally have a one-year period. For qualifying homestead property, missing required notice can change when the redemption clock starts, but it cannot extend redemption beyond one year after foreclosure.
Redeeming means paying the sale price, interest, and lawful charges, which can include improvements, taxes, and insurance. If the purchaser also owns the mortgage debt, the remaining debt and interest can be due too. Redemption is not extra time to stay in the house: a debtor or mortgagor still in possession must leave within 10 days after the purchaser’s written demand or risk losing redemption rights.
If the payoff is the problem
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before.
You can talk with us before you know the exact payoff. A current lender payoff and title review can show what amounts need to be accounted for at closing; a lender decides whether to change its payoff.
You don't need to pay off your back taxes before we settle. We buy houses with back taxes and liens — payoffs get handled through the closing, not by you upfront. A separate tax-sale notice still has its own dates, and your share of current property taxes is separate.
What happens next
- Call us or send the Birmingham property address through the form. You can start even if you are still sorting out the notice or payoff.
- We review the house as-is and give you a written cash offer and written terms before you commit.
- If you choose to proceed, a title company reviews the title and works through the mortgage payoff, liens, and other closing details.
- We use the agreement to ask for a mortgage-sale postponement and work toward closing. Signing alone does not postpone the sale automatically; confirm any change with the party handling the sale.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Alabama's deed tax. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate.
It's real estate. Sometimes there are bumps in the road. We won't disappear when that happens, and we'll be fighting to get this to the closing table.
Local offices for the county on your notice
The incorporated City of Birmingham intersects Jefferson, Shelby, and Walker Counties. A Birmingham mailing address or metro-area label does not identify a property’s county, so check the property record or notice before choosing an office.
- Jefferson County: The Alabama Department of Revenue county-office directory lists separate assessor and tax-collector offices. The Jefferson County Probate Court recording page identifies its Birmingham and Bessemer recording divisions.
- Shelby County: The state’s county-office directory lists the Property Tax Office in Columbiana. The Shelby County Probate Office publishes separate recording and judicial contacts there.
- Walker County: The Walker County Revenue Commissioner lists separate assessing and collecting contacts. The Walker County Probate Office lists separate recording and judicial phone lines in Jasper.
For a current mortgage-sale date, follow the notice and confirm with the lender or party handling the sale. For a tax-sale notice, contact the county office named on that notice; mortgage deadlines do not set tax-sale dates.
Questions and contact
Use the Birmingham home-sale net-proceeds calculator to estimate possible proceeds with your own numbers. It is a planning estimate, not a property-specific offer. You can also read the Birmingham seller reviews and buyer information.
Questions about selling before foreclosure in Birmingham, AL
Can I sell my Birmingham house before an Alabama mortgage foreclosure sale?
Often, yes, if you can close before the foreclosure sale. Check the date and instructions in your notice. Our agreement of sale will often get a foreclosure sale postponed so we can close. Signing alone doesn't postpone it automatically; we use the agreement to ask for the postponement, and it works more often than people think.
Does signing an agreement automatically postpone an Alabama foreclosure sale?
Our agreement of sale will often get a foreclosure sale postponed so we can close. Signing alone doesn't postpone it automatically; we use the agreement to ask for the postponement, and it works more often than people think.
What if the Alabama mortgage foreclosure sale already happened?
Alabama gives certain people a limited right to buy the house back, called redemption. For residential property with a homestead exemption claimed in the year of sale, the usual period is 180 days for a mortgage signed on or after January 1, 2016. Other property and older mortgages generally have a one-year period. For qualifying homestead property, missing required notice can change when the period starts, but it cannot extend beyond one year after foreclosure. Redeeming means paying the sale price, interest, and lawful charges. Redemption is not extra time to stay in the house; a debtor or mortgagor still in possession must leave within 10 days after the purchaser’s written demand or risk losing redemption rights.
Is a property-tax sale the same as a mortgage foreclosure?
No. A property-tax sale is a separate process with its own notice and dates. The mortgage-sale publication and redemption periods on this page are not tax-sale deadlines. Follow the tax-sale notice and confirm its current dates with the county office named there.
What if my mortgage payoff is more than my Birmingham house is worth?
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before. A current payoff and title review can show what amounts must be accounted for at closing; any lender decision is specific to that lender and property.
Do I need to pay back taxes or liens before selling to you?
You don't need to pay off your back taxes before we settle. We buy houses with back taxes and liens — payoffs get handled through the closing, not by you upfront. Your share of current property taxes is separate, and this does not change the dates on a separate tax-sale notice.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Tell us about the property and the notice you received.
Call 888-274-5006 to talk with us about the property.