Can I Sell My Modesto House in Foreclosure?

How we can help before a trustee's sale

We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. Tell us the property address, its condition, and the sale date you have; we can review whether a direct sale may fit the time available.

You'll see the written offer and written terms before you commit. If you decide to move ahead, closing is through a title company, which can review the payoff and title details with you.

When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the county documentary transfer tax and any city transfer tax. That does not include your mortgage payoff, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes; those are separate amounts.

What happens in a California mortgage foreclosure?

California home loans commonly use a deed of trust. Most foreclosures are nonjudicial, meaning the trustee named in the deed of trust runs the process without a lawsuit. The trustee records a notice of default. After a 90-day period to catch up, a notice of sale can follow; that notice must be posted, published, and recorded at least 20 days before the sale.

A trustee can postpone a sale at the lender's instruction or by agreement. For one-to-four-unit homes, state law also allows limited 45-day postponements tied to a broker listing and a qualifying purchase agreement. Do not assume a general estimate or sale agreement changes your date; have the title company or an attorney confirm the current sale date and payoff.

Sources: California Courts: Your rights in a nonjudicial foreclosure; Civil Code section 2924c, reinstatement; section 2924f, sale notices; section 2924g, trustee's sale and postponement; and the California Department of Real Estate foreclosure guide.

Mortgage foreclosure or county tax sale?

The trustee's sale described above concerns a mortgage or deed-of-trust loan. A county tax-defaulted sale concerns unpaid property taxes; it is a separate process with separate notices and dates. If your notice is for a county tax sale, check it directly with the Stanislaus County Treasurer-Tax Collector. Do not apply the mortgage deadlines on this page to a tax-sale notice.

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.

Ask your lender for a current payoff statement and have the title company review recorded liens and the figures needed for closing. The payoff and title details are specific to the property and the date of the statement.

What happens next

1. Tell us the address, what is happening, and the trustee's sale date if one is scheduled.
2. We review the house as-is and give you written offer terms before you commit.
3. If you choose to proceed, the title company reviews the payoff, title, and closing figures with you.
4. When you sell to us, you do not need to pay off back taxes before settlement. We buy houses with back taxes and liens — payoffs get handled through closing, not by you upfront.
5. The title company coordinates the closing documents and settlement.

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 and official help

• California Courts foreclosure self-help explains the nonjudicial mortgage process.
• For a county tax-defaulted notice, contact the Stanislaus County Treasurer-Tax Collector and use the date stated on your notice.