Avoid Foreclosure

If you've received a Notice of Default, you need to act NOW. Every day you wait reduces your options.

Foreclosure doesn't just mean losing your home. It destroys your credit score for 7 years, making it harder to rent, buy a car, or get a new mortgage. We're a local, family-run team that helps homeowners across Sonoma County, Napa, and Solano counties stop foreclosure by purchasing the home for cash before the bank takes it — often closing well before the auction date. If the home was inherited and is now in default, see our selling an inherited house guide for how Prop 19 and stepped-up basis interact with the foreclosure timeline.

The California Foreclosure Timeline

California is a non-judicial foreclosure state under Civil Code §2924. Your lender doesn't need a courtroom — but you still have substantial time to act once you understand the milestones.

• Day 0 (~3 missed payments): Lender records a Notice of Default (NOD) at the county recorder. Sonoma, Napa, and Solano County recordings are public.
• Day 1–90 — Reinstatement period: You can cure the default by paying the arrears plus fees. You can also sell during this window — proceeds at close pay off the loan and stop the process.
• Day 90+: Lender records a Notice of Sale (NOS) with the auction date — must be at least 21 days away.
• Auction day: Trustee's sale on the courthouse steps. Highest bidder wins. You lose the property — and remaining equity above the loan balance often goes to the lender, not you.

The statutory minimum is 111 days, but in practice Sonoma, Napa, and Solano County trustees often run 6–9+ months due to recording backlogs. That's working in your favor — time to sell properly, recover most of your equity, and protect your credit — if you act now. For a complete walkthrough of California foreclosure law and anti-deficiency rules, see our step-by-step guide to selling a house in foreclosure in California.

Two recent California laws matter: AB 2424 (2024) requires lenders to deliver clearer pre-foreclosure notices and an equity notification before the auction, and SB 1079 prevents bulk investor-only foreclosure auctions during a 45-day owner-occupant window after the sale. If you're facing foreclosure on a home you inherited, your options are broader than the bank may have explained.

How We Help You Avoid Foreclosure

1. Call us immediately: The sooner you reach out, the more options you have
2. We analyze your situation: We'll review your timeline and present solutions
3. Fast cash offer: We make a fair offer within 24 hours
4. Close before the auction: We can close in as few as 14 days
5. Walk away with cash: You pay off the mortgage and keep the remaining equity

Why Selling to Us Beats Foreclosure

• Protect your credit: A pre-foreclosure sale typically drops your FICO 50–80 points and recovers in 6–18 months; a completed foreclosure drops 100–160 points and stays for 7 years.
• Keep your equity: California's anti-deficiency rules (CCP §580b for purchase-money loans, §580d for trustee sales) and the AB 2424 equity-notification process let you walk away with the equity that auction bidders would otherwise capture.
• Avoid deficiency judgments: Purchase-money loans on owner-occupied residences are typically non-recourse — but HELOCs and cash-out refis may not be. Always confirm with a real estate attorney before closing.
• Move on your terms: Choose when to leave, not when the sheriff says to.

Foreclosure Scenarios We See by County

Foreclosure pressures look different across the North Bay. We've worked through each scenario:

Sonoma County: Post-fire properties carry insurance and reconstruction complications. Homeowners in Santa Rosa (Coffey Park, Fountaingrove) and Sonoma sometimes face foreclosure on partially rebuilt or under-insured properties. We buy as-is with insurance settlements assigned at close.

Solano County: Vallejo and Fairfield historically carry the higher default rates in the region — military relocations, multi-generational homes, and economic transitions. Travis AFB PCS orders can compress a typical foreclosure timeline into weeks. We've closed pre-foreclosure deals in 14 days in both markets.

Napa County: Napa homeowners often face foreclosure when wine-industry downturns and vineyard succession overlap with second mortgages on the home itself. We can structure short sales with lender loss-mitigation departments if equity is negative.

Whatever the scenario, you retain the right to sell up to the moment of the trustee's sale. Don't let the bank tell you otherwise.

Hablamos Español

Sabemos que enfrentar una ejecución hipotecaria es estresante, especialmente cuando hay barreras de idioma. Ofrecemos servicio completo en español para asegurarnos de que entienda todas sus opciones.