To find out if your house is scheduled for a foreclosure auction, start with your mailed notices, then call your servicer and the foreclosure attorney or trustee named on them. Confirm the date in public records: the county clerk or recorder in trustee-sale states, and the court docket or sheriff sale list in court-based states.
Behind on payments or facing an auction? We buy houses in any condition, can stop the sale, and close on your timeline.
Prefer to talk? Call or text (682) 610-0007
Not knowing the date is one of the most stressful parts of foreclosure. Once you know exactly when the sale is set, you can plan your next move instead of guessing.
The fastest way is to read your most recent foreclosure notice, then confirm the date with the servicer and a public record. Sale dates often get postponed, so check more than one place.
Federal rules generally stop a servicer from starting foreclosure until you are more than 120 days behind, so an auction date usually comes months after missed payments. See our foreclosure timeline.
In most states, the sale date, time, and place are printed on the notice of sale itself. In trustee-sale states it is often called a notice of trustee's sale or notice of substitute trustee's sale; in court states it may be a notice of sheriff's sale.
Look for the name and phone number of the trustee or the law firm handling the case. That office usually has the most current date, including postponements. Our guide to the notice of trustee sale walks through each part of the letter.
The servicer, the foreclosure attorney, or the trustee can confirm the current date. Call the number on your notice and ask three questions: What is the sale date and time? Has it been postponed? What would stop it?
Write down the name of the person you spoke to and the date. Then follow up in writing. If you have a loss mitigation application in, ask whether it is complete, because a complete application sent more than 37 days before a sale generally triggers federal protections under Regulation X (12 C.F.R. §1024.41).
Where you look depends on whether your state uses court (judicial) foreclosure or trustee (non-judicial) foreclosure. Our page on judicial vs. non-judicial foreclosure explains which applies to you.
| Where to look | Used in | What you will find |
|---|---|---|
| County clerk or recorder | Trustee-sale states like Texas and Arizona | The filed or recorded notice of sale, searchable by owner name or date |
| Court docket | Judicial states like Florida and Illinois | The foreclosure case, judgment, and order setting the sale |
| Sheriff or clerk sale list | Judicial states | Upcoming auctions by case number and address |
| Newspaper or public notice site | Most states | The published legal notice of sale |
Newspaper legal notices are required in many states, but they are published weeks ahead and do not show later postponements. Treat them as a backup, not your main source.
In Harris County, search the Harris County Clerk's online foreclosure records, which let you look up posted notices by sale month and file date. Texas law requires the notice to be filed with the county clerk at least 21 days before the sale (Tex. Prop. Code §51.002).
Harris County sales, like all Texas foreclosure sales, happen on the first Tuesday of the month, or the first Wednesday if that Tuesday is January 1 or July 4. If your notice is not in the clerk's records for a given month, that is a good sign, but still confirm with the trustee. See our Houston foreclosure help page for local options.
In Cook County, look up your case on the Clerk of the Circuit Court's online case information, then check the Cook County Sheriff's foreclosure sale site. The sheriff's site lists upcoming sales with the case number, property address, sale date, and whether the sale is open or cancelled.
Not every Cook County sale is run by the sheriff. The court order may name a private selling officer, such as The Judicial Sales Corporation, which holds Cook County sales at its downtown Chicago office. The sale is also not final until a judge approves it, according to the Sheriff's Office. The court's Mortgage Foreclosure Section, at the Daley Center, can refer cases to mediation. See our Chicago foreclosure help page.
In Maricopa County, search the County Recorder's recorded documents by your name or by the document type "Notice of Trustee Sale." The Recorder's FAQ recommends exactly this search.
Under A.R.S. §33-808, the notice must be recorded, mailed, posted on the property at least 20 days before the sale, and published once a week for four weeks. The sale can be held on the property, at a superior court building, or at the trustee's business. It cannot be sooner than the 91st day after recording, so the recording date tells you the earliest possible sale date.
Many Florida clerks run sales online. Duval County, for example, holds its sales at duval.realforeclose.com, per the Duval Clerk. Check your own county clerk's site for its auction calendar.
Call the trustee or attorney today and ask what would postpone or stop it. Read our guide to stopping a foreclosure auction and speak with a foreclosure attorney right away.
You may not be scheduled yet. Keep checking weekly and read every letter.
Ask the servicer for a written reinstatement quote and a list of workout options.
Selling, including to a direct cash buyer, is one option if there is time to close before the auction date.
Sources (checked 2026-09-26):
Often, yes. Many counties post notices, court dockets, or sheriff sale lists online, and some Florida clerks run auctions on public websites. Always confirm with the trustee or attorney, because online lists may lag behind postponements.
It depends on your state. Texas requires at least 21 days' notice, an Arizona sale cannot be held sooner than the 91st day after the notice is recorded, and Florida sets the sale 20 to 35 days after the court's judgment.
Yes. Lenders, trustees, and courts often postpone sales for loss mitigation reviews, bankruptcy, or other reasons. Ask the trustee or attorney for the new date in writing.
Usually yes, as long as the sale closes before the auction and pays off the loan or is approved by the lender as a short sale. Tell the servicer and the trustee about any signed contract right away.
The home is sold to the highest bidder, often the lender itself. In some states, such as Illinois, a judge must approve the sale afterward. If the home sells for more than what is owed, you may be able to claim the extra money.
Former bank loss mitigation managers — we know how decisions get made inside servicers because we used to make them.
Talk to a Specialist →