How does foreclosure work in California?
California uses a nonjudicial foreclosure process. You can sell the home (and keep your equity) at any time up until the trustee's sale is completed. A sale that pays off the loan stops the foreclosure. After the auction, title passes to the purchaser.
Can you catch up and keep your home?
You can reinstate by paying the past-due amounts plus allowed fees/costs (not the whole balance) from the time the Notice of Default is recorded until 5 business days before the scheduled trustee's sale. Before the NOD can even be recorded, the servicer must contact you (or diligently try) to discuss options, then wait 30 days (Homeowner Bill of Rights).
Until when can you sell and keep your equity?
You can sell the home (and keep your equity) at any time up until the trustee's sale is completed. A sale that pays off the loan stops the foreclosure. After the auction, title passes to the purchaser. See your exact dates with the free California Foreclosure Deadline Calculator.
The honest math on a California foreclosure
Every day you carry the loan, arrears, fees, and interest grow. A traditional listing takes weeks to market and 30–45 more days for a financed buyer to close — time you may not have before the sale date.
A cash sale that closes before the sale date lets you walk away with your equity instead of losing it at auction. Talk to a free HUD counselor too — you may have options beyond selling.