You can sell your house any time before the foreclosure sale is completed, including during the 21 days after the notice of sale is posted. Texas foreclosure is non-judicial and fast. It can run from first notice to auction in about 41 days, and there is no right of redemption after a mortgage foreclosure sale. Once the sale happens on the first Tuesday, the house is gone.
If you are in that window now and want a straight answer on your house, call (214) 542-3241 or get a cash offer here.
How fast foreclosure moves in Texas
Most national articles about foreclosure are written for states where lenders have to sue you first and the process takes a year. Texas is not one of those states.
Texas foreclosure is non-judicial. Under Texas Property Code § 51.002, the sequence is:
- Notice of default, sent by certified mail, giving you at least 20 days to cure.
- Notice of sale, sent by certified mail, filed with the county clerk, and posted at the courthouse at least 21 days before the sale.
- The sale, held the first Tuesday of the month between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the county courthouse.
That totals about 41 days. Dallas County and Tarrant County hold those auctions every month.
If you have received a certified letter, you are weeks away, not months.
Can I sell after the foreclosure notice is posted?
Yes. You own the house until the sale is completed, and you can sell it.
The problem is timing, not law. A traditional listing in DFW takes 30 to 60 days to go under contract and another 30 to close. If your sale date is three weeks out, a listing will not finish.
Four things have to happen inside that window:
- Get an accurate payoff from your lender, including fees and arrears.
- Find a buyer who can close with no financing contingency.
- Start title work immediately.
- Fund the payoff before the trustee conducts the sale.
That is the argument for a cash sale in a foreclosure. Not a better price than a listing. A sale that finishes before the deadline. If you have four to six months, listing will usually put more money in your pocket, and we will tell you that. Compare the two here.
My HOA foreclosed. Can I get the house back?
Often, yes. Texas Property Code § 209.011 gives a homeowner 180 days to redeem after an HOA assessment foreclosure on a homestead. The clock starts when the HOA mails you notice, not at the sale. The HOA has to mail that notice within 30 days after the sale.
If you do not request a value determination, the court uses the auction price and your deficiency is bigger.
Four points that matter:
- A Texas HOA cannot foreclose on fines or attorney fees alone.
- If an investor bought it, redeeming costs the HOA debt plus the purchase price, recording fees, taxes, and eviction costs. No premium.
- Rent the investor collected during the period must be credited back to you.
- The property stays subject to pre-existing liens, including your mortgage.
An HOA foreclosure is not final the way a mortgage foreclosure is. But 180 days goes fast, and you need the money ready.
The county sold my house for back taxes. Do I have two years?
For homestead or agricultural land, yes. Texas Tax Code § 34.21 gives you two years, with a redemption premium of 25 percent in the first year and 50 percent in the second.
For anything that is not homestead or ag, you get 180 days after the purchaser deed is recorded, with the premium capped at 25 percent.
A tax sale and a mortgage foreclosure are not the same thing, and people lose houses by assuming they are. A tax sale leaves you a long runway. A mortgage foreclosure leaves you none.
The bank sold my house for less than I owed. Can they come after me?
Yes, and they have two years from the sale date to sue for the deficiency under Property Code § 51.003.
You can ask the court to determine the property fair market value. If fair market value is higher than the auction price, you get an offset for the difference. Auction prices usually come in below market, so that offset can be large.
My house sold for more than I owed. Where is the extra money?
It belongs to you. Surplus proceeds above the payoff go to the former owner.
Under Texas Business and Commerce Code § 22.006, the trustee has to hold those funds in a separate account and make reasonable efforts to find the people entitled to them. If several parties claim the money, the trustee can deposit it with the court and let a judge decide.
Surplus funds attract recovery operators who charge large contingency fees to claim money you can claim yourself. Before signing with one, call the trustee listed on your notice of sale, or the county clerk, and ask.
What we do
We buy houses in Dallas-Fort Worth for cash, close on your timeline, and charge no fees or commissions. In a foreclosure, speed is the whole value.
We also say when selling to us is the wrong answer. If you have time to list, list. If a loan modification or a Chapter 13 plan keeps you in the house, do that. Here is who we are.
Tell us about your house and we will come back within 24 hours with a number. Call (214) 542-3241.
Independent help
This is general information, not legal advice. Foreclosure outcomes depend on the documents in your file, and it is worth talking to a Texas attorney. These are neutral, non-commercial resources:
- UNT Dallas College of Law, From Notice to Auction: Demystifying the Texas Foreclosure Fast Track
- Tarrant County Dell DeHay Law Library, Foreclosure Research Guide
- Lone Star Land Law, Foreclosure in Texas