Plain English guide

The Texas foreclosure timeline.

How the process works, step by step, and what each letter means. Free to read. No signup.

  1. 1

    Missed payments

    Your servicer starts sending late notices and calls. Nothing is scheduled yet.

  2. 2

    Notice of default

    A formal letter saying you are behind. You get at least 20 days to catch up the past-due amount. Tex. Prop. Code §51.002.

  3. 3

    Notice of trustee's sale

    Sent at least 21 days before the sale by certified mail. It is also posted at the courthouse and filed with the county clerk.

  4. 4

    The sale

    Held on the first Tuesday of the month, at the spot your county's Commissioners Court designates.

  5. 5

    After the sale

    If the sale brings in more than is owed, the extra goes to lienholders by priority and then to the former owner. Tex. Prop. Code §51.0075(f).

How long does foreclosure take in Texas?

Texas moves faster than most states. Most home loans here use a deed of trust, which lets the lender sell the house through a trustee without going to court.

The law sets minimum notice periods. You get at least 20 days to cure the default. Then you get at least 21 days notice before a sale. Both come from Tex. Prop. Code §51.002.

Those are minimums. Many servicers take longer, and the dates on your own paperwork are the ones that count.

When are foreclosure sales held in Texas?

Sales happen on the first Tuesday of the month. They are held at the location the county Commissioners Court designates, usually at or near the courthouse.

Each county is a little different. See the guides for Tarrant, Dallas, Collin, and Denton counties.

What can I do at each step?

Early on, call your servicer and ask for the loss mitigation department by name. Ask what programs your loan may qualify for, and ask for your reinstatement amount in writing.

A HUD approved housing counselor can walk through your options for free. Call (800) 569-4287.

If you may qualify for free legal help, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas serves North Texas. Their numbers are on our resources page.

What happens to extra money after a Texas foreclosure sale?

Sometimes a sale brings in more than the loan balance. The trustee pays lienholders in order of priority. Whatever is left belongs to the former owner.

Under Tex. Prop. Code §51.0075(f), the trustee may deposit that money with the district court registry. Property tax sales follow a different law, Tex. Tax Code §34.04.

The First Oak is a small Fort Worth company that buys houses for our own account. If you want to talk about your options, you can text us. If not, that is fine too.

Text us at (817) 632-5756

We are not licensed real estate agents, attorneys, or financial advisors. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or financial advice. Your own paperwork controls your actual dates. We buy houses for our own account. If we make you an offer, we are the buyer, and we do not represent you.