How to find pre-foreclosure homes to buy, and how to approach the owner
- Where
- Listing sites, then the county recorder
- Cost
- $0 to search
- Who sells
- The owner, before the sale date
- Check first
- The title, the loan and your state’s rules
Step by step, for nothing
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Search a site that marks pre-foreclosures
RealtyTrac listed 138,522 homes in pre-foreclosure nationwide in November 2026, free to search. Zillow’s help article, written in 2018, says to choose Pre-Foreclosure under Potential Listings, free with an account, and warns that such a home “is not necessarily for sale”. Investor tools such as Propwire list pre-foreclosures too, free to search.
What you come away withAddresses marked as in pre-foreclosure.
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Confirm the notice at the county
Search the county recorder for the notice of default or the lis pendens on the address, and in a state that forecloses through the courts, the clerk’s docket for the case. A site can lag the county, or keep a home whose owner has already caught up, so the recorder decides.
What you come away withA confirmed notice and the date it was recorded.
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Check the equity and the title
A listing site’s estimated value is a guess. Look at recent sales nearby for the value, and at the recorded mortgage for what is likely owed. Where the owner owes more than the home is worth, only a short sale with the lender’s approval can work. Before you commit, a title search shows every lien that has to be paid or settled at closing.
What you come away withA rough idea of the equity, or the lack of it.
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Write to the owner
The mailing address on the assessor’s record reaches the owner. Say who you are, that you buy houses, and how to reach you. The owner may be dealing with the lender and a lawyer at the same time, so a short, plain letter reads better than a loud one.
What you come away withA first contact the owner can answer.
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Make an offer that can close before the sale
An offer has to close before the sale date in the notice of sale and pay off or settle the loan. Some states regulate buying from an owner in foreclosure, with set contract terms and a cancellation period, California’s Home Equity Sales Contracts Act among them. Check yours before the first offer.
What you come away withAn offer the owner can accept in time.
Where finding stops and buying starts
Finding the homes is the easy half. Until the sale, the owner can still catch up, refinance, sell with an agent or reach a deal with the lender, and any of those ends the opportunity.
Timing is the other limit. The window closes at the sale date set by the notice of sale, and a short sale needs the lender’s approval inside that window.
Three stages, three sellers
- Pre-foreclosure
- Buy from the owner
- Foreclosure sale
- Bid at the trustee or sheriff sale
- Bank-owned (REO)
- Buy from the lender
The names and steps differ by state.
Sites and tools that list pre-foreclosures
Each names pre-foreclosure on its own pages. Confirm any address at the recorder. Prices read November 2026.
| Tool | Pre-foreclosures | Price | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
 Realty |
138,522 listed in November 2026 | Free search, free sign-up | See RealtyTrac pricing |
 Propwire |
One of 21 lead types | Free to search and download | Try Propwire free |
 Prop |
A search filter | $99 a month | See PropStream pricing |
 Deal |
A distress signal it scores | $119 a seat | See DealMachine pricing |
 Property |
Foreclosure records by county | $119 a month | See PropertyRadar pricing |
Paid links. If you subscribe through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our ranking order.
To build a whole county’s list rather than look up homes one by one, the county method shows where each notice is filed.
Pre-foreclosure homes: questions people ask
Can you look up pre-foreclosure homes?
Yes. RealtyTrac lists them free to search, Zillow’s help article describes a Pre-Foreclosure filter free with an account, and the county recorder holds the notices themselves.
Are pre-foreclosures public record?
Yes. The notice of default, the lis pendens and the notice of sale are recorded or filed publicly. The owner’s phone number is not part of them.
Is buying a pre-foreclosure a good deal?
Not automatically. An owner with equity can sell at market value with an agent, and one who owes more than the home is worth can only sell through a short sale the lender approves. The numbers decide, one home at a time.
Can I use a mortgage to buy a pre-foreclosure?
Yes. It is a sale by the owner, so ordinary financing works if it can close before the sale date.
Do I need an agent to buy a pre-foreclosure?
No, but a short sale that is listed goes through the listing agent, and an agent or a lawyer can help with your state’s rules on buying from an owner in foreclosure.
How long can a house stay in pre-foreclosure?
It depends on the state and on whether the foreclosure goes through the courts. The what is pre-foreclosure guide covers the stages.
Is buying in pre-foreclosure different from buying at the foreclosure auction?
Yes. In pre-foreclosure you buy the property from the owner, with time to inspect it and a normal closing. At the foreclosure auction you bid against other buyers, usually pay in full within a short deadline, and often cannot see inside first. Rules differ by state.
How we put this together
- Zillow’s help articles on pre-foreclosure listings, read September 2026 and again in November 2026, and RealtyTrac’s pre-foreclosure search, read September 2026 and again in November 2026
- County recorder and court procedure for the notices, judicial and non-judicial
- California’s Home Equity Sales Contracts Act, as one state’s buyer rules
We have not bought a pre-foreclosure for this page. Buyer protections and timelines differ by state, and nothing here is legal advice.