Texas Foreclosure Timeline

The foreclosure process begins when a homeowner misses their first mortgage payment. During this period, the lender typically initiates contact attempts — phone calls, letters, and email reminders. No public filings occur during this phase. For investors, this stage is invisible without direct lender data.

Action: Not yet actionable from public records. Focus your monitoring on the next stages where public filings begin.

Most lenders initiate formal loss mitigation after 30-60 days of default. During this period, the lender may offer the borrower a loan modification, forbearance agreement, or repayment plan. If loss mitigation fails or the borrower doesn't respond, the lender prepares for formal foreclosure proceedings.

Public filings may begin appearing at this stage, particularly in more aggressive foreclosure markets. Some lenders file lis pendens at this stage to create a public record of the default.

After the loss mitigation period expires, the lender sends a formal Notice of Default by certified mail to the borrower — giving a minimum 20-day opportunity to cure the default. The lender typically files a lis pendens with the county clerk at this stage, creating the first public record of the pending foreclosure.

This is the primary monitoring trigger for Foreclosures Now subscribers. Investors who identify a filing at this stage have 30-60 days before the property reaches the NOSTS stage — the maximum pre-foreclosure engagement window.

After the 20-day cure period expires, if the default is not cured, the lender files a Notice of Substitute Trustee Sale (NOSTS) with the county clerk and posts it at the courthouse. The NOSTS specifies the First Tuesday auction date (the next available First Tuesday at least 21 days out) and the opening bid amount.

This is the most actionable filing for active investors. The 21-day countdown begins, and the opportunity for pre-auction negotiation is compressed. Foreclosures Now delivers real-time NOSTS alerts to your phone within minutes of filing.

On the designated First Tuesday between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, the property is sold to the highest bidder at the courthouse location. If no bid exceeds the lender's opening bid, the property becomes REO.

For investors who have been monitoring the property since the lis pendens stage, this is the final decision point: bid at auction (if pre-foreclosure negotiations failed) or stand down and pursue the property as REO later.