Court and county records · Foreclosure · October 10, 2026
How to Find Out if a House Is in Foreclosure
How to find out if a house is in foreclosure with free county records: lis pendens, notices of default, court dockets and sheriff or trustee sale lists.
Maybe a neighbor’s house has sat empty for months, you are hunting for a bargain, or you got a worrying letter about a home in your family. Whatever the reason, foreclosure is not a secret process. Lenders have to file or record papers at each stage, and most of those papers land in county records you can search for free. This guide explains how to find out if a house is in foreclosure, which records to check in judicial and non-judicial states, and how to tell an early filing from a finished sale. Procedures and office names differ by state and county, so confirm the details locally.
Start with the parcel and the owner
Foreclosure papers are indexed by the borrower’s name and the property’s legal description or parcel number, so get those first.
- Find the lot on the county parcel map. Pick the state and county on the Platbookmapper land map, open the county GIS viewer and click the house. Note the owner of record and the parcel ID.
- Copy the owner’s exact name. Court and recorder searches match names, and a missing middle initial or a trust name can hide a filing. Our guide to looking up land ownership online for free shows where to find it.
- Check who holds the loan. In the recorder’s index, look for a mortgage or deed of trust recorded after the owner’s deed. The lender or trustee named there is who would start a foreclosure.
Know which kind of foreclosure your state uses
Where you look depends on how foreclosure works in that state. Some states use one method; others allow both.
| Judicial foreclosure | Non-judicial foreclosure | |
|---|---|---|
| How it starts | The lender files a lawsuit in county or state court | The trustee records and mails notices under a power of sale in the deed of trust |
| First public record | The court case, often with a lis pendens recorded at the county | A notice of default or notice of sale recorded at the county |
| Where to search | Court docket and the county recorder | County recorder and published legal notices |
| Who runs the sale | Usually the sheriff or a court officer | The trustee |
| Deed after the sale | Sheriff’s deed or similar | Trustee’s deed |
How to find out if a house is in foreclosure, step by step
- Search the recorder’s index. Look up the owner’s name or parcel number and scan recent documents. Red flags include a lis pendens, a notice of default, a notice of trustee sale, or an appointment of a substitute trustee. A document called an assignment of mortgage around the same time is common too.
- Search the court docket. In judicial states, look up the owner as a defendant in the county or state court’s online case search. Foreclosure cases are often labeled as mortgage foreclosure, real property or similar. The docket shows the filing date, any judgment and a scheduled sale date.
- Check the legal notices. Most states require sale notices to be published, usually in a local newspaper, and many state press associations run free public notice search sites. Search by street name, owner or town.
- Look at sheriff and trustee sale lists. Many sheriff’s offices post upcoming foreclosure sales online, and some trustees and auction companies publish their own lists.
- Look for a sale deed. If a sheriff’s deed or trustee’s deed has been recorded, the foreclosure sale has already happened. A deed into the lender’s own name usually means the bank took the house back.
New to county search portals? Our walk-through on getting a copy of a deed covers how most recorder sites work, and the assessor vs. the recorder explains which office keeps what.
Reading what you find
- Early stage. A notice of default or a freshly filed case means the owner has fallen behind and the lender has started the process. Many of these end with the loan being brought current, modified or paid off in a sale. Our post on pre-foreclosure covers this window.
- Sale scheduled. A notice of sale or a sale date on the docket means an auction is set, though it can still be postponed or canceled.
- Sold. A recorded sheriff’s or trustee’s deed means the auction is done. In some states the old owner may still have a redemption period after the sale.
- Bank-owned. If no one outbid the lender, the house becomes bank-owned, often called REO, and is usually listed later through a real estate agent. Homes taken back on FHA loans are listed on the HUD Home Store site, and Fannie Mae sells its homes through HomePath.
A federal rule generally keeps mortgage servicers from making the first foreclosure filing until a borrower is more than 120 days behind, so there are usually missed payments well before anything appears in public records. Records will not show late payments on their own.
Tax foreclosure is a separate track
A house can also be lost for unpaid property taxes, and that process runs through the county treasurer or tax collector, not a mortgage lender. Check the tax bill status on the county tax site and look for the property on tax sale or tax lien lists. Our guides to finding liens on a property and the tax sale redemption period explain what to look for.
Tips and cautions
- Records lag. A filing can take days or weeks to show up online, and a canceled sale may not be marked right away.
- Names cause misses. Search spelling variations, both spouses, and any trust or LLC that holds title.
- Paid sites repackage public records. Foreclosure listing services can be handy, but their data comes from the same county filings and is not always current. Confirm with the source.
- If it is your own home, call your servicer and talk with a HUD-approved housing counselor, which is free, rather than relying on what the public records say.
- Be respectful. An empty-looking house is still private property. Do not enter without permission.
Foreclosure lookup FAQ
How can I find out if a house is in foreclosure for free?
Search the county recorder's index and the court's online case search by the owner's name or parcel number, and check published legal notices. Those sources are usually free.
What records show a house is in foreclosure?
Look for a lis pendens or a court case in judicial states, and a notice of default or notice of trustee sale in non-judicial states. A recorded sheriff's or trustee's deed means the sale is done.
Can I look up foreclosures by address?
Often, yes. Use the address to find the parcel and owner on the county parcel map, then search the recorder and court records by that name or parcel number.
How long after missed payments does foreclosure start?
Under a federal rule, mortgage servicers generally cannot make the first foreclosure filing until the borrower is more than 120 days behind. State timelines after that vary widely.
What does it mean if a house is bank-owned or REO?
It means the lender took the house back at the foreclosure sale and now owns it. REO homes are usually listed for sale later through an agent.
Is a tax foreclosure the same as a mortgage foreclosure?
No. A tax foreclosure is started by the county or tax collector for unpaid property taxes. Check the county tax site and tax sale lists for those.