Facing foreclosure? You have more options than you think.

Yes. When homeowners reach out before foreclosure, about 80% are able to sell or refinance and keep their hard-earned equity instead of losing it at auction — while protecting their credit. Across our foreclosure clients we maintain a 97% success rate by providing all the tools, resources, and contacts needed to avoid foreclosure, and we’ve even found ways to legally postpone a foreclosure to create time to sell and/or reinstate the mortgage and keep the home. For legal specifics, Alan will point you to the right professional.

Yes. Alan helps buyers and investors source and evaluate foreclosure, pre-foreclosure, and distressed properties, with realistic numbers on repairs and resale.

Often there is still time to act, but timing matters. Reach out as early as possible so Alan can review your options with you.

Texas is a non-judicial foreclosure state — lenders do not need court approval. From the first missed payment, the process can move to auction in as few as 4–6 months, and in extreme cases as few as 41 days once formal notices begin. The lender must mail a Notice of Sale at least 21 days before the auction and file it at the Harris County Courthouse. Acting early is critical: every day of delay closes options behind you.

In Harris County — and every Texas county — foreclosure auctions are held on the first Tuesday of every month at the county courthouse, between 10 AM and 4 PM. In Houston that means the Harris County Courthouse in downtown. Properties go to the highest bidder, and the new owner can begin eviction proceedings immediately after. The goal for any distressed homeowner is to resolve the situation before the property ever reaches that auction.

The Notice of Sale is a formal legal document your lender files at the Harris County Courthouse and mails to you at least 21 days before your scheduled foreclosure auction. Receiving one does not mean you have run out of options — but the timeline is now urgent. At that stage you may still be able to sell the property, apply for a loan modification, negotiate a deed in lieu, or legally postpone the sale. Contact Alan the moment you receive this notice.

A loan modification permanently changes the terms of your existing mortgage — interest rate, loan term, or even principal — to make the payment affordable. Lenders often prefer this to foreclosure because foreclosure costs them an average of $40,000–$70,000 in fees, lost interest, and carrying costs. The application is 30–40 pages and requires a hardship letter, pay stubs, bank statements, a household budget, and tax returns. Review takes 2–4 months from a complete submission. Critically, if you submit a complete application more than 37 days before your scheduled sale, federal law prohibits the lender from proceeding until they have issued a written decision.

Forbearance is an agreement with your lender to temporarily pause or reduce your mortgage payments — typically 3–6 months — while you stabilize your finances. It does not erase what you owe; it defers it. The best end-of-forbearance outcomes are a deferral (amounts added to the back of the loan, no lump sum due) or a permanent loan modification. Forbearance is most effective when pursued early, before the foreclosure process has advanced significantly.

A short sale is when your lender agrees to accept less than the full mortgage balance from the sale of your home — “short” of the full payoff. It requires lender approval, typically takes 3–6 months, and involves an independent property valuation (a Broker Price Opinion). Short sales are ideal when you owe more than your home is worth and cannot bring the mortgage current. They avoid a public auction, cause far less credit damage than foreclosure, and in many cases the lender forgives the remaining deficiency entirely. If you have equity, a traditional sale will almost always net more money.

Yes — that is exactly what a short sale is for. Your lender agrees to accept the sale proceeds even though they fall short of your loan balance. Alan has handled many short sales across Harris County and knows how to present your file to the lender, negotiate deficiency forgiveness, and manage the timeline. One important note: many Houston homeowners who expect to be underwater are surprised to discover they actually have equity — values have risen substantially across most Houston ZIP codes over the past decade. Do not assume — let Alan run the numbers before you decide on a path.

A deed in lieu of foreclosure means you voluntarily sign the property title over to your lender in exchange for them agreeing not to formally foreclose. It causes less credit damage than a completed foreclosure and avoids a public auction. Lenders typically accept it only when the title is clear of other liens, you have genuine financial hardship, and no realistic path exists to get current on the loan. Some lenders also offer “cash for keys” — a payment ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars in exchange for vacating cleanly on an agreed timeline. Always explore selling first: a sale may put money in your pocket, while a deed in lieu yields nothing.

A completed foreclosure typically removes 150–250 points from your credit score and stays on your credit report for 7 years from the first missed payment. A short sale or deed in lieu does not appear as “foreclosure” and credit recovery generally takes 2–4 years. A traditional or distressed sale is the cleanest outcome: the mortgage simply shows as paid off. This is one of the strongest reasons to reach out early — protecting your credit is often entirely possible if you act before the foreclosure is finalized.

Mandatory waiting periods after a completed foreclosure: FHA — 3 years (shorter with documented hardship); conventional — 7 years; VA — 2 years. After a short sale or deed in lieu the timelines are shorter: conventional requires 4 years, FHA and VA generally 2–3 years. These periods begin from the foreclosure date, not the first missed payment. Avoiding a completed foreclosure — through a sale, short sale, or modification — can save you 3–5 years of waiting before you can buy again.

Filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay that immediately halts all foreclosure activity — including a scheduled Harris County auction. However, your lender can file a motion for relief from the stay, and if the court grants it, foreclosure can resume. Chapter 13 requires maintaining your regular mortgage payment plus a separate plan payment for 3–5 years. Bankruptcy carries significant long-term credit and financial consequences. If you are considering this path, consult a licensed Texas bankruptcy attorney before your next auction date.

Dual tracking is when a mortgage servicer simultaneously pursues foreclosure while evaluating you for loss mitigation. Federal rules prohibit this: if you submit a complete loss mitigation application more than 37 days before your scheduled sale, your lender cannot proceed with the foreclosure until they have issued a written decision. This creates a meaningful window to pursue alternatives. Send all documents certified mail with return receipt, record every call (date, time, representative’s name), and keep copies of everything — your documentation matters if the lender violates these rules.

Yes. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has administered homeowner assistance programs including pandemic-era mortgage relief — visit tdhca.state.tx.us for currently active programs. HUD-approved housing counselors offer free or low-cost guidance and can help negotiate directly with your lender; call 800-569-4287 or visit hud.gov to find a certified counselor near Houston. Harris County and the City of Houston have also periodically offered emergency mortgage assistance. Alan can help you identify which resources currently apply to your situation.

Once a Notice of Default or Notice of Sale is recorded at the Harris County Courthouse, the information becomes public — and predators use it to target distressed homeowners within days. Common scams: upfront fees (illegal in Texas for foreclosure rescue consultants), equity skimming or sale-leaseback schemes where you sign the home over and are promised the right to rent it back, and fake loan modification services that charge thousands for something your lender or a free HUD counselor will do at no cost. Red flags: high-pressure urgency, requests for cash or wire transfers, being told to stop communicating with your lender, and anyone asking you to sign documents you do not understand. Verify any real estate professional’s license at trec.texas.gov and call Alan for a free second opinion any time.

Texas has one of the fastest non-judicial foreclosure processes in the country — no court involvement required, and the timeline from first formal notice to auction can be as short as 41 days. Auctions are held on the first Tuesday of every month. Texas homestead law is among the strongest in the nation: your primary residence is protected from most unsecured creditors (though not from your mortgage lender). Deficiency judgments are constrained: lenders have only 2 years from the foreclosure sale to file, and the calculation uses fair market value rather than the auction price, which often means the deficiency is zero or the lender does not bother pursuing it. Finally, property taxes in Texas are among the highest in the country — unpaid taxes create a separate foreclosure risk entirely independent of your mortgage lender.