PropSolvers — Jefferson · Madison · Marshall
Alabama foreclosure runs on a published schedule, not on a lender's mood. Every stage below is fixed by law, which means every stage is a date you can count to. Here is the whole clock, and every point on it where this can still be stopped.
The Alabama foreclosure clock
Alabama is a non-judicial foreclosure state, so no judge has to approve the sale. That sounds bad and mostly isn't — it means the process is procedural and predictable rather than discretionary.
Under federal mortgage servicing rules a servicer generally cannot start foreclosure until the loan is more than 120 days delinquent. This window exists so you can apply for loss mitigation — a modification, forbearance, repayment plan. Applying is free and it is the cheapest thing you will ever do about this.
The foreclosing party must mail you a notice about your right to redeem the home at least 30 days before the sale. If that notice never arrived, that fact matters later — keep the envelope and every piece of mail they send.
Alabama requires the sale be advertised in the newspaper for three straight weeks beforehand. This is the stage where most people first see it made public, and it is still not too late — a sale can be stopped up to the moment it happens. Three weeks is enough time to close a cash sale.
A trustee or the lender's attorney conducts it. Ownership changes hands. Anything you were going to do about keeping the house had to happen before this point.
After the sale the purchaser must give you ten days' notice to leave before they can begin eviction proceedings. You do not have to be out the day of the auction.
Alabama's redemption period is generally one year after the sale. But it drops to 180 days if all three are true: the loan originated on or after 1 January 2016, a homestead exemption was claimed for the tax year the sale happened in, and the lender gave you that 30-day redemption notice properly. Under no circumstances is it more than one year. Most sites still say "one year" flatly. Check which one applies to you.
Timeline reflects Alabama's non-judicial foreclosure procedure and federal servicing rules as we understand them. Statutes change and individual facts differ — this is orientation, not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for talking to an attorney about your specific loan.
What actually stops a foreclosure
We buy houses, so you would expect this page to tell you to sell. Here is the full list instead, roughly in the order most people should consider them.
Pay the arrears plus fees and the loan returns to normal. If you can raise the back payments, this is almost always the best outcome and nothing else on this list beats it.
A modification, forbearance, or repayment plan through the servicer. Free to apply. The 120-day federal window exists specifically for this. Slow and frustrating, and it still works often enough to be worth doing first.
If there is equity and enough time before the sale date, listing with an agent nets you more than we can offer. Say it out loud: more money. If the calendar allows it, do this.
What we do. It makes sense when the clock is short, the house needs work you cannot fund, or a listing has already failed. You net less than retail and you get a date certain. That trade is worth it to some people and not to others.
A Chapter 13 filing halts a foreclosure sale immediately and can let you catch up arrears over time. It has serious long-term consequences and it is a decision for a bankruptcy attorney, not for us and not for a website.
Anyone asking you to sign over your deed in exchange for "help catching up" is running a known scam. So is anyone charging an up-front fee to negotiate with your lender. You can apply for loss mitigation yourself, for free, today.
HUD-approved housing counselors are free and are not trying to buy your house. Talking to one costs you nothing and is a reasonable first call — before us.
Where we actually fit
We are probably right for you if: the sale date is close enough that a listing cannot close in time, the house needs repairs you cannot pay for, there is little or no equity to protect, or you have already tried to list it and it did not sell.
We are probably wrong for you if: you have real equity and more than a couple of months, the house is in decent condition, or you have not yet applied for loss mitigation. In those cases you will do better somewhere else and we will tell you so on the phone.
We work in twenty-eight specific ZIP codes across Jefferson, Madison and Marshall counties. If your house is outside them we will say so immediately rather than take up your week. See the list of where we buy →