Selling is one choice among several. Many owners keep their homes through reinstatement or a loan modification. We encourage every owner to speak with their lender and with a free HUD-approved housing counselor before deciding.
3 monthsMinimum reinstatement period after a Notice of Default
20 daysMinimum notice before a trustee sale
5 business daysBefore the sale: last day to reinstate
Four paths, and how to choose
Open any path for the detail. We will tell you honestly which one fits your situation, even when it is not us.
Reinstate the loan
California owners may cure the default by paying the past-due amount until five business days before the trustee sale.
What it costs. The missed payments plus late fees and the lender's foreclosure costs. Ask the trustee for a written reinstatement quote.
Where the money can come from. Savings, family, a retirement loan, or the sale of another asset. Beware of anyone offering an upfront-fee rescue.
Deadline. Reinstatement is a right until five business days before the sale; after that it is at the lender's discretion.
Modify the loan
Ask your servicer about a modification, forbearance or repayment plan. Get any agreement in writing.
Modification changes the terms permanently: rate, term or principal forbearance, so the payment fits your income.
Forbearance pauses or reduces payments for a set period, with the missed amounts repaid later.
Repayment plan spreads the past-due amount over several months on top of the regular payment.
Dual tracking is restricted. Under California's Homeowner Bill of Rights, a servicer generally may not proceed with a sale while a complete modification application is under review.
Free HUD-approved counseling
Independent, no-cost help with every option, including the ones we cannot offer.
A HUD-approved housing counselor can review your budget, explain your servicer's programs and help you apply. Counselors never charge for foreclosure help.
HUD counseling line800-569-4287
Find a counselorhud.gov/findacounselor
Be cautious of anyone who asks for an upfront fee to stop a foreclosure, asks you to sign the deed over temporarily, or tells you to stop talking to your lender. AFC Investors never charges owners a fee and never negotiates with a lender for a fee.
Sell and keep your equity
A sale before the trustee sale pays off the loan and protects your credit from a completed foreclosure.
What happens at a trustee sale. The property is auctioned. Equity above the debt goes to the owner only if the sale produces it, and a completed foreclosure stays on your credit for seven years.
What happens with a sale to us. Escrow pays the loan, liens and taxes; the remaining equity is wired to you; the foreclosure is cancelled.
Time needed. We can usually close in 7 to 14 days when a sale date is near.
The California foreclosure timeline
Non-judicial foreclosure follows fixed minimum periods. Your dates may be longer.
Missed paymentsThe lender must contact you about alternatives at least 30 days before a Notice of Default is recorded.
Notice of Default recordedStarts a reinstatement period of at least three months.
Notice of Trustee SaleRecorded, posted on the property and published at least 20 days before the sale.
Reinstatement deadlineFive business days before the sale date.
Trustee saleThe property is auctioned. Equity above the debt goes to the owner only if the sale produces it.
Postponements are common; a scheduled sale date can move. Confirm the current date with the trustee named on your notice.
Your right to cancel
Owners in foreclosure have specific protections when they sign a contract to sell.
Five business days. Under California's Home Equity Sales Contract Act (Civil Code §1695), an owner who signs a contract to sell a home in foreclosure may cancel it until midnight of the fifth business day after signing. Our contracts include this notice in the required form.
No pressure. The contract must be in writing, in the same language as the negotiations, and may not include certain unfair terms.
Review it. We encourage every owner to review our offer with family, an attorney or a HUD counselor before signing.
This information is general and is not legal advice.
Questions owners ask
Can you buy a house that is in foreclosure?
Yes, as long as there is time to close before the trustee sale. The sale pays off the loan through escrow. You also have the right to cancel the contract within five business days of signing.
Will I owe anything after the sale?
Usually not. The loan, liens and taxes are paid from the proceeds. If the property is worth less than the debt, a short sale would require the lender's approval; we can discuss that with you honestly.
Is it too late once a sale date is set?
Often not. Reinstatement is a right until five business days before the sale, and a purchase can close in as little as a week when escrow is opened promptly.
Are you a foreclosure consultant?
No. We never charge owners a fee and do not negotiate with lenders for a fee. We buy property as a principal.
California owners may cure the default by paying the past-due amount until five business days before the trustee sale.
What it costs. Missed payments plus late fees and the lender's foreclosure costs. Ask the trustee for a written reinstatement quote.
Deadline. A right until five business days before the sale; after that, at the lender's discretion.
A HUD-approved housing counselor can review your situation at no cost.
HUD counseling line800-569-4287
Find a counselorhud.gov/findacounselor
Beware of anyone who asks for an upfront fee to stop a foreclosure. AFC Investors never charges owners a fee.
A sale before the trustee sale pays off the loan and protects your credit from a completed foreclosure.
Escrow pays the loan, liens and taxes; the remaining equity is wired to you; the foreclosure is cancelled.
We can usually close in 7 to 14 days when a sale date is near.
You may cancel within five business days of signing.
Tell us about the house. We review public records and recent comparable sales, visit if needed, and send a written offer. Your information is never sold or shared.
We work with the personal representative, the heirs and the estate's attorney, and follow the court's timeline. The estate pays no commissions and prepares nothing.
Rent rolls and financials are reviewed in confidence. Offers are built on the property's actual income, condition and position, and tenants' rights are respected throughout.
What you receiveProperty facts, our numbers, photos and the contract price, with access for your own inspection.
How deals are offeredWe hold the purchase contract and assign it to the buyer whose terms are strongest and most certain.
Prefer to talk now? Use the Talk to us button at the bottom right to speak with our voice assistant.
Emailcontact@afcinvestors.com
Office, by appointment5150 E Pacific Coast Hwy, 2nd Floor Long Beach, CA 90804
Mailing address6285 E Spring St, #516 Long Beach, CA 90808
Service areaCalifornia, starting with Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties
Voice assistantThe Talk to us button at the bottom right connects you to our assistant at any hour.
AFC Investors is a private real estate investment company based in Long Beach, California. We buy houses, apartment buildings, commercial property and land directly from owners, as a principal, for cash.
How we work
Written offers, explained. We show how we reached the number, starting from the property's value and subtracting repairs, holding and selling costs and a reasonable margin.
Honest about alternatives. When listing with an agent, reinstating a loan or holding the property is the better choice, we say so.
Licensed closing. Every purchase closes through a licensed California escrow and title company, which pays off loans, liens and taxes from the proceeds.
Respect for occupants. Tenants' and family members' rights under California law are respected in every transaction.
What we are not
Not a bank, lender, court or government agency.
Not a licensed real estate broker; we do not represent sellers or buyers as an agent.
Not a foreclosure consultant: we never charge an owner a fee and never negotiate with a lender for a fee.
We may assign our interest in a purchase contract to a partner buyer, which we disclose in writing. Owners are encouraged to review any offer with family, an attorney or an advisor.
Tell us about the property
Share the address and your situation through the offer window, by voice with our assistant, or by requesting a call back.
Receive a written cash offer
We review public records and recent comparable sales, visit if needed, and send a written offer, usually within 48 hours.
Close on your date
A licensed California escrow and title company handles the closing and the payoff of any loans. You choose the date, often 7 to 30 days.
7–30 daysTypical closing, on the date you choose
$0Agent commissions and seller closing costs
As-isNo cleaning, repairs or showings
Selling to AFC Investors
Listing with an agent
Commissions
None
Usually 5–6% of the price
Repairs and cleaning
None, sold as-is
Often required to sell
Showings
One walk-through
Many, over weeks
Closing date
You choose, often 7–30 days
Typically 30–60 days after an offer
Certainty
Cash, no loan approval needed
Buyer financing can fall through
Price
Below full market value, reflecting condition, speed and certainty
Can be higher for a home in good condition
An agent listing can bring a higher price for a house in good condition. We will tell you honestly when listing is the better choice.
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Your entries stay in your browser and are not sent to us. Results are estimates for planning and not an offer, an appraisal, or legal, tax or financial advice.
A Notice of Default does not have to end in a trustee sale. We can close before the sale date so you keep your remaining equity.
You may still keep the home. California owners can reinstate the loan by paying the past-due amount until five business days before the trustee sale, or ask the servicer for a modification, forbearance or repayment plan.
Free help exists. A HUD-approved housing counselor reviews your situation at no cost: 800-569-4287.
If you sell, timing matters. A sale that closes before the trustee sale pays off the loan through escrow, protects your credit from a completed foreclosure and returns the remaining equity to you.
Your right to cancel. Under Civil Code §1695 you may cancel a home equity sales contract until midnight of the fifth business day after signing. Our contracts include this notice.
An expired or withdrawn listing? Receive a direct offer with no further showings and no more price cuts.
Why listings expire. Condition, price, financing fall-throughs or simply timing. None of these change our ability to buy.
One walk-through, not many showings. We visit once if needed and send a written offer, usually within 48 hours.
Honest comparison. If a fresh listing at a corrected price would net you more, we will say so.
Resolve the delinquency from the sale proceeds before the county moves the property toward a tax sale.
How it is paid. Escrow pays the delinquent taxes, penalties and any liens at closing, from the proceeds. You bring no money to the table.
Timing. Properties five or more years tax-defaulted can be scheduled for a county tax sale; acting before then preserves your equity.
Alternatives. Counties offer installment plans for defaulted taxes; ask the tax collector before deciding to sell.
We buy rental properties occupied or vacant, including homes with difficult leases or deferred maintenance.
Tenants stay protected. Leases transfer with the property and tenants' rights under California law are respected; you do not have to deliver the property vacant.
Deferred maintenance is priced in. Older systems, unpermitted work and damage are our concern after closing.
Tax planning. A 1031 exchange may defer tax on the sale; see the deadlines calculator and speak with your tax advisor.
Fire, foundation, roof or unpermitted work is priced into the offer. You do not repair anything.
Any condition. Fire or water damage, foundation movement, roof failure, mold, hoarding, unpermitted additions or open code cases.
Code enforcement. Open violations and fines are resolved through the sale; we coordinate with the city where needed.
Transparent numbers. Our repair estimate is shown with the offer, and you can run your own with the repair estimate tool.
A private, straightforward sale on a schedule that fits the move and the people involved.
Private. No sign in the yard, no open houses, no listing photos online.
On your schedule. Close in 7 days or 60; a longer escrow or a short rent-back after closing can be arranged.
Clean division. Proceeds are split by escrow exactly as the parties or the court direct.
Stop paying insurance, utilities and upkeep on a property nobody lives in, and avoid the risk of break-ins.
Carrying costs add up. Insurance on a vacant home costs more, utilities and yard care continue, and squatters and vandalism are a real risk.
Remote sellers welcome. Documents are signed with a mobile notary or electronically; you do not need to travel.
Belongings. Take what matters; we handle everything left behind.
We buy apartment buildings occupied or vacant, with rent rolls reviewed in confidence and offers built on actual income.
Any occupancy. Full, partial or vacant; rent-controlled units and Section 8 tenants welcome.
Loan maturity or deferred maintenance. Common reasons owners sell to us directly; both are priced in, not argued over.
Discretion. No listing, no tenant disruption, one site visit.
