California's new foreclosure laws emphasize homeowners' rights and aim to reduce the stress associated with foreclosure. Some of the most impactful changes include: Enhanced Notification: Lenders must give more straightforward notices with specific timelines, allowing titleholders to understand their options.
Foreclosure is typically triggered after you miss three payments—that is, you go 90 days past due on your mortgage. A final foreclosure order, requiring you to vacate the property, takes at least another 30 days, by which time you'll have missed a total of four payments.
When Can a California Foreclosure Start? Under federal law, the servicer usually can't officially begin a foreclosure until you're more than 120 days past due on payments, subject to a few exceptions. (12 C.F.R. § 1024.41 (2024).)
In California, lenders can foreclose on deeds of trust or mortgages using a nonjudicial foreclosure process (outside of court) or a judicial foreclosure process (through the courts).
Key Takeaways. In general, a lender won't begin foreclosure until you've missed four consecutive mortgage payments. Timing can vary from lender to lender, as well as the state of the housing market at the time. Lenders generally prefer to avoid foreclosure because it is costly and time-consuming.
If they want to start foreclosure, they'll need to follow the steps and timeline below. Lender contacts you to do a foreclosure avoidance assessment. 30 days after contact, lender can record a Notice of Default. 90 days later, lender can record a Notice of Sale. 21 days later, the property can be sold. After the foreclosure.
Under California laws, lenders can pursue a foreclosure case through the courts, but they almost always use non-judicial foreclosure instead. The non-judicial process can be completed in approximately 120 days (4 months). However, the timeline can sometimes be 200 days or more.