Behind on payments in Solano County? A direct sale is one option worth understanding.
Foreclosure timelines are stressful and the information online is mostly noise. We aren't attorneys or housing counselors — we're a local team willing to walk through your options honestly, including the ones that don't involve us.
We work with homeowners across Solano County — Fairfield, Vacaville, Vallejo, Suisun City, Dixon, and Benicia. If you're behind on payments and exploring options, a conversation is always no-pressure and free.
What this option can and cannot do.
Worth being clear before you spend time on a conversation.
- Give you a private sale with no public listing
- Offer a flexible closing date you can plan around
- Skip agent commissions on our offer number
- In some situations, help you sell before a scheduled auction date
- Pay off the lender from sale proceeds at closing
- Provide legal, tax, or financial advice — talk to a licensed professional
- Always stop a sale once it's already scheduled — timing matters
- Guarantee a specific number before we've seen the property
- Erase what's owed if the amount is far above the home's value
- Replace a conversation with your lender about loss-mitigation options
Understanding where you are in the California process.
California uses a non-judicial foreclosure process. Knowing which stage you're in usually changes which options are still on the table.
Missed payments
The lender may begin the process after 30 to 120 days of missed payments. There's usually still time to catch up, refinance, or sell.
Notice of Default (NOD)
Recorded with the county. This starts a 90-day reinstatement period. The home can still be sold during this window.
Notice of Trustee Sale
Published in a newspaper, posted on the property, and mailed to the borrower. This is when the clock gets urgent.
Trustee Sale (auction)
Property sold at public auction. Proceeds go to the lender first. The window to sell privately closes before this date.
The minimum timeline from Notice of Default to trustee sale is roughly 110 to 120 days. In practice, lender delays often stretch it to four to six months or longer. If you've received a Notice of Default but not yet a Notice of Sale, there is almost certainly more time than it feels like — but that window does close, and acting earlier gives you more options. The California Attorney General's office publishes a plain-language overview of the foreclosure process at oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/mortgages.
AB 2424 gave California homeowners more time after a Notice of Sale.
As of June 2026, here's how AB 2424 works for Notices of Default filed on or after January 1, 2025. You can look up the current text of AB 2424 on the California Legislature website.
Once a Notice of Sale is recorded, California law currently allows homeowners to request a 45-day postponement of the auction — if a signed listing agreement or purchase contract is submitted to the lender at least 5 business days before the scheduled sale.
If the homeowner then goes under contract with a buyer, they can request a second 45-day extension — up to 90 total additional days after the Notice of Sale.
As written, AB 2424 also requires the property to sell for at least 67% of fair market value to qualify for these extensions. That floor is there to protect the homeowner's equity.
A signed purchase contract with a direct buyer like IVR can satisfy the contract requirement for the second extension, as long as the offer meets or exceeds the 67% threshold.
If you've received a Notice of Sale, do not assume the auction is final. Ask your attorney or lender whether you qualify for an AB 2424 postponement. We can move quickly once a contract is signed — but we cannot make legal guarantees about how the court or lender will respond.
AB 2424 requirements and timelines can change. The summary above reflects the law as of June 2026 and is not legal advice. Confirm current eligibility and deadlines with a licensed California real estate attorney before relying on any of it.
Before you decide anything, do these three things.
Whether you talk to us or not, these steps make every other option clearer.
Call your lender
Ask about loss mitigation, forbearance, loan modification, or a short sale. Lenders generally prefer working something out over foreclosing.
Gather your notices
Any letters from the lender or trustee tell you where you are on the timeline. The dates matter more than the legal language.
Compare side by side
A listing, a direct sale, and a lender workout can all be valid. Get numbers on each so you're comparing real options instead of fears.
If two or three of these are true, it's worth a conversation.
Not every situation lines up. These are the ones where it usually does.
- You have equity but not the time to list and wait for an offer
- A workout with the lender hasn't moved or didn't fit your situation
- The home needs work you don't want to fund before selling
- You'd rather keep the sale private than have it on the MLS
- You want a written number to weigh against other options
- You're a few weeks out — not a few days out — from a scheduled auction
Foreclosure is a high-pressure situation. Some buyers take advantage of that.
Solano County has had documented foreclosure rescue fraud cases — including federal prosecutions in Vallejo. The Solano County District Attorney's Real Estate Fraud unit actively monitors this. A few signals can help separate a legitimate direct buyer from a bad actor.
- Make a written offer after seeing the property — not before
- Never ask you to transfer title before close of escrow
- Never charge upfront fees before closing
- Be willing to let you consult an attorney before signing
- Explain clearly how the offer was calculated
- Not pressure you to sign on the same day
- Asks you to sign title over before the sale closes
- Requests upfront fees or deposits before closing
- Pressures you to sign quickly without time to review
- Promises to "stop your foreclosure" as a guarantee
- Refuses to put the offer in writing or explain the numbers
If something feels off, trust that instinct. Free housing counseling is available through HUD-approved national housing counseling agencies — they can help you compare options and spot pressure tactics.
Questions we hear most about foreclosure sales.
Innovative Vision Realty is not a law firm, a housing counselor, or a financial advisor. If you want free guidance, HUD-approved national housing counseling agencies offer it. For legal questions, talk to a licensed attorney in California. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Walk through your situation with a local team.
If a direct sale fits, we'll make an offer. If something else fits better, we'll say so. Either way you'll leave the conversation knowing more than when you started.