Richmond
Family 4 months behind, NOD recorded, $720K loan balance.
Outcome: Listed 8 days after retention, multi-offer, closed at $799K. Net to family after payoff and closing: $52K.
$52K preserved, pre-trustee-sale
24/7 Emergency Line · Answered by Roger
If this can't wait, call or text 24/7.
Foreclosure, layoff, family emergency — Roger answers his own line. After hours your message is texted to him in under 60 seconds.
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For homeowners behind on payments
Pre-foreclosure is not the end. It is a 9-12 month window with rules you can actually use.
California has one of the most homeowner-favorable foreclosure timelines in the country. From your first missed payment to the courthouse-step sale, expect 270-360 days. Roger Grubb has helped dozens of East Bay families convert that window into a controlled sale that pays off the lender, preserves equity, and keeps credit recoverable. DRE #01845823, Security Pacific Real Estate. (510) 504-0402.
Who is writing this
Roger has personally executed pre-foreclosure listings in every East Bay city in the last 8 years. He reads the lender package himself, coordinates with the loss-mitigation department, and times the listing around the family’s actual NOD calendar — not a generic 30-day plan. He has never had a client lose their home to sheriff’s sale once they retained him pre-NOD.
The process
One person. End to end.
- 01
Confirm where you are in the California timeline
Missed payments → Notice of Default (NOD) → 90-day cure window → Notice of Trustee Sale → 21-day final period → Sale. Roger maps your specific dates in the first call.
- 02
Open lender communication — properly
A poorly worded hardship letter slows everything down. Roger has a template that loss-mitigation departments respond to within 5 business days.
- 03
Prep the home on the actual budget you have
Foreclosure sales often look forlorn because owners stop maintaining. Roger’s vendor network does the minimum-spec work on net-30 / paid-at-close terms so the property photographs and shows like a regular listing.
- 04
List, run multi-offer, negotiate payoff
If equity covers payoff: standard sale. If short: Roger runs the short-sale package with the lender in parallel. Either way, you control the timeline, not the bank.
- 05
Close, document the credit impact, and move on
Roger writes the post-sale credit memo for the family so they know exactly what to expect from FICO and how to recover.
Cost
What it costs
Pre-foreclosure sales pay commission at close from sale proceeds like any other listing. There is no upfront cost. If short-sale negotiation is needed, the lender pays the commission, not the homeowner. Roger has never asked a distressed family for money upfront.
When to call somebody else
This is probably not the right move if…
- You believe a loan modification is realistic and you have not yet been denied. Try the modification first; Roger will wait.
- Your hardship is short-term (a single missed payment from a billing glitch). A forbearance call to the servicer is enough.
- You want to walk away and let the bank foreclose. Roger will not advise that path — the credit damage and tax consequences are severe.
The record
Recent transactions in this exact situation.
El Cerrito
Owner-occupant, 7 missed payments, lender refused mod.
Outcome: Short-sale package approved by lender in 38 days, sold for $890K against $945K mortgage, deficiency forgiven in writing.
Short sale, 38-day lender approval, deficiency waived
Concord
Trustee sale scheduled in 23 days at time of first call.
Outcome: Roger negotiated a 14-day postponement, listed and sold in 17 days at full payoff. Family kept ~$30K in equity that would have been lost at the sheriff’s sale.
Saved from trustee sale, full payoff + surplus
Frequently asked
Questions before you call.
How long does pre-foreclosure last in California?
About 9-12 months from your first missed payment. Lenders must wait 30 days after first delinquency to send a 30-day notice, then 90 more days after recording the Notice of Default, then 21 days after the Notice of Trustee Sale. Most homeowners have 6+ months of working room.
Can I sell my house during pre-foreclosure?
Yes, until the trustee sale is held. Selling pre-foreclosure is almost always better than letting the foreclosure complete — you preserve any equity above the loan, you avoid the 7-year foreclosure mark on credit, and you control the timeline.
What is the difference between pre-foreclosure and foreclosure?
Pre-foreclosure is the period between your first missed payment and the actual sale by the lender. During pre-foreclosure you still own the home and can sell it on your own terms. Once the trustee sale happens, you lose control.
Will I owe taxes on a short sale?
It depends. In California, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act has been extended in modified form — most primary-residence short sales generate no federal tax liability. Investment properties are taxed differently. Roger refers every short-sale client to a CPA before signing.
How much does pre-foreclosure damage my credit?
Just being late typically drops 50-100 points per missed payment. A short sale lands ~50-150 points lower than the missed-payment baseline. A completed foreclosure is 200-300 points and stays for 7 years. Selling before foreclosure recovery the fastest.
Can I stay in the home while it is listed?
Yes. Most Roger-listed pre-foreclosure sales keep the family in the home through close. Buyers expect occupied properties.
What if my home is worth less than the loan?
That is a short sale. Roger has closed multiple short sales in the East Bay. The lender must approve, but they approve more often than people realize — a short sale typically nets the lender 15-20% more than a foreclosure.
Should I file bankruptcy instead?
That is an attorney conversation, not a realtor conversation. Roger has referrals for two Bay Area bankruptcy attorneys who will give a free initial consultation. In most cases selling first is cleaner than filing first.
Will buyers know I am in pre-foreclosure?
Notice of Default is a recorded public document and shows on title-search reports buyers may run. Roger discloses what is legally required and frames the rest correctly so it does not become the headline of the listing.
How do I start?
Call (510) 504-0402. The first 20 minutes are free, no pitch. Roger will tell you whether pre-foreclosure sale is the right move or whether a different option (forbearance, modification, refinance) fits your situation better.
Call or text 24/7.
(406) 205-9003
Roger answers his own line. After hours your message is texted to him in under 60 seconds.