California foreclosure laws: how the process works and how long it takes

Most California foreclosures happen without a court, but the law builds in waiting periods, and you can catch up on what you're behind until shortly before the sale. After a sale without a court, you usually won't owe the lender anything more.

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By Ross Kilburn · Founder, American Default Research
Law checked Mar 4, 2026 · See the 22 sources
Data from

California at a glance

Process type
Usually without a court
How long
No law sets a total length
Right to buy back
None after a trustee sale, the usual kind hereAfter a court sale: up to 3 months or up to 1 year, with conditions. The table says which.
Leftover balance
State law limits it

How long does foreclosure take in California?

At least three months and 20 days from the notice of default to the sale. No law sets a total length: the lender or trustee sets the sale date, so the total depends on its schedule and how often the sale is postponed.

Here are the steps in order, with the time each one requires.

The 7 steps of a foreclosure in California, and the time the law gives each

Each step, with the time the law gives it. 7 of the 7 have a time set in law; "No set time" means the lender sets the pace.

  1. At least 30 days Pre-foreclosure borrower contact
  2. After the earlier step You get a notice of default
  3. 3 months Three-month waiting period
  4. At least 20 days The sale is advertised
  5. At least 5 business days AB 2424 postponement rights
  6. At least 20 days The home is sold at auction
  7. Within 15 days Tenants and some other buyers can still bid after the sale
Source: California law and federal rules, as cited at each step; American Default Research state law file, checked Mar 4, 2026 · American Default
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Each step in detail, with the law behind it
  1. You fall more than 120 days behind. Your mortgage company usually can't record the first foreclosure notice before then. (12 CFR 1024.41(f))
  2. Your mortgage company contacts you, or tries to. At least 30 days before recording a notice of default, it must reach you by phone or in person to go over your finances and ways to avoid foreclosure, and give you HUD's counseling number. If it can't reach you, it must send a letter, call at least three times on different days, and then send a certified letter. (Cal. Civ. Code 2923.5)
  3. The notice of default is recorded with the county and mailed to you within 10 business days. It says how much you're behind. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924, 2924b)
  4. At least three months of waiting. You can catch up during this time, and the whole way to five business days before the sale. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924c)
  5. The notice of sale. It's mailed to you, posted on the home and in a public place, and published in a newspaper once a week for three weeks, all at least 20 days before the sale. The sale can't be sooner than three months and 20 days after the notice of default. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924f)
  6. The trustee's auction, on a business day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. At the first auction of a home with up to four units under a first mortgage or first deed of trust, the trustee can't sell for less than 67% of its fair market value. If it doesn't sell, the auction moves at least seven days and the floor drops. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924f(f), 2924g)
  7. A waiting period after the sale. For a home with up to four units, tenants, people who'll live in the home, and some nonprofits can send notice within 15 days that they intend to bid, and bid within 45 days. If one of them qualifies, that bidder buys the home instead. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924m)

If your lender sues instead, your answer is due 30 days after you're served with the court papers. (CCP 412.20)

How far behind can you get before a California foreclosure starts?

Your mortgage company usually can't start a foreclosure until you're more than 120 days behind, which is about four months of missed payments. The rule is federal and covers most loans on the home you live in. It has exceptions, such as a reverse mortgage, or a sale or transfer of the home without the lender's OK.

By your 36th day behind, your mortgage company (the servicer, the company that sends your monthly statement) generally has to try to reach you, and by day 45 it generally has to send a letter about help options. California adds its own rule: at least 30 days before recording a notice of default, it has to talk with you about ways to avoid foreclosure, or show it tried. (12 CFR 1024.39; Cal. Civ. Code 2923.5)

If you speak Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean, your copies of the notice of default and notice of sale must come with a summary in that language. (Cal. Civ. Code 2923.3)

California's notice of default, and what it lets you do

Catch up in one payment (reinstatement). From the day the notice of default is recorded until five business days before the sale, you can pay what you're behind plus allowed fees and costs, and the loan is current again. You don't have to pay the part of the loan that wasn't due yet. If the sale is postponed by more than five business days, the right comes back until five business days before the new date. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924c)

Apply for a loan modification. A loan modification is a permanent change to your loan's terms. For a first mortgage on a home you live in with up to four units, a complete application sent at least five business days before a scheduled sale means your mortgage company can't record a notice of default or notice of sale, or hold the sale, while it's deciding. If it says no, it has to tell you why in writing and give you at least 30 days to appeal, and the foreclosure stays on hold through the appeal. (Cal. Civ. Code 2923.6)

Your mortgage company has to confirm in writing within five business days that it got your application, and tell you what's missing. It also has to give you one contact person who knows your file. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924.10, 2923.7)

Some of these rules don't apply to small mortgage companies, those that foreclosed on 175 or fewer California homes the year before. Federal rules still protect you. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924.18)

Can you stop a foreclosure in California?

Sometimes. These are the ways the law allows, and none of them is guaranteed. Each one has a deadline.

Catch up before the deadline. Pay what you're behind plus fees and costs, up to five business days before the sale. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924c)

Apply for a loan modification or a pause on payments (forbearance). A complete first-mortgage modification application puts the foreclosure on hold while it's decided, as explained above. Federal rules add that a complete application received more than 37 days before a sale generally has to be decided before the sale. Neither law requires your mortgage company to say yes. (Cal. Civ. Code 2923.4, 2923.6; 12 CFR 1024.41(g))

List the home with a real estate agent. For a home with up to four units, if the trustee gets a copy of your listing agreement with a licensed California broker at least five business days before the sale, the sale has to be postponed at least 45 days. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924f(e))

If you then sign a qualifying purchase contract, send it at least five business days before the new date and the sale moves again, to at least 45 days after the trustee gets it. Each postponement can be used once, and the papers must go by certified mail or a tracked overnight courier. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924f(e))

Ask a court to stop the sale. If your mortgage company broke the contact rules or foreclosed while your complete application was pending, you can ask a court to stop the sale before the trustee's deed is recorded. After it's recorded, you can sue for damages instead. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924.12)

File for bankruptcy. Filing usually pauses a foreclosure while the bankruptcy lasts (automatic stay). If you had a bankruptcy case dismissed in the past year, the pause can last only 30 days or not start at all. A Chapter 13 plan can let you catch up on missed payments over three to five years. (11 U.S.C. 362(c)(3)–(4))

If you lost your home in a recent disaster, see the wildfire forbearance law below.

If your sale date is days away, a HUD-approved housing counselor or legal aid can help right away. Both are free: the map of HUD-approved counselors in California and the legal aid listing are below.

Will you owe money after a California foreclosure?

Usually not. After a sale without a court (a trustee sale), California bars the lender from suing you for the rest of that loan. (CCP 580d)

If the loan is the one you used to buy a home of up to four units that you live in, the lender can't collect a leftover balance after any kind of foreclosure. That also covers a refinance of that loan made on or after January 1, 2013, except for any new money you took out. (CCP 580b)

If the lender sues instead and the loan isn't protected, it has to ask for the leftover balance within three months of the sale, and the court limits it to what you owe minus the home's fair value. (CCP 726(b))

A short sale your lender approves in writing ends what you owe on a home of up to four units, as long as the sale closes as agreed. The lender can't make you pay more to get its approval. (CCP 580e)

Forgiven debt can still be taxed. California's break for a forgiven mortgage on the home you live in covers only debt forgiven before 2015, so debt the IRS doesn't tax may still be taxed by the state. A tax professional can tell you how it applies to you. (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 17144.5)

Can you get your house back after a California foreclosure sale?

Not after a trustee sale. California has no right to buy the home back after a sale without a court. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924h)

After a court sale, you may have a right to buy it back, but only when the lender can still collect a leftover balance: three months if the sale covered the debt and costs, one year if it didn't. (CCP 726(e), 729.010–729.090)

After a trustee sale of a home with up to four units, the home may still go to someone other than the auction buyer. Your tenants, a buyer who'll live in it, or a nonprofit can send notice within 15 days and bid within 45 days, and a qualifying bid wins. Tenants can match the auction price; others must beat it. (Cal. Civ. Code 2924m)

Deadlines rechecked Nov 4, 2026. How we check our guides

Deadlines for stopping a foreclosure in California

Catching up usually means paying what you've missed, plus the fees and costs your state allows, not the whole loan. How late you can do it depends on the kind of foreclosure.

Deadlines for catching up, after the sale and other steps in California
Kind of foreclosureDeadlineWhat starts the clock
Without a court Up to 5 business days before the sale Counts back from the sale date in the recorded notice. A new notice or a postponement of more than 5 business days can bring this right back. Source Cal. Civ. Code § 2924c(e)
Through a court Until the court enters the foreclosure decree You can catch up any time before the court enters its foreclosure decree. Source Cal. Civ. Code § 2924c(a)(1)
After the sale
Without a courtAny home No buying back There's no right to buy the home back after an ordinary trustee sale. Source Cal. Civ. Code § 2924h
Through a courtSale paid off the debt Up to 3 months after the sale, only if the lender can sue you for a shortfall Applies when the sale brought enough to pay the debt and costs. If the lender's right to sue you for a shortfall was waived or barred by law, the home is sold with no buying back. Source Code Civ. Proc. §§ 726(e), 729.030
Through a courtSale didn't pay off the debt Up to 1 year after the sale, only if the lender can sue you for the shortfall Applies when the sale didn't bring enough to pay the debt. If the lender's right to sue you for the shortfall was waived or barred by law, the home is sold with no buying back. Source Code Civ. Proc. §§ 726(e), 729.030
Other deadlines and rules
Without a courtAny home At least 30 days after the written denial date That is the shortest time you get to appeal a loan modification denial. In your appeal, you can show why the decision was wrong. Source Cal. Civ. Code § 2923.6(d)
Without a courtAny home At least 3 months after the notice of default is recorded The trustee generally has to wait that long before it gives the notice of sale. A special rule lets the notice of sale be recorded up to 5 days earlier if the sale is set at least 3 months and 20 days after the notice of default was recorded. Source Cal. Civ. Code § 2924(a)(2)-(4)
Through a courtAny home Within 30 days after you are personally served File your answer to the foreclosure complaint by then. Other ways of service can change when the clock starts. Source Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 412.20(a)(3)
Any foreclosureFormer owners Within 3 days after you are served the notice to quit That is how long a 3 day notice to quit gives you. Once it runs out, the buyer can start an unlawful detainer case. Source Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161a(b)(3)
Any foreclosureQualifying periodic tenants At least 90 days after the buyer's written notice A qualifying periodic tenant gets at least 90 days of written notice from the buyer before removal. A fixed term lease can last longer. Source Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161b(a)-(b)
Any foreclosurePapers handed to you Within 10 court days after you are served File your answer to the eviction case by then. Other ways of service have different starts. Source Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1170
Without a courtPossible claimants to surplus sale money Within 30 days after the trustee sends its notice Send your written claim for the surplus sale money to the trustee by then. The 30 days count from when the trustee sends its notice. Source Cal. Civ. Code § 2924j(a)
Any foreclosureAny home Within 5 days after the writ is served on you If the property isn't vacated by then, the sheriff may remove the occupants. Posting the writ instead of serving it starts the clock differently. Source Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 715.010(b)
Without a courtAny home At least 20 days before the sale The trustee has to record and post the notice of sale by then. The first newspaper notice also has to start at least 20 days before the sale. Source Cal. Civ. Code § 2924f(b)(1)-(4)
Without a courtAny home At least 20 days after the date of the resident notice The posted and mailed notice to residents says the property may be sold 20 days or more after its date. Source Cal. Civ. Code § 2924.8(a)
Without a courtSurplus the trustee deposits with the court Within 30 days after the date of the trustee's notice If the trustee plans to deposit disputed surplus sale money with the court, file your claim with the court by then. Source Cal. Civ. Code § 2924j(d)

Is there foreclosure mediation in California?

No statewide program. In its place, the Homeowner Bill of Rights requires the contact before the notice of default and puts the foreclosure on hold while a complete modification application is reviewed, as explained above.

If you're in bankruptcy in the Central District (Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana and the San Fernando Valley), the bankruptcy court has a loan modification program.

Can your HOA or condo association foreclose in California?

If you fall behind on association dues, the association can put a lien on your home. If it forecloses for unpaid dues, these rules apply.

HOA rules rechecked Oct 28, 2026.

Can it foreclose, and how?

Yes. An association may foreclose through a court, or sell your home through a trustee without going to court, under the Davis-Stirling Act.

Read the law's words
“…the lien may be enforced in any manner permitted by law, including sale by the court…” dre.ca.gov

Is there a minimum debt or a waiting period?

For assessment debts that arose since 2006, the association can foreclose when your unpaid regular or special assessments reach $1,800, or the assessments are more than 12 months late. Accelerated assessments, late charges, fees, interest and collection costs don't count toward the $1,800.

Read the law's words
“…regular or special assessments of an amount less than one thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,800)…” dre.ca.gov

What notices come first?

The association has to send you a pre-lien notice at least 30 days before it records a lien. After it records the lien, it has to wait 30 days before enforcing it. It has to offer you dispute resolution. Its board has to vote at least 30 days before a public sale.

Read the law's words
“At least 30 days prior to recording a lien on an owner’s…” dre.ca.gov

Do you have a right to a payment plan?

You may ask for a board meeting to talk about a payment plan. If you mail your request within 15 days of the notice's postmark, the board has to meet with you within 45 days of your request's postmark. If no regular board meeting falls in that time, it can send a committee of directors. The law does not require the association to accept a plan.

Read the law's words
“…may submit a written request to meet with the board to discuss a payment plan…” dre.ca.gov

Can the HOA's claim go ahead of the mortgage?

The association's lien comes ahead of liens recorded after its notice of delinquent assessment, unless its declaration says otherwise. But that act doesn't give it a fixed number of months of dues ahead of an earlier mortgage.

Read the law's words
“A lien created pursuant to Section 5675 shall be prior to all other liens recorded subsequent to the notice of delinquent assessment…” dre.ca.gov

What protects you?

Before foreclosure, the association has to offer you dispute resolution, and its board has to approve the decision. If you live in the home, the board's decision has to be handed to you or your legal representative in person (personal service).

Read the law's words
“Prior to initiating a foreclosure on an owner’s separate interest, the association shall offer the owner…” dre.ca.gov

Can you buy the home back after the sale?

After a trustee sale without court, you have 90 days to buy the home back.

Read the law's words
“The redemption period within which the separate interest may be redeemed from a foreclosure sale under this paragraph ends 90 days after the sale.…” dre.ca.gov

Source California law

Who these rules cover: The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act covers community apartment projects, condos, planned developments and stock cooperatives.

How California compares

Like California, Nevada, Arizona and Oregon sell most foreclosed homes without a court.

California's share of borrowers with a mortgage who are 90+ days behind is under half its 2010 peak

Share of California borrowers with a mortgage who have one 90+ days past due, quarterly, Q1 2005 to Q2 2026

0% 3% 5% 8% 10% 13% U.S. 1.4% Q1 2005Q4 2007Q3 2010Q2 2013Q1 2016Q4 2018Q3 2021Q2 2026 Q2 2026 1.0% 0% 3% 5% 8% 10% 13% U.S. 1.4% Q1 2005Q3 2010Q1 2016Q2 2026 Q2 2026 1.0%
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorer; data sourced from Federal Reserve Bank of New York Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax. Q2 2026 · American Default
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California is tied for 34th place for the share of mortgages 90+ days behind, of the 50 states and D.C.

Share of borrowers with a mortgage who have one 90+ days past due, by state, Q2 2026. Dashed line: the U.S.

Louisiana: 2.6%Mississippi: 2.2%Texas: 2.0%Florida: 1.9%Georgia: 1.9%Nevada: 1.8%Oklahoma: 1.8%South Carolina: 1.8%West Virginia: 1.8%Alabama: 1.7%New Mexico: 1.7%Delaware: 1.6%Kentucky: 1.6%Maryland: 1.6%New York: 1.6%Arkansas: 1.5%Connecticut: 1.5%Illinois: 1.5%Pennsylvania: 1.5%Rhode Island: 1.5%Arizona: 1.4%D.C.: 1.4%Indiana: 1.4%New Jersey: 1.4%North Carolina: 1.3%Ohio: 1.3%Kansas: 1.2%Missouri: 1.2%South Dakota: 1.2%Iowa: 1.1%Michigan: 1.1%Tennessee: 1.1%Virginia: 1.1%Alaska: 1.0%California: 1.0%Colorado: 1.0%Hawaii: 1.0%Idaho: 1.0%Massachusetts: 1.0%Maine: 1.0%North Dakota: 1.0%Oregon: 0.9%Utah: 0.9%Vermont: 0.9%Minnesota: 0.8%Montana: 0.8%Nebraska: 0.8%New Hampshire: 0.8%Washington: 0.8%Wyoming: 0.8%Wisconsin: 0.7% U.S. 1.4% California 1.0% Highest Lowest Louisiana: 2.6%Mississippi: 2.2%Texas: 2.0%Florida: 1.9%Georgia: 1.9%Nevada: 1.8%Oklahoma: 1.8%South Carolina: 1.8%West Virginia: 1.8%Alabama: 1.7%New Mexico: 1.7%Delaware: 1.6%Kentucky: 1.6%Maryland: 1.6%New York: 1.6%Arkansas: 1.5%Connecticut: 1.5%Illinois: 1.5%Pennsylvania: 1.5%Rhode Island: 1.5%Arizona: 1.4%D.C.: 1.4%Indiana: 1.4%New Jersey: 1.4%North Carolina: 1.3%Ohio: 1.3%Kansas: 1.2%Missouri: 1.2%South Dakota: 1.2%Iowa: 1.1%Michigan: 1.1%Tennessee: 1.1%Virginia: 1.1%Alaska: 1.0%California: 1.0%Colorado: 1.0%Hawaii: 1.0%Idaho: 1.0%Massachusetts: 1.0%Maine: 1.0%North Dakota: 1.0%Oregon: 0.9%Utah: 0.9%Vermont: 0.9%Minnesota: 0.8%Montana: 0.8%Nebraska: 0.8%New Hampshire: 0.8%Washington: 0.8%Wyoming: 0.8%Wisconsin: 0.7% U.S. 1.4% California 1.0% Highest Lowest
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorer; data sourced from NY Fed Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax. Q2 2026 · American Default
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California and its neighbors: mortgages 90+ days behind and State Distress Index rank
State90+ days behind, Q2 2026Distress rank (score)
Nevada 1.8% 2nd (98)
Arizona 1.4% 7th (88)
California 1.0% 12th (78)
Oregon 0.9% 19th (64)

The share counts people with a mortgage on their credit report, not loans or dollars. Ranks are of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.); 1st is the most distressed. California's full distress profile and county scores.

Other California laws that can affect homeowners

State laws can change. Each entry links to the cited source and shows when that source was fetched.

State foreclosure-rescue and mortgage-help laws

California covers broad foreclosure-consulting services offered or performed for compensation. A written agreement must disclose exact services and total compensation and include prescribed notices; owners receive five business days to cancel. Compensation generally cannot be received until full performance, and connected third-party consideration must first be disclosed. Registration and a $100,000 bond apply.

“makes any solicitation, representation, or offer to any owner to perform for compensation”
Source Cal. Civ. Code §§ 2945–2945.11, espe…Fetched October 7, 2026

Foreclosure laws in another state

The process and the deadlines change at every state line.

Free help in California

California has 62 HUD-approved housing counseling offices that list foreclosure counseling

The 62 whose HUD listing includes foreclosure or mortgage delinquency counseling, one dot per office, as of Nov 4, 2026. The listing below names them all.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Housing Counselor list · American Default
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A HUD-approved housing counselor. A housing counselor works at a nonprofit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved, and foreclosure counseling from one is free. A counselor can help you apply for a modification and deal with your mortgage company. HUD lists 62 approved agencies in California, and HUD's line is 800-569-4287.

Legal aid. Legal aid offices give free legal help to people whose income qualifies. California has 11 legal aid offices in our directory, including the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (1-800-399-4529), Bay Area Legal Aid (1-800-551-5554) and California Rural Legal Assistance (1-800-337-0690). LawHelpCA lists the rest.

Free lawyers through nonprofits. In Los Angeles, Public Counsel and Bet Tzedek defend foreclosures for free for people who qualify. In San Francisco, the Bar Association's Justice and Diversity Center does.

A lawyer referral. The State Bar of California certifies lawyer referral services, many run by county bar associations. A first 30-minute meeting usually costs $35 to $50. The State Bar keeps a list of certified services on its site.

If a recent disaster damaged your home. The CalAssist Mortgage Fund stopped taking applications on November 3, 2026. It paid up to a year of mortgage payments, up to $100,000, for owners whose home was destroyed or badly damaged in a qualified disaster. Payments on approved applications continue. CalHFA: 1-877-922-5432.

If the January 2025 wildfires hurt your income. California's Mortgage Forbearance Act makes your mortgage company offer a pause on payments of up to 90 days at first, extendable to 12 months, with no late fees. You have to ask before January 7, 2027, or six months after the state of emergency ends, whichever comes first. (Cal. Civ. Code 3273.20–3273.30)

A complaint about your mortgage company. The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation licenses mortgage companies and takes complaints: 1-866-275-2677. The California Attorney General enforces the Homeowner Bill of Rights: 1-800-952-5225. You can also complain to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Before you pay anyone. In California, anyone who charges to help you avoid foreclosure must register with the Attorney General, give you a written contract, and can't take money until the work is done. You can cancel until midnight of the fifth business day. (Cal. Civ. Code 2945–2945.11)

HUD-approved housing counselors in California, by city (62)

  • Usa Homeownership Foundation Dba Veterans Association of Real Estate Professional, Corona · 888-273-7267 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Community Housing Council of Fresno, Fresno · 559-221-6919 HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries, Fresno · 559-487-1500 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
All 62 agencies
  • Southwest Fresno Development Corp, Fresno · 559-209-8031 HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Nsc (Naca Counseling Subsidiary) - Los Angeles, Ca, Hawthorne · 310-412-2600, ext. 1385 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • A-1 Community Housing Services, Hayward · 510-674-9227 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, Indio · 760-347-3157 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Greenpath Financial Wellness, Irvine · 866-217-0543 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • East La Community Corporation (Elacc), Los Angeles · 323-850-8050 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Faith and Community Empowerment Formerly Korean Churches For Community Development, Los Angeles · 213-985-1500 HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Haven Services Inc, Los Angeles · 213-375-4663 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc, Los Angeles · 213-381-2862 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Korean, Spanish
  • Money Management International, Los Angeles, Los Angeles · 866-232-9080 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • New Economics For Women, Los Angeles · 213-483-2060 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Nid-Hca Reeves, Los Angeles · 323-299-4067 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Shalom Center For T.R.E.E. of Life, Los Angeles · 213-380-3700 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Korean
  • The American Dream Grant Program, Los Angeles · 310-692-1380 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • West Angeles Community Development Corp., Los Angeles · 323-751-3440 HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Habitat For Humanity, Stanislaus County, Modesto · 209-575-4585 HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Montebello Housing Development Corp., Montebello · 323-722-3955 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc.- Moreno Valley, Moreno Valley · 951-653-8314 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Nid-Hca Riverside / San Bernardino County, Moreno Valley · 951-399-4538 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Credit.Org - National City, National City · 800-431-8157 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Other, Spanish
  • Money Management International - Oakland, Oakland · 866-232-9080 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Nid-Hca Oakland Main Branch, Oakland · 510-268-9792 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Nid-Housing Counseling Agency (Nid-Hca), Oakland · 510-268-9792 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: CRE, English, Spanish
  • Nsc (Naca Counseling Subsidiary) - Oakland, Ca, Oakland · 510-652-6622 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board, Ontario · 800-321-0911 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • NHS OF ORANGE COUNTY dba NEIGHBORWORKS ORANGE COUNTY, Orange · 714-409-3444 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese
  • My Way Home, Oxnard · 805-273-7800 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc.- Palm Springs, Palm Springs · 760-864-1541 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Nid-Hca Palmdale, Palmdale · 661-526-4013 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services, Inc., Rancho Cucamonga · 909-988-5979 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Community Housing Development Corporation of North Richmond, Richmond · 510-412-9290 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc, Richmond · 510-237-6459, ext. 1601 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Carolyn E. Wylie Center For Children, Youth and Families, Riverside · 951-683-5193 HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Credit.Org, Riverside · 800-431-8157 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Other, Spanish
  • Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc, Riverside · 951-682-6581 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Nsc (Naca Counseling Subsidiary) - Sacramento, Ca, Sacramento · 425-892-6222, ext. 1385 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Sacramento Neighborhood Housing Services Inc Aka Formally Known As Neighborworks Homeownership Center Sacramento Region, Sacramento · 916-452-5356 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Other, Spanish
  • The Greater Sacramento Urban League, Sacramento · 916-286-8652 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Inland Empire Resource Center, San Bernardino · 909-887-8700 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire, Inc., San Bernardino · 909-884-6891 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Money Management International - San Diego, San Diego · 866-232-9080 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Navicore Solutions- San Diego, Ca, San Diego · 866-472-4557 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Urban League of San Diego County, San Diego · 619-266-6237 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Other, Spanish
  • Balance - San Francisco, San Francisco · 800-777-7526 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Balance-Sf 3rd Street, San Francisco · 888-456-2227 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: CHI, English, Russian, Spanish
  • Mission Economic Development Association (Meda), San Francisco · 415-282-3334 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • San Francisco Housing Development Corporation, San Francisco · 415-822-1022 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Asian Incorporated, San Francisco · 415-928-5910, ext. 6 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: Cantonese, CHI, English, Vietnamese
  • Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California, San Rafael · 415-457-5025 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Epicenter Foundation, Santa Ana · 714-410-2414 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Homeownership Oc, Santa Ana · 714-204-2314 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: Arabic, English, Vietnamese
  • Orange County Fair Housing Council, Inc, Santa Ana · 714-569-0823 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Project Sentinel, Santa Clara · 408-470-3730 HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Balance - Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa · 800-777-7526 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Centro Familia Esperanza, Simi Valley · 805-813-8751 HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Operation Hope Inc. - South Gate Branch, South Gate · 424-373-0854 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Visionary Home Builders of California, Stockton · 209-466-6811 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish
  • Nid-Hca Victorville, Victorville · 760-254-6181 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Balance, Walnut Creek · 800-777-7526 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: Cantonese, CHI, English, Other, Russian, Spanish

Listings come from the HUD Housing Counselor API and the Legal Services Corporation grantee list, as of Nov 4, 2026. American Default Research does not endorse or rank any provider. Credit counselors and other kinds of free help are in our help directory.

Sources and method

A summary of foreclosure law and practice in California, read from its laws and the federal servicing rules and checked Mar 4, 2026. It isn't legal advice: your mortgage sets specific terms, and courts and counties vary. For your situation, talk to a HUD-approved counselor, legal aid or a lawyer.

What this page relies on (22 sources)

We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.