Pre-foreclosures: where to get the list
Short answer: A pre-foreclosure list is the set of properties where a lender has filed a notice of default or lis pendens but the auction has not happened yet. The filings are public records at the county recorder, and the owner still holds title and can sell normally.
Typical cash close
35 to 45% under market
Discount to estimated value on pre-foreclosures, capped by owner equity.
Metros with a live list
46
Plus any US ZIP through the scan, listed or not.
Cost to browse
Free
Credits only reveal owner contact, and only when one verifies.
What this list actually is
Pre-foreclosure is a window, not a status. It opens when the lender records the first public filing and closes when the property sells at auction. Depending on the state that window runs anywhere from about six weeks to well over two years, and everything worth doing happens inside it.
The filings themselves are public and free, which surprises people. What makes them hard to work is that they arrive one at a time, at the county recorder, in a format designed for title companies rather than buyers. There is no sort order, no owner phone number, and no indication of whether the owner has 60% equity or is underwater.
Speed matters more here than in any other distress category, because every investor in the county sees the same filing on the same day. The differentiator is not access to the list, it is being the one who calls first with a specific number and a closing date that beats the auction.
Every source, and what each one leaves out
Including the free ones. Nothing here is a secret, the work is in what you do with it.
| Source | Cost | What you get | What is missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| County recorder filings | Free to search, small copy fee | Notices of default, lis pendens, notices of trustee sale, with owner and property named | One at a time, no contact details, no equity, no ranking |
| Court dockets | Free to free-ish, PACER-style fees in some counties | The full case in judicial-foreclosure states, including the amount claimed | Only covers judicial states, and dockets lag the real-world situation |
| Legal notice newspapers | Price of a subscription | Published notices of sale, which is where auction dates first appear | Late in the process, so competition is already maximal by then |
| Trustee and auction sites | Free to browse | Scheduled sale dates and opening bids in non-judicial states | By the time a property appears here the private-sale window is nearly shut |
| LowBaller | Free to browse, credits only to reveal an owner | Filings compiled daily, scored by stage and equity, ranked hardest-first with a suggested offer | Not the official legal notice, so verify sale dates with the trustee or the court |
How to find pre-foreclosures, step by step
1. Watch the recorder daily, not weekly
New notices of default are the freshest lead in real estate and they decay fast. A filing that is three weeks old has already been mailed by a dozen investors.
2. Establish the stage
A notice of default is the start of the clock, a notice of trustee sale means a date is set. The second is far more urgent and prices very differently.
3. Check equity before anything else
An owner in default with substantial equity can sell, clear the debt and keep the difference. An underwater owner cannot sell to you at all without lender approval, which turns the deal into a short sale on a completely different timeline.
4. Lead with the deadline solved
Cash, no financing contingency, close before the sale date, owner picks the moving day. Say the number plainly. Owners in default have heard every euphemism and clarity reads as respect.
5. Track the auction date
Your leverage grows as the date approaches and vanishes the moment it passes. Know exactly how many days are left on every lead you are working.
How the lead types compare
Pre-foreclosures by city
Live lists for 46 US metros, each ranked hardest-first with a below-market offer on every row. Not listed? The scan covers every US ZIP.
Alabama
Arizona
Colorado
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
Washington
Pre-foreclosures FAQ
How do I get a list of pre-foreclosures?
Notices of default and lis pendens are recorded at the county recorder and are public records, so the raw list is free to anyone who goes and pulls it. The practical problem is that it arrives filing by filing with no owner contact details and no way to tell which owners have the equity to actually sell. Pick your city from the directory on this page for a compiled, ranked version.
Is a pre-foreclosure list free?
The underlying filings are free at the county recorder. Compiled and enriched versions cost money because someone has to join owner records, run valuations, pull mortgage balances and skip trace. Browsing the ranked list here is free, and credits are only spent when a verified owner contact comes back.
How long does pre-foreclosure last?
It depends almost entirely on whether your state is judicial or non-judicial. Georgia and Missouri can move from filing to sale in one to three months. New Jersey and Hawaii routinely take one to two years. The state table on this site lists the typical range for all 50.
Can you buy a house in pre-foreclosure?
Yes, and it is the most straightforward distressed purchase there is. The owner still holds title, so it is an ordinary sale with an ordinary closing. The only real constraint is that the payoff has to clear the mortgage and any liens, which is why equity determines whether a pre-foreclosure lead is workable.
What is the difference between pre-foreclosure and foreclosure?
Pre-foreclosure means the process has started but the property has not been sold. Foreclosure, in common usage, means the auction has happened and the property has transferred, either to a new buyer or back to the lender as an REO. Once that line is crossed you are negotiating with a bank rather than a person, and the discount usually shrinks.
How much below market do pre-foreclosures sell for?
Cash closes on pre-foreclosure typically land 30 to 45% under estimated value, and a scheduled auction date pushes that toward 35 to 50%. The deadline is what creates the discount, so the same house prices very differently at 90 days out versus 10.