Updated October 15, 2026 · For Investors And Wholesalers
How To Find Pre-Foreclosure Leads In California
Pre-foreclosure leads in California come from two recorded documents: the notice of default and the notice of trustee sale. Search the county recorder's index for both, match each filing to its parcel and owner, remove the cancelled ones, rank what is left by equity and recording date, then skip trace and reach the owner before the sale date.
As of October 15, 2026, California has 17,457 properties in active pre-foreclosure: 13,271 at notice of default and 4,186 scheduled for trustee sale, across all 58 counties. In September 2026, California counties recorded 2,515 notices of default and 1,464 notices of trustee sale.
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The California Pre-Foreclosure Timeline
California forecloses most home loans outside of court, through a trustee, on a schedule set by statute. Every step below is a public record or a public event, which is what makes pre-foreclosure leads findable.
| Stage | What Happens | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Borrower falls behind on payments | No filing yet. Lenders typically record a default after about 90 days of missed payments. | — |
| Notice of Default (NOD) recorded | The first public record. The recording date starts the clock, and it is the date on your lead. | Civil Code §2924 |
| Reinstatement window | At least three months must pass after the NOD records before a notice of sale can follow. The owner can still catch up, refinance, or sell. | Civil Code §2924 |
| Notice of Trustee Sale (NTS) | Sets the auction date, time, and place. It is published and posted at least 20 days before the sale. | Civil Code §2924f |
| Reinstatement right ends | The owner can reinstate (pay the past-due amount plus fees) until five business days before the sale. | Civil Code §2924c |
| Trustee sale | A public auction. Sales are often postponed, and each postponement moves the date. The property sells to a bidder or reverts to the lender as REO. | Civil Code §2924g (postponements) |
A plain-English summary of the California Civil Code for general information. It is not legal advice.
Step By Step: Finding And Working Pre-Foreclosure Leads
- 1
Search the county recorder index (free, one county at a time)
Every California foreclosure starts as a recorded document. In the recorder's official-records index, search the document types Notice of Default and Notice of Trustee's Sale by recording date. Indexes are free to search; copies of the documents usually cost a few dollars each, and some counties only offer the index at a terminal in the office. Watch for Rescission of Notice of Default and cancelled sales. They cancel earlier filings, and a raw index mixes them in with the live ones.
- 2
Split notices of default from notices of trustee sale
They are two different leads. At the NOD stage (13,271 statewide today) the owner has months and still controls the property, so direct outreach and a negotiated sale work best here. A recorded notice of trustee sale (4,186 scheduled today) means a hard auction date, less time, and a choice between a fast sale and the courthouse steps. Work them as separate lists.
- 3
Match each filing to the parcel and owner, and drop cancelled ones
A notice names the trustor (borrower) and usually the parcel number (APN). Match it to the assessor record for the owner of record, the mailing address (a different mailing address means an absentee owner), and the property details. Then remove filings that were rescinded, reinstated, or followed by a recorded reconveyance. That leaves the owners who are actually still in default.
- 4
Rank the list by equity and recording date
Add up the open loans recorded against the parcel, subtract any that were reconveyed, and compare the total to the value. An owner with equity has something to sell. An owner who is underwater needs a short sale, not a cash offer. Then sort by recording date: the date tells you where each owner is on the clock in the timeline above, and the sale date tells you how much time is left.
- 5
Skip trace the owners you will contact
Recorded documents and the assessment roll do not carry phone numbers or email addresses. Skip tracing matches the owner's name and mailing address to phones and emails. Scrub numbers against do-not-call lists before you dial, and mail to the owner's mailing address (not the property address) when they are absentee.
- 6
Time the outreach to the clock
Most investors start a few weeks after the NOD records, when the owner understands the problem but still has options, and follow up through the reinstatement window. After a notice of sale records, the conversation is about the date. If you plan to buy an owner-occupied home that is in foreclosure, California's Home Equity Sales Contracts Act (Civil Code §1695 and following) requires a specific written contract and gives the seller a right to cancel. Offering to stop a foreclosure for a fee falls under the Mortgage Foreclosure Consultants Act (Civil Code §2945 and following). Talk to a California real-estate attorney before your first deal.
- 7
Or buy at the trustee sale
If no sale happens before the auction, the property goes to the trustee sale. Bidders bring certified funds, buy without an inspection, and take title subject to any liens senior to the loan being foreclosed. Check the open loans and liens on the parcel before you bid. Track sale dates and postponements on the California trustee sale list and the next 30 days of auctions.
Where The Leads Are: Top 10 Counties For Pre-Foreclosures
As of October 15, 2026, these ten counties hold 69% of California's active pre-foreclosures. Each county name opens that county's pre-foreclosure list, with the city breakdown and filings by month.
| # | County | Active Pre-Foreclosures | Notice Of Default | Trustee Sale Scheduled | Share Of State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles County | 4,025 | 3,007 | 1,018 | 23.1% |
| 2 | Riverside County | 1,610 | 1,267 | 343 | 9.2% |
| 3 | San Bernardino County | 1,403 | 1,078 | 325 | 8.0% |
| 4 | San Diego County | 995 | 750 | 245 | 5.7% |
| 5 | Kern County | 848 | 713 | 135 | 4.9% |
| 6 | Fresno County | 800 | 500 | 300 | 4.6% |
| 7 | Sacramento County | 778 | 596 | 182 | 4.5% |
| 8 | Orange County | 639 | 476 | 163 | 3.7% |
| 9 | Contra Costa County | 502 | 377 | 125 | 2.9% |
| 10 | Alameda County | 469 | 356 | 113 | 2.7% |
Every county: California pre-foreclosure list by county.
The County Recorder Or A Data Tool?
The recorder index is free and it is the source of truth, and for one county and a few filings a week it is enough. It gets slow when you work several counties or need equity and phone numbers on every lead: each filing is a separate document, rescissions sit next to live notices, and nothing ties the borrower to the parcel, the open loans, or a phone number. Properant does steps 1 through 5 for all 58 counties. It reads the filings as they record, removes cancelled and cured ones, attaches the owner, mailing address, open loans and liens, true equity, and the scheduled sale date, and includes 100 skip traces a month, for $99.97 a month.
Related: California notice of default list · trustee sale list · pre-foreclosure list · foreclosure glossary.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pre-foreclosure lead?
A property whose owner has a recorded foreclosure filing (a notice of default or a notice of trustee sale) but has not lost the home yet. The owner still holds title and can reinstate the loan, refinance, or sell, which is why investors and wholesalers contact them before the auction.
Is pre-foreclosure information public record in California?
Yes. Notices of default and notices of trustee sale are recorded with the county recorder, and anyone can search the recorder’s index. The index is not a lead list: it holds one document at a time, one county at a time, with rescissions and cancelled sales mixed in, and no phone numbers.
How long does pre-foreclosure last in California?
At least three months plus about three weeks. Civil Code §2924 requires at least three months between recording the notice of default and the notice of sale, and §2924f requires the notice of sale to be published and posted at least 20 days before the auction. In practice it is often longer, because sales are postponed and loans get modified.
What is the difference between a notice of default and a notice of trustee sale?
The notice of default is the first recorded step: it says the borrower is behind and starts the reinstatement window. The notice of trustee sale comes at least three months later and sets the auction date, time, and place. NOD leads have more time and more options; trustee-sale leads have a deadline.
Can I contact homeowners in pre-foreclosure in California?
Yes, and most pre-foreclosure deals start that way, but rules apply. Buying an owner-occupied home in foreclosure is covered by the Home Equity Sales Contracts Act (Civil Code §1695 and following), which requires a specific written contract and gives the seller a right to cancel. Charging a fee to stop a foreclosure is covered by the Mortgage Foreclosure Consultants Act (Civil Code §2945 and following). Scrub phone numbers against do-not-call lists. This is general information, not legal advice.
How many pre-foreclosures are there in California right now?
As of October 15, 2026, 17,457 California properties are in active pre-foreclosure: 13,271 at notice of default and 4,186 scheduled for trustee sale, counted from recorded county documents with cancelled and cured filings removed. Los Angeles County has the most (4,025).
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