{"id":48170,"date":"2026-07-02T13:53:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T10:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.propertyshark.com\/Real-Estate-Reports\/?p=48170"},"modified":"2026-07-02T15:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:45:12","slug":"how-to-find-foreclosed-homes-using-propertyshark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.propertyshark.com\/Real-Estate-Reports\/how-to-find-foreclosed-homes-using-propertyshark\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find Foreclosed Homes Step-by-Step Using PropertyShark"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Foreclosed homes are properties repossessed by the lender after the previous owner defaulted on the mortgage. Finding them early matters because foreclosure filings often appear in public records before a property reaches auction or becomes bank-owned, which gives buyers, researchers and investors more time to evaluate the opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why public record access is so important when learning how to find foreclosed homes. PropertyShark streamlines that research by bringing together foreclosure filings, ownership records, mortgage and lien data, tax records and property details, all in one platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Understanding Foreclosure Status<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to learn how to find out if a house is in foreclosure, the first thing to know is that foreclosure law is highly state-specific. States generally use either a judicial foreclosure process<\/strong>, which goes through the courts (like New York) or a non-judicial foreclosure process<\/strong>, which usually does not (for instance, California). That is why the earliest warning sign is not always the same document in every market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Pre-Foreclosure<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pre-foreclosure is the early stage, typically defined as the point when the owner is behind on payments and a notice of default (NOD) or a lis pendens has been filed. In non-judicial states, recording an NOD marks the start of the formal and public foreclosure process. In judicial states, a lis pendens or notice of pendency represents a recorded notice that there is litigation affecting title to the property. This is often the most useful stage for early research because the property has not yet reached the sale point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Auction<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If the process continues, the property may move to a public sale. This stage is defined by an upcoming auction or completed auction result, with statuses such as sold, cancelled, postponed or bank-owned. Depending on the state and process, the sale may be labeled as a trustee sale<\/strong> (in non-judicial states) or a sheriff sale<\/strong> (in judicial states). For researchers and buyers, this is the point where timing, opening bids and case details become especially important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Bank-Owned (REO)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If the property does not sell to a third party at auction, it can revert to the lender and become real estate owned (REO). Specifically, REO properties are assets that have been foreclosed upon and are available for purchase directly from the lender, often because they did not sell at the foreclosure auction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All three stages are covered by PropertyShark. The platform\u2019s distressed property tools let users search pre-foreclosures<\/strong> for filings such as NOD and lis pendens, foreclosures<\/strong> for active auctions and bank-owned (REO)<\/strong> for lender-held inventory. After identifying the distressed properties of interest, you can export or save searches for updates. Moreover, PropertyShark\u2019s property reports combine verified public-record data, deed filings and market insights, which is why the platform is faster to work with than piecing together manual research done through courts and the county recorder and assessor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>How to Find Foreclosed Homes Using PropertyShark<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following workflow works for PropertyShark users who are signed in with a plan that includes foreclosure access. Searches, exports, alerts and some data fields vary by market and subscription level, so it is worth checking what is available in the market you are researching before you build a larger workflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Step 1: Select the listing type<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Start from the top navigation menu and choose the foreclosure stage of your interest. Use pre-foreclosures if you want early-stage filings such as NOD or sis pendens. Use foreclosures if you want active auctions or move onto auction results or bank-owned (REO) inventory to see the results of previous foreclosures (either bought at the auction or reverted to the lender).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PropertyShark separates these workflows and lets users search both pre-foreclosure filings and foreclosure auctions, for more precise results.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/span>Step 2: Search by location<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Enter a city, county, borough or ZIP code to narrow the results to your target market. Location is one of the primary search filters under both the pre-foreclosure and foreclosure workflows. This matters because foreclosure timelines and volumes can vary dramatically by county and state. Additionally, depending on the market, users can also use the location filter for auction results or REO properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Step 3: Apply filters<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PropertyShark\u2019s foreclosure filters ensure that users can narrow their search to look at distressed properties with specific characteristics, such as property type, square footage, unit count, building class or lot size.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For buyers, two simple approaches usually work well. If you want recently-distressed opportunities, search pre-foreclosures and filter for desired property characteristics in your target ZIP codes. If you are focused on near-term acquisition, search foreclosures, then narrow by auction status, lien amount, property type, unit count, square feet, year build and renovated or lot size to match your buying criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Step 4: Review property details<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PropertyShark property reports can show current owner and mailing addresses, deed and ownership histories, ownership type, sales history, tax records, mortgage and lien data, as well as foreclosure or pre-foreclosure filings, where applicable. Users can review comparable sales and an estimated property value, which helps put the distressed status in context before deciding whether to pursue the property further.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The most relevant overview comes from combining the foreclosure status with ownership history, open debt, tax burden, recent comparable sales and the estimated value range. PropertyShark\u2019s property report functionalities are designed for the kind of in-depth due diligence that provides a comprehensive overview of a foreclosed property.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/span>How to Find Out if a Specific House Is in Foreclosure<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The fastest workflow when learning how to find out if a house is in foreclosure is to search the property address on PropertyShark, open the property report and look for foreclosure signals. Check whether the report shows a recorded lis pendens or NOD, review the mortgage and lien section for active debt filings and verify whether the property has moved to auction or bank-owned status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are researching manually, the public record path usually leads to the county recorded plus court records, as that is where the formal notice or filing is commonly recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n