I’ve been buying houses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2005. In that time, I’ve sat across the table from a lot of homeowners who were facing foreclosure — some with months to spare, some with days. The ones who made it through had one thing in common: they picked up the phone before it was too late.

This post is for anyone who is behind on their mortgage right now and trying to figure out what their options actually are. I’m going to walk you through how Texas foreclosure works, what your real options are before the auction date, and how to know whether a cash sale might be the right move for your situation. Call me at 469-361-4402 if you want to talk through it directly — no charge, no pressure.

How Foreclosure Works in Texas

Texas is a non-judicial foreclosure state. That means your lender does not have to take you to court to foreclose on your home. Once you’ve missed enough payments and the lender decides to move forward, the process happens relatively quickly — and it ends on a specific date that does not move: the first Tuesday of the month, at the county courthouse steps.

Here’s the sequence from start to auction:

• Notice of Default — Formal notice of default with intent to accelerate; 20–30 days to cure
• Acceleration — Full loan balance called due immediately; may be a separate letter or embedded in the sale notice — call me if you’ve received this
• Notice of Trustee Sale — Minimum 21 days out, typically 60–90 days from when you receive it (Appointment of Substitute Trustee filed at the county courthouse)
• Auction Date — First Tuesday of the month, no exceptions, rain or shine

If you’re not sure exactly where you are in this process, call me and I’ll help you figure it out, no charge.

What Are Your Options Before the Auction Date?

Let me be honest with you — there’s no one-size-fits-all answer here, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. Here are the legitimate options I’ve seen work over the years.

Pay the full amount owed to the foreclosing attorneys.
If you can come up with the total balance due — missed payments, fees, penalties, all of it — before the sale date, the foreclosure stops. For most people in this situation, that’s simply not realistic. But if you have family who can help or a way to access funds, this is the cleanest resolution.

File Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Filing triggers an automatic stay that temporarily halts the foreclosure. But understand this clearly: bankruptcy only delays the process. Eventually the court will discharge your case and the foreclosure will resume. It buys time, not a solution.

Hire an attorney and file a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).
A TRO is an emergency court order that can legally halt a foreclosure sale. It’s not guaranteed, and most attorneys won’t take it on unless you have genuine legal grounds — like the lender failing to follow proper notice procedures. It’s expensive, it’s uncertain, and it only works in specific circumstances.

A short sale.
For the sake of being complete — a short sale is when the lender agrees to accept less than what’s owed and allow the home to be sold. It’s a lengthy, paperwork-heavy process that requires lender approval at every step. In a foreclosure timeline, there is rarely enough time to complete one.

Sell directly to a cash buyer.
For most of the homeowners I talk to, this is the fastest and most straightforward way to stop the foreclosure and walk away with something in their pocket — if there’s equity in the home. No bank approval. No repairs. No waiting on a buyer’s financing to come through.

Why a Cash Sale Is Often the Fastest Exit

When time is short, a cash sale is almost always the most reliable path forward. There’s no lender involved on my side, which means no loan approval process, no appraisal holding things up, no financing contingency that can fall apart at the last minute.

I buy homes directly. When you call me, you’re talking to the person who will actually be involved in purchasing your house. Whether you need to sell your Dallas home fast or sell your Irving home fast, I can move quickly when the situation calls for it.

No repairs. No long showings. No waiting. Everything closes at a licensed Texas title company so it’s done legally and properly.

Real Talk From Someone Who Has Been There

I’ve bought houses from homeowners days before the first Tuesday auction. I don’t have testimonial letters from most of those sellers — when it’s over, people just want to move on with their lives and put the whole thing behind them. I understand that completely. But I can tell you from twenty years of doing this: when someone calls me with enough time on the clock and there’s equity in the house, we get it done.

One that sticks with me is a house on Meadow Creek Drive in Lancaster. The sellers were facing foreclosure and running out of time. They didn’t need a drawn-out process, open houses, or a buyer waiting on bank approval. They needed someone who could move fast, pay cash, and close fast. That’s exactly what we did. No repairs. No contingencies. We came in, stopped the foreclosure — and in that case, we had to get our attorneys involved to file a TRO to buy the time we needed. Not every deal requires that, but when it does, we have the resources to make it happen. The sellers were very happy and glad they dodged a bullet.

I don’t share that story to impress you. I share it because if you’re in that situation right now, I want you to know it’s possible. People have been where you are and found a way through. Sometimes all it takes is making the call before it’s too late.

What the Process Actually Looks Like

Here’s what working with me looks like from the first phone call to closing day — because I think you deserve to know exactly what you’re getting into before you dial.

Step 1 — You call me.
We talk. I ask you some straightforward questions about the house, what you owe, and how much time you have before the auction. No pressure, no pitch. I just need to understand your situation so I can tell you honestly whether a cash sale is realistic for you.

Step 2 — I come see the house.
Usually within a day or two of our first conversation. I’m not looking for reasons to low-ball you. I’m looking at what the house is worth and what I can fairly offer given the condition and the timeline.

Step 3 — I make you an offer.
Cash. As-is. No repair requests, no financing contingency, no appraisal that can derail the deal. If the number works for you, we move forward. If it doesn’t, I’ll tell you honestly what I think your other options are. Are you going to get retail? Honestly? No — you will have to come to terms with the fact that you’re not going to get full market value. But you will walk away clean, with cash in hand, and the foreclosure behind you.

Step 4 — We open title.
Everything goes through a licensed Texas title company. This protects you just as much as it protects me. You’ll know exactly what you’re signing and exactly what you’ll walk away with.

Step 5 — You pick the closing date.
We work backward from your auction date and make sure we close before that first Tuesday. In many cases we can close in as little as one to two weeks from the day we shake hands. No mystery. No fine print. No middleman. Just a straightforward transaction with someone who has been doing this in DFW since 2005.

How to Know If You Have Enough Time

Here’s a simple way to think about where you stand right now:

More than 3 weeks until the auction?
A cash sale is very likely possible. Call me today at 469-361-4402 so we can get the process moving. The more time we have, the more options you have.

2 to 3 weeks out?
It’s tight, but don’t give up. Depending on the county and title company availability, we may still be able to make it happen. Still worth a call.

Less than 2 weeks?
Your options are limited, but a conversation still costs you nothing. There may be steps we can take — and at minimum, I’ll be honest with you about exactly where things stand and what comes next.

The worst thing you can do right now is wait and hope the auction date gets pushed back on its own. It won’t.

Call Shannan Before the First Tuesday

Foreclosure doesn’t have to be the end of your story. I’ve helped homeowners in situations far more complicated than yours — divorces, out-of-state moves, no equity, auctions just days away. What made the difference every time was that they picked up the phone before it was too late.

If you’re facing foreclosure and don’t know what to do next, call Shannan at 469-361-4402. He’s been helping DFW homeowners in tough situations since 2005 — and he’ll be straight with you about what your options are, even if a cash sale isn’t the right fit. No pressure. No obligation. Just an honest conversation with someone who knows this market and genuinely wants to help you land on your feet.

Don’t wait for a Tuesday you can’t take back.