Selling your house before foreclosure in Florida in 2026: In Florida you can usually sell your home any time before the foreclosure sale date, and a sale can pay off the loan and may limit credit damage. If you owe more than the home is worth, a short sale may be an option. A HUD-approved housing counselor offers free help. Ray and Kelly Nadeau of Certainly Sold can explain options. Call (407) 544-4704.
By Ray Nadeau · Licensed Florida Broker BK3344407 | Kelly Nadeau · Licensed Florida Broker BK3344334 · Certainly Sold · Last updated: October 22, 2026
If your home's value covers what you owe plus closing costs, you can sell it the same way anyone else would — no special lender approval beyond the normal mortgage payoff. If you owe more than the home is worth, your lender has to agree to accept less than the full balance for the sale to close — that's a short sale, and it requires financial documentation and lender review, which takes real time.
Yes — you generally have more room to work with earlier in the process, before a lawsuit is filed, than after. Selling is still often possible after a lawsuit is filed and right up until the sale date, but the available time shrinks the further along the case is. See our full foreclosure timeline breakdown for exactly where each stage falls.
Not automatically — deficiency treatment varies by lender and needs to be spelled out in writing as part of the approval, not assumed. Some short sales do include a deficiency waiver; others don't. Get the actual terms confirmed before agreeing to anything.
Generally, yes — a completed foreclosure is a more damaging credit event than either a traditional sale or a short sale, and mortgage-eligibility waiting periods afterward tend to be longer for a completed foreclosure than for a short sale, though the exact numbers vary by loan type. See our full short sale vs. foreclosure comparison for the sourced breakdown.
No. A property review is free, and standard commission is paid at closing from sale proceeds — never an upfront fee.
See our dedicated breakdown on how long a short sale takes in Florida for the full timeline.
Generally yes, up until the sale date — see our page on what a lis pendens actually means for what that filing does and doesn't change.
This page is for general educational purposes and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. For guidance specific to your situation, consult a licensed Florida attorney or a free HUD-approved housing counselor.
A free, no-obligation review — no pressure, no upfront cost.
Get Your Free Property ReviewCertainly Sold provides real estate brokerage services in the State of Florida. Florida Broker Lic. #BK3344407. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Mortgage financing services are offered through Equity Smart Home Loans, CA NMLS #856170, DRE #01906808, 1499 Huntington Dr Suite 500, South Pasadena, CA 91030 (Florida license MBR-2341). Ray Nadeau, Mortgage Loan Originator, NMLS #1027617. All loan programs, terms, eligibility and approvals are subject to borrower qualification, property qualification, underwriting guidelines, condominium project requirements, lender requirements, and program availability. Not all borrowers, properties, or condominium projects will qualify. Nothing on this website constitutes a commitment to lend or a guarantee of financing.
Real estate brokerage services and mortgage financing services are separate services. Consumers are not required to use Equity Smart Home Loans or any particular mortgage lender as a condition of listing, selling, purchasing, or otherwise using Certainly Sold's real estate brokerage services. Consumers are free to choose the lender and other settlement service providers of their choice.
Condominium financing availability may depend on borrower qualifications, property characteristics, condominium project eligibility, association financials, insurance coverage, reserves, special assessments, litigation, occupancy, and individual lender/program requirements. References to alternative or specialized financing options do not mean every borrower, property, or condominium project will qualify.
Any property value, condo value, comparative market analysis, or saleability review provided through this website is for informational purposes only and is not an appraisal. No representation or guarantee is made regarding a property's market value, eventual sales price, financing availability, or successful closing.