BELOW IS A TIMELINE OF THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS IN CALIFORNIA

Step One, Day 0:
The process begins when a lender files a Notice of Default with the county recorder identifying the default amount and the date the borrower must pay off the default. The notice is mailed to the borrower and other affected parties.
Up to five business days before the trustee’s sale, the borrower may pay off the default plus any applicable costs of foreclosure and stop the foreclosure process. Ninety days after the notice of default is filed, the lender can schedule a trustee’s sale of the property.

Step Two, Day 90:
Ninety days after the Notice of Default is recorded, a Notice of Sale must be posted on the property and in one local public location.
The Notice of Sale is also published once a week for three weeks in a local newspaper, starting at least 20 days before the sale date. The notice is mailed to the borrower at least 20 days before the sale and to anyone who requests the notice.
The Notice of Sale must contain the date, time, and location of the sale, the property address, and the trustee’s contact information. In addition, the Notice of Sale must be recorded with the county recorder at least 14 days before the sale.

Step Three, Day 111+:
The Trustee Sale Auction is held as a public auction at the time and place designated in the Notice of Sale, and conducted by the lender’s representative. The successful bidder must pay immediately with cash or cashier’s checks in the full amount of the bid. The successful bidder receives a trustee’s deed on completion of the sale. The lender usually bids in the amount of the balance due plus costs. If no one else bids, the property reverts to the lender.