Sell Your House in Foreclosure in Northwest Indiana
Behind on payments? Sell your house for cash before the sheriff’s sale and walk away with your equity.
Homes Bought Since 2011
Falling behind on your mortgage feels like drowning in slow motion. The letters keep coming, the phone keeps ringing, and every month the hole gets deeper. If you are facing foreclosure in Northwest Indiana, we want you to know two things. First, you have more options than the bank’s letters suggest. Second, if selling is the right option, we buy houses in foreclosure for cash, and we can often close before the sheriff’s sale, so you leave with your equity instead of losing the house at auction.
Preferred Home Buyer has been buying houses across Lake County and Northwest Indiana since 2011. We are BBB A+ accredited, our office is at 8021 Cleveland Pl in Merrillville, and we have worked with sellers at every stage of this process.
Call (219) 348-8098 or fill out the offer form. The conversation is free and completely confidential.
How Foreclosure Actually Works in Indiana
Understanding the timeline matters, because the clock determines your options. Indiana is a judicial foreclosure state, which means the lender cannot simply take your house. They have to file a lawsuit in your county court, and for most of our sellers that means the Lake County courts in Crown Point.
The broad strokes of the timeline:
- Missed payments. Under federal rules, most lenders cannot even file the foreclosure lawsuit until you are more than 120 days behind. This early window is when you have the most options.
- The complaint is filed. You will be served with court papers. Indiana law also gives most homeowners the right to request a settlement conference with the lender.
- The waiting period. Indiana requires a waiting period of at least three months after the filing before a sheriff’s sale can be ordered. In practice, the full process usually takes many months.
- The sheriff’s sale. For Lake County properties, sales are conducted through the sheriff’s office in Crown Point. This is the deadline that matters most: once the house sells at auction, it is generally gone for good. Indiana does not give homeowners a right to buy the house back after the sale, so anything you want to do must happen before that date.
Free help exists and is worth knowing about. The Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network offers no-cost counseling at 1-877-GET-HOPE, and HUD-approved housing counselors can walk you through options like loan modification. We would rather you know every option than feel cornered into one.
How Selling to Us Stops the Clock
How it Works
If keeping the house is not realistic, selling before the sheriff’s sale usually beats letting the auction happen, for one simple reason: at auction, your equity is at the mercy of whoever bids. In a sale to us, the numbers are on paper before you sign.
1. Call us with the address and your sale date, if one is set.
The timeline tells us how fast we need to move. We have closed purchases ahead of scheduled sheriff’s sales before.
2. One quick walkthrough, then a cash offer.
No repairs, no cleaning, no strangers touring the house.
3. The title company pays the lender directly at closing.
Your mortgage, the missed payments, and the lender’s fees are paid from the sale proceeds, the foreclosure case ends, and whatever equity remains comes to you. We can close in as little as 3-5 business days* once you accept, and we pay typical closing costs.
Still Have Questions?
A sale you choose also treats your credit very differently than a completed foreclosure, which can follow you for years and make the next rental or mortgage much harder.
Why Northwest Indiana Homeowners Call Us in Foreclosure
- We know the Lake County process. Filings, judgments, and sheriff’s sales for this region run through Crown Point, and we work around those dates all the time.
- Speed is real, not a slogan. Cash means no lender approval on our side, which is what makes closing ahead of a sale date possible.
- No fees stacked on your troubles. No commissions, no charges to you, and we cover typical closing costs.
- Fourteen years, one name. Buying since 2011, BBB A+ accredited, with a real office you can visit in Merrillville.
If a sale date is on the calendar, call (219) 348-8098 today. Every week of head start expands your options.
Questions Homeowners in Foreclosure Ask Us
How late is too late to sell my house in foreclosure?
The hard deadline is the sheriff’s sale itself. Before that date, a sale is usually still possible, though the closer it gets, the faster everything has to move. If your sale is weeks away, call us immediately. If it is months away, you have real breathing room, but do not spend it waiting.
I am behind on payments but the bank has not filed anything yet. Should I wait?
No. This is actually the best time to act, because you have the most options and the least pressure. You can explore keeping the house, and if you decide to sell, nothing about the process is rushed.
Will I get anything out of the sale, or does the bank take it all?
The title company pays off what you owe, including missed payments and fees, and everything above that is yours. Many homeowners in foreclosure have more equity than they realize, especially with what Northwest Indiana values have done over the years. We will show you the math before you commit to anything.
What happens to the foreclosure lawsuit when I sell?
Paying off the loan at closing resolves the debt, and the foreclosure case is dismissed. The title company handles the payoff directly with the lender’s attorneys.
Is selling better than letting the foreclosure finish?
For most people, yes, for two reasons: you control the outcome and protect your equity, and a completed foreclosure is one of the most damaging entries your credit can carry. That said, if a loan modification or repayment plan can genuinely save your home and you want to stay, pursue that first. Talk to a free counselor at 1-877-GET-HOPE.
Can you really close before my sheriff's sale date?
Often, yes. We can close in as little as 3-5 business days* after you accept our offer, and we have worked against auction deadlines before. The honest answer depends on how much time is left, which is why the first phone call matters.
Do I have to keep making payments while we work on the sale?
That is between you and your lender, and a housing counselor can advise you. What we can tell you: the payoff at closing covers what has accrued, so missed payments during the sale process are settled there.
What does this cost me?
Nothing. No fees, no commissions, and the walkthrough and offer are free. If our offer does not beat your alternatives, you owe us nothing and we will tell you what we would do in your shoes.
Hear From Our Clients
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
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Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Get Ahead of the Sale Date
You do not have to figure out the Lake County foreclosure process alone, and you do not have to lose your equity at an auction. One confidential call gets you a real number and a real timeline.
Call Preferred Home Buyer at (219) 348-8098 or fill out the offer form now. Buying houses across Northwest Indiana since 2011. BBB A+ accredited.
We buy houses in foreclosure in Gary, Hammond, Merrillville, Schererville, Munster, Highland, Crown Point, and across Northwest Indiana. Also see: sell an inherited house, sell your house as-is, sell a rental with tenants.