Guadalupe County, TX Foreclosure Auctions: 6 Sheriff Sales

A sheriff sale is a court-ordered auction: after a lender (or other creditor) wins a judgment, the county sheriff sells the property to satisfy it. The sheriff's office publishes the sale list with each property's sheriff or case number, and the amount shown is the office's own figure (an approximate upset price or judgment amount, depending on the county).

Sales are frequently adjourned or postponed, sometimes on the day itself. Check the sheriff's list for the current status, deposit and payment rules before you go, and research title and occupancy yourself; properties are usually sold as is.

Most Texas home foreclosures are non-judicial: the deed of trust lets a trustee sell the property without a lawsuit. By statute the sale is a public auction held on the first Tuesday of the month between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at the county courthouse (or another public area the commissioners court designates). When the first Tuesday is January 1 or July 4, the sale moves to the first Wednesday.

Notice of the sale has to be posted at the courthouse door, filed with the county clerk and mailed to the debtor at least 21 days before the sale, and the sale must start at the time stated in the notice or within three hours after it. County clerks keep these notices, which is where LienDesk's Texas trustee listings come from.

A notice's loan figure is the original loan amount, not an opening bid. Sales are frequently postponed or cancelled on the morning of the sale, so confirm with the trustee (usually the lender's law firm) before you go.