A Colorado foreclosure takes about eight to ten months from the first missed payment to the Public Trustee sale. The lender cannot start until the loan is more than 120 days behind. Once the Public Trustee records the Notice of Election and Demand, the sale is set 110 to 125 days later. Owners can stop the sale by curing the default, closing a short sale or getting a loan modification. This guide answers how long foreclosure takes in Colorado, how many payments you can miss, what the cure deadline is, and what happens to an FHA home after the sale.
Colorado uses a non-judicial foreclosure run by the Public Trustee in each county. That makes the dates predictable. The table below shows the typical order for a home loan on a house that is not agricultural land.
How long does foreclosure take in Colorado?
| Month | What happens | What the owner can do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Missed payments, late fees, calls and letters from the servicer | Call the servicer and ask for a loss mitigation application |
| 3 to 4 | Breach letter; federal rules block a foreclosure filing until the loan is more than 120 days late | Submit a complete application; ask about a short sale |
| 4 to 5 | Lender’s attorney files the Notice of Election and Demand (NED); the Public Trustee records it and sets the sale date | Watch the mail for the combined notice; list the home if selling |
| 5 to 7 | Notices mailed, five weeks of newspaper publication, court hearing under Rule 120 | File a Notice of Intent to Cure at least 15 days before the sale |
| 8 to 9 | Public Trustee sale, 110 to 125 days after the NED was recorded | Cure funds are due by noon the day before the sale |
| 9 to 10 | Certificate of purchase, junior lienholder redemption window, Public Trustee’s deed, eviction | Plan the move; the owner has no buy-back right after the sale |
| 10 and later | FHA loans: the lender conveys the house to HUD and it becomes a HUD home | Buyers can bid on it through a HUD-registered broker |
Lenders can postpone a sale, so some cases run longer. A postponed sale can also move the cure deadline.
How many payments can I miss before foreclosure starts in Colorado?
Federal servicing rules stop a lender from making the first foreclosure filing until the loan is more than 120 days delinquent. That is usually four missed payments. The 120 days give the owner time to apply for help. A complete loss mitigation application sent in that window protects the owner from a filing while it is under review.
FHA loans add more steps. The servicer must review the borrower for every FHA option in order before it can foreclose. Our guide on how FHA loss mitigation works before a home becomes a HUD home walks through that review.
What is a Notice of Election and Demand?
The Notice of Election and Demand is the paper that starts a Colorado foreclosure. The lender’s attorney files it with the Public Trustee in the county where the home sits. The Public Trustee records it, usually within 10 business days, and sets the sale date. The Public Trustee then mails a combined notice to the owner, and later publishes the sale in a local newspaper for five weeks.
Can I stop a foreclosure sale in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado gives owners the right to cure. The owner files a Notice of Intent to Cure with the Public Trustee at least 15 calendar days before the first scheduled sale date. The Public Trustee then asks the lender for the cure amount. The owner pays that amount in certified funds by noon on the day before the sale. Curing means paying the past-due payments, fees and costs, not the whole loan.
Other ways to stop the sale:
- A loan modification or repayment plan approved by the servicer.
- A short sale that closes before the sale date.
- A regular sale, if the home is worth more than the loan.
- A deed-in-lieu accepted by the lender.
Can I sell my house with a short sale during foreclosure?
Yes. A short sale can close any time before the Public Trustee sale. The lender must approve the price first, and approval takes time, so start early. Owners with FHA loans can use the FHA Pre-Foreclosure Sale program. It accepts net proceeds of 88% of appraised value in the first 30 days of marketing, 86% in days 31 to 60, and 84% after that. Eligible owners can receive up to $3,000 for relocation. Read the full guide to the FHA short sale in Colorado, or see The Kenna Group’s short sale help on kennarealestate.com.
An owner facing a sale date can call or text 303-955-4220 to talk through short sale, cure and deed-in-lieu options the same day.
Do I get to buy my home back after a Colorado foreclosure sale?
No. Colorado removed the owner’s right of redemption in 2008. After the sale, the Public Trustee issues a certificate of purchase to the winning bidder. Junior lienholders, such as a second mortgage lender, get a short window to file an intent to redeem. If no one redeems, the Public Trustee issues a deed to the buyer. The new owner can then start an eviction in county court.
Will I owe money after a Colorado foreclosure?
You can. Colorado lets lenders seek a deficiency judgment when the sale price does not cover the loan. A sale that brings more than the debt creates surplus funds, which the Public Trustee holds for the former owner and junior lienholders. An approved FHA Pre-Foreclosure Sale releases the owner from the remaining FHA-insured debt, which is one reason a short sale often beats a foreclosure.
What happens to an FHA home after foreclosure?
When an FHA-insured loan ends in foreclosure, the lender usually takes the house at the sale, clears the title and conveys it to HUD for the insurance claim. HUD then lists it for sale. That is how a home becomes a HUD home. In Colorado, the HUD asset manager is Raine and Company.
HUD homes sell by online bid. Owner-occupants get the first 15 days on insured homes and 5 days on uninsured homes. Cash buyers close in 30 days and financed buyers in 45. HUD pays up to 3% of closing costs when the buyer asks for it in the bid. See how to buy a HUD home, today’s Colorado HUD homes for sale, and the Colorado HUD inventory report for counts and price trends.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Colorado foreclosure take?
About eight to ten months from the first missed payment. The sale itself is set 110 to 125 days after the Notice of Election and Demand is recorded.
What is the deadline to cure a foreclosure in Colorado?
File a Notice of Intent to Cure at least 15 calendar days before the first scheduled sale date, then pay the cure amount by noon the day before the sale.
Is Colorado a judicial foreclosure state?
No. Most Colorado home foreclosures run through the county Public Trustee. A short court hearing under Rule 120 authorizes the sale.
Can I do a short sale after the Notice of Election and Demand is filed?
Yes. A short sale can close any time before the Public Trustee sale, as long as the lender approves it.
How soon after foreclosure does an FHA home become a HUD home?
It varies. The lender must take title, clear it and convey the house to HUD before HUD can list it. New HUD listings appear on our HUD homes for sale page as soon as they post.
Questions about a foreclosure date, a short sale or a HUD bid? Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers.
Where to go next
- FHA short sale in Colorado (Pre-Foreclosure Sale)
- VA compromise sale in Colorado
- Colorado HUD homes for sale
- HUD home financing
- HUD home FAQs
- Find a HUD-registered agent
Disclosure: The Kenna Group are licensed real estate brokers. We are not attorneys, tax advisors or credit professionals, and this page is not legal advice. Talk to a qualified professional and your loan servicer about your situation.
Written and reviewed by
Brian Lee Burke, Colorado HUD home specialist and team leader
Licensed Colorado real estate professional since 2003 · REALTOR® · Team leader and licensed broker of the Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC, a group that regularly bids on HUD homes through Keller Williams Realty DTC, LLC, a HUD-registered brokerage · Author of The Real Estate Playbook and Mastering Real Estate. Brian’s full HUD biography.
Last reviewed: October 22, 2026 · Sources: HUD Home Store (hudhomestore.gov) and HUD program guidance, HUD Handbook 4000.1, REcolorado MLS data via kennarealestate.com, and the Kenna Real Estate Group’s own HUD transaction files.
Contact: call or text 303-955-4220 or homes@kennarealestate.com. During office hours you reach a live local Kenna real estate professional, not a robot or a national call center. Brokerage: Keller Williams Realty DTC, LLC (the Kenna Real Estate Group is a group of brokers there), 6300 S Syracuse Way, Suite 150, Centennial, CO 80111. Each Keller Williams office is independently owned and operated. The Kenna Real Estate Group is an independent real estate team and is not affiliated with or endorsed by HUD or any government agency; official property information comes from HUD Home Store. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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