Guide · Special Assets

Selling a loan before taking it through foreclosure

Selling the note before foreclosing converts a credit to cash now and transfers the time, legal cost, and OREO risk to the buyer. It usually wins when the present value of the eventual foreclosure recovery — net of 12–24 months of carry and cost — is at or below a cash price available today.

Why

What foreclosure costs the lender

Modeling the choice

Estimate the eventual REO value, subtract legal, disposition, and carrying cost over the months to resolve, and discount to present value. If a cash sale today meets or beats that figure, selling the note now is the stronger outcome — before crediting the certainty, reserve relief, and time saved. Run it in the loan-sale-vs-foreclosure calculator.

Common questions
Is it better to sell the note or foreclose?

Usually to sell, unless the credit is equity-rich with full recovery likely and you have time to spare. A sale removes 12–24 months of carry, legal cost, and OREO risk for certain cash now.

What if foreclosure has already started?

A note can be sold mid-foreclosure; the buyer steps into the lender's position and continues or resolves the process. Send the current legal status with the loan tape.

How quickly can a pre-foreclosure sale close?

An indication within days and a close within weeks with a direct principal buyer. Standing Bid Capital is a direct principal buyer of CRE loans, discounted payoffs, and REO — $250K–$25M, all-cash, no re-trade, confidential. Request a confidential review.

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