Is there still time to sell my Los Feliz house before foreclosure?

1. The loan servicer, for the loan status, the reinstatement amount and the payoff figure, in writing.
2. A HUD-approved housing counselor, at no cost, through HUD's counselor search or (800) 569-4287.
3. A California attorney, who reads the notices with you and explains which choices and deadlines remain.
4. An agent like me, once selling is on your list of paths to weigh.

Put the full menu to the servicer in writing: bringing the loan current, a repayment plan, forbearance, a modification, or a short sale. Selling is only one of these, and for some owners it is not the right one.

Legitimate help never starts with a payment. Be wary of anyone who asks for money in advance, advises you to stop paying your servicer, or wants title to the house transferred to them. Among the warning signs the CFPB lists are being rushed into signing documents you don't understand and being told to send mortgage payments to a third party. The California DRE explains the state's advance-fee rules on its own site.

Three things: the calendar, the numbers and the file.

A buyer paying without a loan may close sooner, yet the trustee's date can still come first with any buyer. Keep the servicer, counselor and attorney informed throughout.

Anything that could hold up escrow. Start these the week you decide to list:

• ☐ Natural hazard items gathered. City maps drawn from State data show the Hollywood fault's Alquist-Priolo zone crossing part of the Los Feliz area, and mapped landslide and liquefaction zones over other parts. Run the address through EQ Zapp so you can start the disclosure report early.
• ☐ Vegetation trimmed if the zone applies. Parts of Los Feliz are mapped as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, but not every street is. Check the specific parcel on ZIMAS or the CAL FIRE map, and confirm with the natural hazard disclosure in escrow. Inside that zone, LAFD's clearance rule reaches 200 feet out from structures.
• ☐ The LADBS report ordered the first week; the cost section below explains it.
• ☐ Open houses timed around fire weather. Some hillside streets have posted Red Flag No Parking signs; on declared Red Flag Days, cars parked there are towed. The City's layer shows posted segments on Glendower Avenue and Dundee Drive, among others. Check lafd.org/redflag before an open house.
• ☐ Permit record pulled so buyers' questions about additions or a converted garage get answered from the file.

Escrow orders a payoff demand from the servicer and pays it, and any other recorded liens, out of the sale funds. When the price falls short of the total owed, closing would require the servicer to accept less, which is a short sale; ask your attorney how that path would affect you.

Standard closing costs, deducted from the sale funds. LA County's documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price; some cities add their own tax, and your escrow estimate shows the exact figure. For qualifying transactions closing after June 30, 2026, Los Angeles Measure ULA imposes an additional 4% tax when the value conveyed exceeds $5,400,000 but is below $10,900,000, or 5.5% when the value conveyed is $10,900,000 or more. The applicable ULA rate is calculated on the full gross value conveyed, not just the amount above the threshold. The City's 0.45% base transfer tax and the County documentary transfer tax are separate charges. Confirm the calculation and any applicable exemptions with your escrow officer.

LADBS requires the seller of residential property in the City of Los Angeles to give the buyer a Residential Property Report before the sale or the close of escrow (LAMC Section 96.300; $70.85 per report as of October 31, 2026). The LADBS Form 9 application says no new report is needed for six months after one is issued, and it lists exceptions, including property exempt from the documentary transfer tax and the first sale of a home in a subdivision whose final map was recorded not more than two years earlier. Check your transfer with LADBS before ordering.

The amount or rate of real estate commissions is not fixed by law. They are set by each broker individually and may be negotiable between the seller and broker.

What to bring to your CPA or attorney: every lender notice, the payoff and reinstatement statements, the escrow estimate, and any IRS forms the lender sends after closing.

• How to sell a house in Los Feliz
• What to expect from a Los Feliz short sale
• Selling a Los Feliz house as-is
• Foreclosure help services
• Nearby: Silver Lake pre-foreclosure sales

Sidney Manzo, CA DRE #01108914
In real estate since 1990 · RE/MAX Hall of Fame · Member, Pasadena Foothills Association of REALTORS® and California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.)
Brokerage: RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193