New national data released this month places Texas ahead of every other state for completed home foreclosures. According to Leinart Law Firm, most homeowners call only after a sale date has already been posted. Founder and managing attorney Marcus Leinart, a Dallas bankruptcy lawyer with more than 20 years of experience, is helping local families understand how much time they actually have.
ATTOM released its mid-year foreclosure report on July 16, 2026. It counted 227,548 properties nationwide with foreclosure filings in the first six months of the year, up 21 percent from 2025. Completed foreclosures rose faster. Lenders took back 27,983 properties nationally, up 33 percent, and Texas accounted for more than any other state at 3,322. Bankruptcy filings have climbed as well, reaching 591,850 for the twelve months ending March 31, 2026, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Chapter 13 filings, the chapter most often used to save a home, rose 8 percent in the first quarter.
Texas uses a nonjudicial process governed by Chapter 51 of the Texas Property Code. A servicer must give a homestead owner 20 days to cure the default, then 21 days' notice before the sale, held on the first Tuesday of the month at the county courthouse. A homeowner can move from notice to sale in roughly six weeks. No lawsuit is filed. No judge reviews the case. The automatic stay takes effect the moment a bankruptcy case is filed and can stop a foreclosure sale, including one set for the following Tuesday. Chapter 13 then allows a homeowner to repay past-due amounts over three to five years. The Texas homestead exemption carries no limit on value, so qualifying homeowners generally keep the home.
"People call us on a Monday about a sale scheduled for the next morning, and sometimes we can still help them," said Marcus Leinart, founder of Leinart Law Firm. "But the options are much better six weeks earlier. What homeowners in Texas often don't realize is how little has to happen before a house is sold. There's no courtroom, no hearing, no judge. A filing stops the sale immediately, and Chapter 13 gives a family a structured way to catch up while staying in the home."
The implications for homeowners in Dallas and Fort Worth are significant. With the rapid foreclosure timeline, families who face financial hardship may find themselves with limited time to act. The rise in bankruptcy filings suggests that many are turning to legal protection, but the data underscores the need for early intervention. For industry observers, the numbers highlight regional disparities in foreclosure activity and the ongoing stress on homeowners in Texas, even as the national economy shows signs of recovery. The trend also points to the importance of understanding state-specific laws, as the nonjudicial process in Texas differs markedly from judicial foreclosure states, where court oversight can provide more time and procedural safeguards.
For those facing foreclosure in Texas, the message is clear: time is of the essence. Leinart Law Firm, which has been serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2005, emphasizes that consulting with a bankruptcy attorney well before the sale date can open up more options, including the ability to catch up on payments through a structured Chapter 13 plan while remaining in the home. As the numbers show, the consequences of delay can be severe, but the legal tools exist to protect homeowners who act promptly.
