Arkansas sells without a lawsuit, at least 60 days after the notice of default.
Most home loans are foreclosed by a trustee sale with no court case. The lender records a notice of default that names the sale date, mails it to you within 30 days, and waits at least 60 days. You can catch up any time before the sale, but once the sale happens there is no right to buy the home back. A shortfall claim must be brought within 12 months and is limited by the home’s fair market value.
Not sure what date to put in? Tell us which paper you were sent and we will work the timeline out backwards from it.
Each is a different statute.
When you first fell behind.
Local pace is the variable.
Past steps fade out.
FHA and VA add steps.
A tenant gets 90 days under federal law.
Four dates decide an Arkansas case. The day the notice of default is recorded, because the sale cannot come sooner than 60 days later. The day before the sale, the last chance to catch up. Thirty days after the sale, when a claim that the lender skipped a required step closes. And twelve months after the sale, when a shortfall claim expires. Taxes work differently: the State auctions a parcel no sooner than a year after certification, and you can redeem until the day before.
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Make the call.
Call your mortgage servicer (the number is on your statement) before the next payment is due, or today if you are already behind. Servicers have programs for people who lose a job, get sick or hit a rough patch, but they only start when you ask. A foreclosure costs them money too.
“I’ve had a hardship and I want to keep my home. Please send me a loss mitigation application and tell me every option for my loan.” If your loan is FHA, VA or USDA, ask about that program’s options by name.
Your latest mortgage statement, recent pay stubs or unemployment letter, two months of bank statements, last year’s tax return, and a short hardship letter. Expect a lot of paperwork. Send all of it, because a complete application is what protects you.
Date, time, who you spoke to and what they said. Keep copies and proof of when you sent your papers. A complete application more than 37 days before a sale stops that sale while they decide.
Don’t want to call alone? A free HUD-approved counselor will help: 1-800-569-4287. And if the home is ever sold at auction, ask about surplus funds: money left over after the debt is paid can belong to you, but you usually have to claim it.
What Arkansas gives you
Rights that exist because the property is in Arkansas, whatever a servicer tells you on the phone.
Where to get real help, free
Regional legal aid programs take foreclosure cases at no cost if you qualify by income. Start at LawHelp.org, which lists free legal aid programs state by state.
HUD-approved housing counselors are free in every state — 1-800-569-4287. Some states, courts and counties run foreclosure mediation or counseling programs; ask your servicer or a HUD-approved counselor whether yours does.
Anyone who contacts you first, guarantees they can stop the sale for a fee paid up front, or asks you to sign the deed over is running a scam. Never sign a deed to someone promising to save your home.
Checked against the statutes cited beside each step. Every legal claim on this page is registered with its citation and was checked against official sources and then reviewed again by an independent checker. Dates marked as estimates are estimates. Appellate case law was not independently verified, and laws change, so have a Arkansas foreclosure attorney confirm anything that matters before you act.
Questions people ask about Arkansas foreclosure
Short answers, each one sourced to the statute cited on this page.
How long does foreclosure take in Arkansas?
With no delays or disputes, an Arkansas statutory foreclosure runs roughly 229 days from the first missed payment to the trustee sale. The sale cannot be held until at least 60 days after the notice of default is recorded, and the notice must be published for four consecutive weeks. Ark. Code 18-50-104 and 18-50-105.
Can I catch up before an Arkansas foreclosure sale?
Yes. You may cure the default at any time before the sale by paying what is past due plus costs. Ark. Code 18-50-114.
Is there redemption after an Arkansas foreclosure sale?
Not after a statutory foreclosure sale. A sale under the Statutory Foreclosure Act carries no right of redemption, and a challenge to a defective sale must be brought within 30 days. A judicial foreclosure carries a one year redemption right unless it is waived. Ark. Code 18-50-108, 18-50-116 and 18-49-106.
Can an Arkansas lender come after me for the shortfall?
Only within limits. A deficiency claim after a statutory foreclosure must be brought within 12 months of the sale, and the amount is limited by the statute. Ark. Code 18-50-112.
How long before Arkansas can sell my home for unpaid property taxes?
Delinquent taxes are certified to the Commissioner of State Lands, who cannot sell until at least a year after certification. You can redeem until 4 p.m. on the last business day before the sale. Ark. Code 26-37-101 and 26-37-202.
Last verified: October 18, 2026. Every deadline and citation on this page was checked against Arkansas law and the federal rules it cites. Laws change during the year, so if something here looks out of date or wrong, tell us and we will check it against the law.