In Kentucky one number decides whether you can buy the home back: two thirds of the appraisal.
A lender here must sue, and a master commissioner sells the home. Two appraisers value it first. If it sells for less than two thirds of that value you get six months to buy it back; at two thirds or more there is no right to redeem. And even with that right, the buyer can take possession straight away.
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.
Three dates decide a Kentucky case. Twenty days after you are served, the deadline to answer. The appraisal, filed before the sale, which sets the two thirds line. And ten days after you are served notice that the report of sale was filed, when objections close.
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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 Kentucky gives you
Rights that exist because the property is in Kentucky, 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 Kentucky foreclosure attorney confirm anything that matters before you act.
Questions people ask about Kentucky foreclosure
Short answers, each one sourced to the statute cited on this page.
How long does foreclosure take in Kentucky?
With no delays or disputes, the calculator estimates about 380 days from the first missed payment to the commissioner sale, using the Jefferson County pace; many cases take longer. The lender must sue, and the commissioner must sell within 90 days of the referral order, which the court can extend by up to 30 days. AP Part IV, Section 5(1).
Do I get six months to redeem in Kentucky?
Only if the property sells for less than two thirds of its appraised value. At two thirds or more there is no redemption at all. Two appraisers value the home before the sale. KRS 426.520 and 426.530.
Can I stay in the house during Kentucky redemption?
Usually not. Even where the six month right exists, the purchaser may obtain a writ of possession right away, and the deed simply carries a lien reflecting your right to redeem. KRS 426.530(3).
How is a Kentucky foreclosure sale advertised?
A commissioner sale is advertised in the newspaper at least once, with one publication not less than 7 and not more than 21 days before the sale. The three week rule in the same statute is for delinquent tax notices, not commissioner sales. KRS 424.130 and AP Part IV, Section 5(3).
What happens to surplus money in Kentucky?
After the debt, costs and commissions are paid, any surplus is paid over to the owner under the court's order of distribution. KRS 426.500 covers execution sales; a commissioner's sale pays out under the judgment.
Who holds my Kentucky tax debt?
The county clerk can sell a certificate of delinquency to a third party purchaser, who charges 12% simple interest and statutorily capped fees, must send notices, and cannot sue until a year after delinquency. KRS 134.125, 134.490 and 134.546.
Last verified: October 18, 2026. Every deadline and citation on this page was checked against Kentucky 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.