Free, honest help for Alachua County property owners facing tax or mortgage foreclosure — plus how to claim surplus funds you may be owed after a sale. House or land, keep it or sell it. No pressure, no fees.
Call or text — free, no pressure1-833-2-OPTIONS6 7 8 4 6 6 7Tell us a little about your situation. We'll send a clear, no-pressure breakdown of every option available to you in Alachua County.
There's rarely just one answer. Here are the real options Alachua County property owners have — including the ones that don't involve us at all.
House, land, or commercial — the process differs, and so does the surplus. We cover all three here, in Alachua County and across Florida.
Mortgage foreclosure on a home in Gainesville or nearby — your rights, the Circuit Court timeline, and how to keep it or sell before the sale.
Vacant lot or acreage behind on taxes? Tax-deed foreclosure on Alachua land works differently — and surplus funds are common here.
Storefront, office, or multi-unit in trouble? Your options for commercial property in Alachua County, including a fast, clearly-disclosed cash sale.
When a property in Alachua County sells at a mortgage-foreclosure or tax-deed auction for more than the debt owed, the leftover — called surplus funds — is held by the Alachua County Clerk of Courts and often belongs to you, the former owner.
But there's a catch: the clock is ticking — generally 60 days from the clerk's notice under Fla. Stat. §45.032 — and others comb these records to claim it first. Most owners never even know it exists.
Check if you're owed money in Alachua CountyIn Alachua County, foreclosures proceed through the 8th Judicial Circuit Court, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller in Gainesville manages the case and the sale. Once judgment is entered, the property is auctioned online to the highest bidder at alachua.realforeclose.com. Because the sale date is fixed by the court, learning the process and your rights early gives you the most room to act.
Alachua County was created in 1824, and its seat, Gainesville, is home to the University of Florida, the state's flagship university (source: Wikipedia).
Official Alachua County resources: Clerk of Court · foreclosure auction portal
Yes. Florida is a judicial foreclosure state, so an Alachua County mortgage foreclosure goes through the Circuit Court and the sale is conducted by the Alachua County Clerk of Courts.
If an Alachua County property sells for more than was owed, the surplus is held by the Clerk of Courts. Under Fla. Stat. §45.032 the former owner has priority to claim it — generally within 60 days of the clerk's notice. You file a claim with the Alachua County Clerk with proof of prior ownership.
In most cases yes — you can sell any time before the foreclosure auction, and a sale that pays off the debt stops the foreclosure. We'll help you understand the Alachua County timeline.
It costs nothing and commits you to nothing. A real person reviews your situation and lays out every option available to you in Alachua County — made for your exact situation.
💡 Free official help: Reach a HUD-approved housing counselor near Gainesville at no cost — 1-800-569-4287 or the CFPB counselor finder. Alachua County foreclosure & tax-deed sales are administered by the Alachua County Clerk of Courts. We always point you to these — even though they aren't us.