A Lis Pendens doesn't mean the house is gone. It means the clock started. Here's exactly what it means, how much time you actually have, and how a quick house sale in Miami, Florida can get you out from under it before a sale date is ever set.
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A Lis Pendens is a notice your lender records with the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts once you've missed three mortgage payments in a row. It's Latin for "suit pending," and it does what it sounds like: it tells anyone checking the public record β a buyer, a title company, a lienholder β that a foreclosure lawsuit now involves your property.
This is what the document looks like once your lender files it with the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court. If you've received something similar, or found a case number attached to your address, you're already in this process β and the timeline below is already running.
Here's the part most explanations leave out. A Lis Pendens is not a foreclosure. It's the paperwork that starts one. In Miami-Dade, the court process that follows typically runs several months before a judge sets an actual sale date. You still own the house. You still have options. What changes is the timeline you're working against.
Your lender records the notice. The court process officially begins.
Most lenders will still negotiate a short sale, payoff, or cash sale here.
Once a judgment is entered, a sale date can be set and leverage drops fast.
Every week after a Lis Pendens is filed narrows what's on the table. Early on, most lenders will still negotiate β a short sale, a payoff, or a straight cash sale that clears the debt before a judgment is entered. Once that judgment is signed and a sale date shows up on the court docket, that room to negotiate mostly disappears.
I've sat across the table with homeowners who called us on day 12, and homeowners who called on day 95. The first group usually walked away with a plan, and in some cases cash in hand after the sale. The second group was racing a clock with almost no time left on it. Same piece of paper. Very different outcomes.
If Miami-Dade county records already show a pending case on your address, the process to sell doesn't need to be complicated. Here's how it runs with us:
One call. We look up your case, confirm the timeline, and give you a straight read on how much room you have left.
We review the property β no repairs needed, no cleanup β and give you a fair cash number, usually within 24 hours.
We handle the lender side and the paperwork, and close as fast as 7 days when the timeline calls for it.
Once a Lis Pendens is on record, "waiting to see what happens" is itself a decision β and usually the more expensive one. Here's how the two paths actually compare:
| Quick Cash Sale With Us | Waiting / Listing Traditionally | |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline to close | As fast as 7 days | 60β90+ days, if a buyer's financing holds together |
| Lender negotiation | We handle it directly | You negotiate alone, or pay an attorney to |
| Repairs before sale | None β sold as-is | Often required to attract a traditional buyer |
| If a sale date gets set | Still time to close before it, if you act now | The court process keeps moving regardless of your plans |
A short walkthrough on what to expect after a Lis Pendens is filed, and how homeowners in Miami-Dade typically respond.
Short Sale Expert Full Interview β Miami-Dade Lis Pendens, with Antonio Lopez
This is not legal advice, and you should consult with your attorney before making any legal decisions.
Yes. In most cases you can sell right up until the actual foreclosure sale date β either through a short sale or a straight cash sale. The earlier you start, the more room there is to work with your lender.
Selling the property, with lender approval on a short sale, resolves the debt tied to that filing. Once the sale closes and the lender is paid or agrees to the payoff, they release the Lis Pendens from public record.
As fast as 7 days on a straight cash purchase. A short sale takes longer, because the lender has to approve the price β typically a few weeks to a couple of months depending on the bank.
Not for a cash sale. If a short sale ends up being the better fit for your situation, Florida lenders generally require a licensed agent on the listing β which is already included in what we handle for you. See our short sale process for how that works.
Call us today. There may still be time to negotiate a postponement with your lender while a legitimate offer is in process, but this is the one situation where timing genuinely can't wait. Read more on how to get out of foreclosure in Florida.
Every case in Miami-Dade moves on its own timeline. Call and we'll tell you exactly where yours stands, and what a quick house sale would actually look like for your property.
Antonio has been a member of the Miami Lakes community since 1992 and involved in real estate from a young age. Antlop has been endorsed by BREIA since 2012.
Phone: (305) 501-0457
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Email: AntlopRealEstate@gmail.com
Fax: (305) 907-9002
Address: 7900 Oak Lane, Miami Lakes, FL 33016
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