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What happens after a foreclosure sale in Kentucky

After a Kentucky master commissioner's sale, the judge must confirm the sale before the buyer gets a deed. You have a right to buy the home back only if it sold for less than two-thirds of its appraised value, and even then the buyer can take possession right away. Expect to move soon after the sale is confirmed.

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Reviewed against Kentucky law and official sources on October 11, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

What happens after the sale in Kentucky, in order

  1. Report of sale

    Within 3 business days after the sale

    The master commissioner files a report with the court that states the sale price and the appraised value. Compare the two numbers: if the price is under two-thirds of the appraisal, you have a right of redemption.

    KRS 426.540; Ky. AP Part IV, § 5(5)

  2. Confirmation by the court

    After the report is filed, if no one objects

    The court can confirm the sale when the report is not objected to. If the home is later redeemed, the confirmation becomes void.

    KRS 426.540

  3. Deed to the buyer

    Within 5 business days after confirmation and payment

    The buyer pays the balance of the bid within 30 days of the sale, and the commissioner delivers the deed after the court confirms the sale and approves the deed. When a right of redemption exists, the deed carries a lien in your favor for the 6 month period.

    Ky. AP Part IV, § 5(4), (6); KRS 426.530(3)

  4. Moving out

    After the buyer's written notice; 10 days according to Kentucky legal aid

    Kentucky's legal aid programs explain that the new owner gets the right to possess the property after giving you 10 days' written notice, and can then get a writ of possession for the sheriff to set you and your belongings out. When a right of redemption exists, the statute gives the buyer an immediate writ of possession.

    KRS 426.530(3)

  5. Redemption, if the two-thirds rule applies

    6 months from the day of sale

    You pay the circuit court clerk the purchase price, 10% yearly interest, and the buyer's reasonable costs such as utilities, insurance, association fees, taxes and repairs. The master commissioner then conveys the property to you.

    KRS 426.530(1), (2)

  6. Deficiency

    After the sale proceeds are applied to the judgment

    If the judgment included a personal judgment and the sale did not cover it, the lender can collect the rest from you. No personal judgment is allowed against a defendant who was only constructively summoned and did not appear. Kentucky Housing Corporation notes that the servicer or HUD may be the one seeking it.

    KRS 426.005(1); KRS 454.165

  7. Surplus

    After the court orders the sale money paid out

    If the home sold for more than the judgment and costs, other lienholders in the case are paid only after proving their claims, and what remains belongs to the former owner. Ask the master commissioner's office or the circuit court clerk how to request it in your case.

    KRS 426.006; KRS 426.500

The three questions that matter after a sale

Can I get the home back in Kentucky?

Limited redemption

You can buy the home back after the sale only if it sold for less than two-thirds of its appraised value. In that case you have 6 months from the day of sale. You must pay the clerk of the court the sale price plus 10% yearly interest and the buyer's reasonable costs for upkeep, such as utilities, insurance, taxes and repairs. The buyer still gets possession and a deed right away, with a lien that protects your right to redeem. If the home sells for two-thirds of the appraised value or more, there is no right to redeem after the sale. The period used to be one year, and some older guides still say so.

KRS 426.530

Can the lender come after me for the rest?

Deficiency judgments allowed

Yes. In a foreclosure case the court can enter a personal judgment against you for the debt, so the lender can collect any amount the sale does not cover. One limit: no personal judgment can be entered against a defendant who was only constructively summoned (for example, served through a warning order instead of in person) and who did not appear in the case. Kentucky has no fair market value limit on deficiency judgments that we could confirm.

KRS 426.005(1); KRS 454.165

What if the home sold for more than I owed?

If the home sells for more than what is owed on the judgment plus costs, the lender does not keep the extra. The sale money is paid out by order of the circuit court. Other lienholders named in the case can be paid from it, but only after they prove their claims in the case. Money left after that belongs to the former owner. Ask the master commissioner's office or the circuit court clerk how to request any surplus in your case, and keep your mailing address current with the court.

KRS 426.006; KRS 426.500

Common questions in Kentucky

How long do I have to move out after a foreclosure sale in Kentucky?

Not long. Kentucky's legal aid programs say the new owner can take possession after giving you 10 days' written notice, and can get a writ of possession if you are still there. Where a right of redemption exists, KRS 426.530(3) gives the buyer an immediate writ of possession.

Can I stay in the house during the 6 month redemption period in Kentucky?

The law does not give you that right. Under KRS 426.530(3), when a right of redemption exists the purchaser receives an immediate writ of possession and a deed that carries a lien protecting your right to redeem. The 6 months is time to raise the money, not time to live in the home.

What do I have to pay to redeem my home in Kentucky?

The original purchase money from the sale, plus 10% per year interest, plus the purchaser's reasonable costs after the sale for maintenance or repair. KRS 426.530 lists utilities, insurance, association fees, taxes and the cost of meeting local nuisance codes as examples. You pay the clerk of the court that entered the judgment.

Can I be sued for the shortfall after a Kentucky foreclosure sale?

Yes. KRS 426.005 allows the court to enter a personal judgment for the debt in the foreclosure case itself, so there may be no separate lawsuit. The exception in KRS 454.165 protects a defendant who was only constructively summoned and never appeared in the case.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in Kentucky

Understand the process

What is happening and how much time there is.

Weigh your options

What can stop it, and what happens if it goes ahead.

Get help now

Who to call, and what to do when a sale is scheduled.

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Sources for this page

  1. Kentucky Court of Justice, Master Commissioners (auction websites for judicial sales)
  2. Kentucky Justice Online, Find Legal Help Near You
  3. CFPB, Regulation X, 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41 Loss mitigation procedures
  4. 11 U.S.C. § 362, Automatic stay (Legal Information Institute)
  5. KRS 426.005, Personal judgment in action to enforce mortgage or lien
  6. KRS 426.006, Other liens to be stated in action to enforce lien
  7. KRS 426.205, Sale of vacant and abandoned real property
  8. KRS 426.260, Motion for possession by purchaser
  9. KRS 426.500, Surplus proceeds of sale
  10. KRS 426.520, Appraisal of real property before judicial sale
  11. KRS 426.522, Public, judicial sale by licensed auctioneer (amended effective July 15, 2026)
  12. KRS 426.525, Mortgage foreclosure forbidden; rights of mortgagee after default
  13. KRS 426.530, Right of redemption
  14. KRS 426.540, Redemption right may be sold; report of sale
  15. KRS 426.560, Newspaper advertisement required in execution and judicial sales
  16. KRS 426.700, Time, place and terms of sale; notice
  17. KRS 426.705, Bond required of purchaser
  18. KRS 424.130, Times and periods of publication
  19. KRS 454.165, Personal judgment against defendant constructively summoned forbidden
  20. KRS 427.060, Homestead exemption; exceptions
  21. KRS 286.2-020, Required disclosure of Kentucky Homeownership Protection Center services
  22. KRS 380.010, Debt adjusting definitions
  23. KRS 380.030, Persons exempt from classification as debt adjuster
  24. KRS 380.040, Persons engaged in debt adjusting: prohibitions and registration
  25. KRS 380.060, Contract, disclosure and debtor's right to cancel
  26. KRS 380.110, Cause of action for violation of KRS Chapter 380
  27. Supreme Court of Kentucky Order 2024-40 (corrected, entered January 21, 2025), AP Part IV, Master Commissioners of the Circuit Court
  28. Jefferson Circuit Court local rules
  29. Jefferson Circuit Court Master Commissioner
  30. Kentucky Homeownership Protection Center, home page (HAF closure notice)
  31. Kentucky Homeownership Protection Center, Homeowner Assistance Fund eligibility page
  32. Kentucky Homeownership Protection Center, Foreclosure Process
  33. Kentucky Homeownership Protection Center, Resources
  34. U.S. Department of the Treasury, Homeowner Assistance Fund
  35. Kentucky Justice Online, Foreclosure (last updated August 20, 2024)
  36. Kentucky Court of Justice, Legal Self-Help
  37. Kentucky Attorney General, Consumer Complaints
  38. Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions, Submit an Online Complaint
  39. Kentucky Bar Association, Lawyer Referral Services
  40. Kentucky Department of Revenue, Homestead Exemption