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Foreclosure sale date set in South Carolina: what you can still do

If a foreclosure sale is set on your South Carolina home, the court has already entered judgment, so time is short. Your options depend on who you reach and how fast. Start by confirming the sale with the master-in-equity's office, then work with the lender's attorney, a counselor or legal aid. Do not wait for the first Monday.

Free HUD counselor: (800) 569-4287

Reviewed against South Carolina law and official sources on October 12, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

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Options still open before a sale in South Carolina

  • Confirm whether the sale is still on

    Now, and again the week of the sale

    Call the master-in-equity's office in your county. County master pages say sale lists and court rosters appear on the South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index, and the notice of sale runs in the local newspaper for three weeks. Some offices also keep a printed sale list outside their office.

    S.C. Code Ann. §§ 15-39-650, 15-39-660

  • Get a complete application in and ask for a cancellation

    More than 37 days before the sale for federal review protection; any time before the sale to ask

    Send the servicer a complete loss mitigation application and copy the lender's attorney, who is the point of contact for loss mitigation in South Carolina cases. Only the lender or the court can call off the sale, so get any agreement or cancellation in writing.

    S.C. Sup. Ct. Order of May 17, 2023; 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41(g)

  • Pay off or reinstate by agreement

    Before the sale

    Ask the lender's attorney for written payoff and reinstatement figures. South Carolina has no statutory right to reinstate, so catching up only stops the sale if the lender agrees.

  • Ask for a stay

    Before the sale

    If you and the lender agree on a plan, the lender can ask the master for a stay of the sale or both sides can agree to strike the case. Ask legal aid or an attorney whether a motion of your own makes sense in your case.

    SCRCP 40(j)

  • Bankruptcy stay

    Before the sale

    A bankruptcy filing stops the sale for now under the federal automatic stay. Talk with South Carolina Legal Services or a licensed bankruptcy attorney before filing.

    11 U.S.C. § 362(a)

  • Line up help for a higher bid

    Sale day, or by the 30th day if a deficiency was demanded

    If the sale goes ahead and bidding stays open, a relative or friend can enter a higher bid by meeting the terms of sale, which usually include a 5 percent deposit. A higher price can shrink a deficiency or create a surplus for you.

    S.C. Code Ann. §§ 15-39-720, 15-39-740

Call today, not tomorrow

With a sale on the calendar, every option above has a cutoff. A free HUD-approved housing counselor can call your servicer with you today: (800) 569-4287. For legal aid and court help, see free foreclosure help in South Carolina.

Common questions in South Carolina

Who runs South Carolina foreclosure auctions?

The master-in-equity, or in counties without one another court officer, sells the home under the court's judgment (SCRCP 71(b)). The sale must be held in the county where the property is (S.C. Code Ann. § 15-39-630). Call that office for the sale list and location.

Will a South Carolina foreclosure ad tell me if a deficiency is waived?

Yes. When the lender has waived a deficiency, the advertisement must say no personal or deficiency judgment is demanded and that bidding will not stay open after the sale (S.C. Code Ann. § 15-39-760). If the ad does not say that, expect bidding to stay open 30 days.

How much does a bidder have to put down at a South Carolina foreclosure sale?

The judgment sets the deposit (SCRCP 71(b)). Beaufort County, for example, requires 5 percent of the bid in certified funds by 3 p.m. on sale day, with the rest due within 30 days. Ask your county's master-in-equity office for its own terms before sale day.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in South Carolina

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. Supreme Court of South Carolina, Order of May 17, 2023, Rescission of Administrative Orders Governing Mortgage Foreclosure Actions
  2. South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 71, Foreclosure and Partition
  3. South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 12, Defenses and Objections
  4. South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 40, Assignment of Cases for Trial
  5. S.C. Code Title 15, Chapter 11, Lis Pendens
  6. Supreme Court of South Carolina, Local Rule for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, Automatic Reference to the Master In Equity for Certain Foreclosure Matters (March 26, 2026)
  7. Beaufort County Master-in-Equity: Foreclosure Matters
  8. Horry County Master In Equity
  9. Richland County Master in Equity
  10. South Carolina Legal Services (apply for help)
  11. S.C. Code Title 29, Chapter 3, Mortgages and Deeds of Trust Generally
  12. S.C. Code Title 15, Chapter 39, Executions and Judicial Sales Generally
  13. Supreme Court of South Carolina, Administrative Order 2011-05-02-01, Mortgage Foreclosure Actions (rescinded May 17, 2023)
  14. SC Housing: South Carolina Homeowner Rescue Program has closed
  15. SC Housing: Avoid Foreclosure
  16. SC Board of Financial Institutions, Consumer Finance Division: File a Complaint