Bay County foreclosure auctions run on RealForeclose at bay.realforeclose.com, Monday to Friday, from 11:00 am Central: the deposit is 5% of your successful final bid, with the balance due by 11:00 am the next business day. Fees include: court registry; documentary stamps. Read from the clerk's own site on September 19, 2026.
Covers Panama City, Lynn Haven, Panama City Beach.
- Auction site
- RealForeclose
- Sale days
- Monday to Friday, except legal holidays
- Sale time
- 11:00 am Central
- Deposit
- 5% of your successful final bid, by wire, electronic check, or in person by cash or cashier's check
- Balance
- The balance and service charge are due by 11:00 am the next business day, or the sale is declared void
Bay County foreclosure auction fees
- Court registry under Fla. Stat. 28.24(10): 3% of the first $500, then 1.5% of the balance
- Documentary stamps under Fla. Stat. 201.02: $0.70 per $100
How a Bay County foreclosure sale runs
Step 1
The lender sues and records a lis pendens
Florida is a judicial foreclosure state, so every foreclosure is a lawsuit in circuit court. The lis pendens is the public notice that the case exists. This is where we start tracking a property.
Step 2
The judge signs a final judgment
The final judgment states what is owed and orders the clerk to sell the property. The statute calls for a sale 20 to 35 days out, though courts often set it later.
Step 3
The clerk publishes the notice of sale
The sale is advertised for two weeks running. Most Florida clerks then run the auction online through their county RealForeclose site; a handful of smaller counties still sell at the courthouse.
Step 4
Auction day
Bidding starts at the judgment amount and closes fast. You bid with your own cash: the winner posts a 5% deposit at the sale and pays the balance on the clerk's deadline, in most counties by the next business day.
Step 5
Certificate of sale, then ten quiet days
The clerk files a certificate of sale, which ends the owner's right of redemption. Anyone with standing then has ten days to object to the sale.
Step 6
Certificate of title, then possession
With no objection, the clerk issues the certificate of title and the property is yours, as is. If someone still lives there, you ask the court for a writ of possession.
Bay County auction questions
- Where are Bay County foreclosure auctions held?
- Bay County runs its foreclosure sales online through RealForeclose, at https://bay.realforeclose.com. Monday to Friday, except legal holidays, 11:00 am Central.
- What deposit is required at a Bay County foreclosure sale?
- 5% of your successful final bid, by wire, electronic check, or in person by cash or cashier's check.
- When is the balance due after winning a Bay County foreclosure auction?
- The balance and service charge are due by 11:00 am the next business day, or the sale is declared void.
Before you bid in Bay
Next, if you are bidding in Bay County
- Bidding on Florida Foreclosures From Out of StateFlorida foreclosure auctions are mostly online, with no residency requirement. What out-of-state and foreign buyers need for deposits, wires, title and tax.
- HOA Foreclosure Auctions in Florida: The Mortgage SurvivesWhen a Florida HOA or condo association forecloses, the first mortgage is not wiped out. The arithmetic behind the cheapest-looking lots at the auction.
- Tax Deed Sale vs Foreclosure Auction in FloridaBoth are run by the county clerk, often on the same site, but a tax deed sale and a foreclosure auction follow different statutes and clear different liens.
- The Complete SystemEvery step we run before we bid, on real Florida dockets.
- Talk to us firstFifteen minutes, weekdays. Nothing is charged on the call.
Counties near Bay
- Washington County
- Walton County
- Jackson County
- Leon County
- Santa Rosa County
- Escambia County
- All 38 Florida counties
Source: Bay County Clerk. Clerks change deadlines and fees. Confirm before you bid.