Default means you have broken the terms of the mortgage, most often by missing payments. Foreclosure is the legal process a lender uses to actually take the property back. The two get used interchangeably, but they are different stages, usually with a real gap between them. Default can range from a single late payment to being years behind. Foreclosure comes at the end of a prolonged default, and a borrower can be in default for months before a lender even begins the process. Timelines vary a lot by state. Non-judicial foreclosure states can move relatively quickly, while judicial foreclosure states can take a year or more. A pre-foreclosure tag on a listing site typically just reflects a publicly recorded notice of default, and does not mean a sale is imminent or certain. Since the 2008 era, FHA, VA, and USDA, along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, generally push hard toward loan modifications and workout options before foreclosure, because keeping a paying borrower in the home usually costs less than taking it back. If you are the one falling behind, call your servicer early and ask about loss-mitigation options. The choices are much better before foreclosure begins.