Not long after a foreclosure action starts, the letters begin. Then the calls, and sometimes someone at the door. It feels like being watched, and people often assume the whole neighbourhood must know.
Where it comes from
Court filings are public records. Once a claim is filed, that information is available, and there are businesses whose entire model is monitoring those filings and contacting the homeowner quickly.
So the answer to "how did they find out" is mundane: a public record, not gossip. Your neighbours are not being notified, your employer is not being told, and nothing has been announced.
Who is actually contacting you
A mix, and they are not all the same.
Investors and cash buyers hoping to purchase below market. Many run legitimate businesses; a fast sale genuinely is the right answer for some people. Some do not.
Real estate agents looking for a listing. Also legitimate, though worth choosing on merit rather than on who wrote first.
Foreclosure rescue operations promising to stop the process — the category warranting the most caution, particularly any that want money upfront.
Lawyers and licensed professionals, whose advertising is regulated and who are straightforward to verify.
How to handle it
You are not obliged to respond to any of it. Nothing in the process requires you to speak to a buyer, and ignoring a letter costs you nothing.
If an offer does interest you, slow it down rather than speeding up. Ask for it in writing in a standard contract, get an independent opinion of value, and have your own lawyer review anything before you sign. The questions worth asking are here.
Two hard rules: never pay an upfront fee to anyone promising to stop a foreclosure, and never sign over title in exchange for a promise about later. Those two rules alone prevent most of the serious harm done in this space.
If it becomes harassment
Repeated unwanted contact after you have asked someone to stop is not something you have to tolerate. Keep a note of who contacted you and when, ask in writing that they stop, and raise it with a lawyer or the relevant regulator if it continues.
Questions people ask
General information about the Alberta foreclosure process — not legal or financial advice, and nothing here guarantees an outcome. Every file is different.