In California, Notices of Default (NOD's) are recorded at the Assessor/County Clerk/Recorders office. In California, deeds of trust are used (as opposed to mortgages) and so the first step in foreclosure is the trustee's publically recording the NOD. If they move as quickly as allowed by law, the earliest they will file the second public document, the Notice of Sale at Auction, is 90 days after the NOD date. The foreclosure sale on the county court house steps can be as early as 21 days after the filing, but because of some additional notice precautions, most trustees set the auction date a minimum of 30 days out. So, the very shortest period is typically 120 days. However, most lenders are taking way longer, so if your rental property is in foreclosure it could be many months before the foreclosure sale occurs.
In Riverside County, where Desert Hot Springs is located, the link provided on the State's web site to search via an online service is: http://www.enetwizard.com/shop/affiliates/11467_01/pre.asp.
You can always go to the county office in person but call first to see how they handle the process in person.
Good luck!

You should check where the deeds are registered. It depends on the area of the country. There may be a registry of deeds, town hall, city hall, court house etc. Google "your area record deeds."

For example in our area it is: http://lowelldeeds.com

Contact the Sheriff Sales department at your county. Call your county and ask about it.
Maybe online on the county website.