Foreclosure Digest

The Smart Way to Purchase Your Next Property

If you are looking for a great deal and you have time to wait for the perfect opportunity to come your way, you might consider a foreclosure bank sale.  The economy is not at its strongest and people who are distressed must attempt to sell their homes during the pre foreclosure period, before the bank repossesses their property.  Although the window of opportunity is small, the smart investor can still profit from great deals once the bank has repossessed the property and is offering it at a foreclosure bank sale.

There are actually three different ways to obtain the property way below market value.

• You can purchase the property from the original owner before the Judicial Foreclosure; which is a legal foreclosure supervised through the court system. During the pre foreclosure period the homeowner attempts to relieve themselves of the burden of debt and still maintain their good credit standing in the process.

• Another way to buy foreclosure property is through a public auction, where the public can bid on the property up for sale.

• The third option is the foreclosure bank sale, also known as Real Estate Owned (REO) by the original lending company (the bank in most cases or other lending company such as the mortgage company or credit union.

Many investors prefer to obtain their property directly from the existing owner before the bank or legal system becomes involved.  Desperate homeowners will often sell prime property at a ridiculously low price to avoid going into foreclosure and still receive some compensation for the sale. Investors have the opportunity to inspect the property before sale is finalized.

The second preferred option is the foreclosure bank sale, after the property has been reposed and is now in the possession of the bank.  Once again the prices will remain well below the market value of the property and a property inspection is also available.

The auction option is the least desirable of the three simply because there is no guarantee that the prices will remain low, and often times the price is elevated to stimulate more profit at the disadvantage of the bidders.  The investor generally buys the property unseen without being able to inspect for repairs and the general maintenance of the property.