Pre-foreclosure Versus Foreclosures - Pros of the ‘Pre
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
Due to the recent real estate collapse, many people across the United States are losing their homes to foreclosure. The period of time before the official foreclosure is called pre-foreclosure. Depending on the state the pre-foreclosure period lasts from seven days to a 60 days. Real estate experts know that the pre-foreclosure period is a great time to purchase a home.
Many houses that are ‘for sale by owner’ are houses that are in a period of pre-foreclosure. The lenders sometimes allow the homeowners to try to sell their home before foreclosing it. The banks are not in the real estate business themselves and would rather the owners sell the home instead of (the lenders) having to foreclose it.
Here are several reasons that real estate experts feel it’s a better to purchase a home during the pre-foreclosure period instead of waiting to buy a foreclosed home at a government auction:
- A pre-foreclosed home could actually be cheaper because you are dealing one-on-one with an owner who desperately wants to avoid foreclosure.
- Since you won’t be at an auction, you will be given more time to talk to the home owner about any questions you may have concerning the house.
- Typically less competition then at a foreclosure auction. Foreclosures attracts more of the mass real estate market then pre-foreclosures do.
- More time to evaluate financial scenario then at an auctioned property.
- Auctions can be either overwhelming or lead to egotistical or emotional decisions.
- You can bring an inspector along with you to inspect a pre-foreclosed home.
- You will be allowed to make a low down payment on a pre-foreclosed house. This is not the case at a foreclosure auction.
As with any house purchase make sure you check for any judgements, or liens against the estate. Bring along someone how is familiar with buying real estate and if possible have the house professional inspected. The risks are comparable to a traditional type of home purchase but with the advantages of foreclosure discounted pricing.








