About Short Sales

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.

Don’t be shy on the phone when you call the lender. It may take several calls (don’t give up, just call again later if you don’t get the answer you want) but eventually you will talk with the right person. The person you want is the one responsible for handling short sales. If you get someone else they may not take the right information from you or give you the right information that you need. The most important person is the one that can make a decision regarding your situation. Ask the right questions and you get the right answers.

What does buying your first house and bank owned property have in common. For most people when they hear about foreclosure, they are not thinking about the investment potential. What strikes my mind is the monumental opportunity some lucky investor will have by taking the time to structure a deal that makes it possible for the bank to get the property off their books, and for you the investor to make a hearty profit.

How would you like the chance to buy a property way below market value, that is the leverage of buying bank owned property. Many times there is not a lot of repairs and very little wrong with the property. There are so many homes out there right now just waiting for someone to discover. The really good deals out there that can put you in the home of your dreams. Without the savings from foreclosure investing it may just be a pipe dream for you to buy a home of your own on your current budget.

Of course the profit potential will depend on the condition of the bank owned property. You will also want to consider the interest rate. Currently, interest rates are at record breaking lows. These market conditions are very attractive to investors. There are a number of upscale homes that are going through foreclosure and are selling for at all time lows.

Finding a foreclosed property is easy. Nowadays there are many different sources you can go to. Usually in the newspaper there is a number to call to get local listings. There are also commercials on television which give you the toll free number to call. A faster way to get an idea of the bank foreclosure properties in your area or anywhere in the country is to go to the “online resources page” of http://www.foreclosurehowtobuy.com

Never let yourself get into a bidding war. Expect competition when looking at bank owned properties. Decide the max you are willing to invest prior to making an offer on the property. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of bidding, but it isn’t a deal if you win a bid that is more than you can afford.

Don’t underestimate the cost of repairs. You should get estimates from a couple of well established contractors. Don’t forget that repairs on a home will take time. If your plan is to sell the house, factor in the time it will take to fix it up. Remember contractors are notorious for not staying on schedule. Try to find a reliable contractor that you like to work with, by using the same contractor on many different properties you will find they understand what your trying to do and the work will go much smoother.

Be diligent in your research on bank owned property, you don’t want the unwelcome surprise of getting stuck with a property that has lien’s on it. find out first and establish who is going to be responsible for there payment. No matter how lucrative an investment property appears to be a lien can not only wipe-out all the properties potential profit, it can also leave you with a large debt.

You need to be thorough and competent, you must keep a written file of all your research before buying a property, and carefully review all the information and make sure you have covered all the bases. A good way to back yourself up would be to have professional people to work with you by building yourself a network with a reliable handy man, a real estate agent with experience in purchasing bank owned property.