About Short Sales

Real Estate Owned properties are foreclosed properties owned by banks which aren’t sold thru public auction.

A list of foreclosed properties are given by the bank with details about the property. Most properties are managed by the bank loss mitigation department and others are managed by Realtors.

It’s no surprise that the foreclosure market is at an all time high as it seems that more and more properties continue to face home foreclosure. Because of this increased volume over the past few years and the resulting opportunities the need for a real estate investing guide in foreclosures is tremendous.

When buying REO, you have the flexibility to buy at any given time and make an offer without the need to wait for auction or bidding.

Another big advantage of an REO compared to a foreclosed property is that you can inspect it before you buy, when you cannot do this with the majority of foreclosed homes that you think about purchasing. Being able to inspect the property before you buy will let you know how big of a project you will be dealing with.

Basically, a bank is not set up to deal with real estate. Sure, they give loans to people, but really, they are not equipped to buy and sell real estate. Because banks are not accustomed to dealing with real estate, it often takes them awhile to get the ball rolling so that they can repair the property, and get an agent to sell the property.

What this means is that while the bank attempts to get their business together they are losing money hand over fist and the federal government often penalizes them for each and every REO that they acquire.

The great thing about working with the bank with an REO is that you aren’t buying site unseen. Because you can walk through the house and make all the inspections that you want, you can deal with them in a way that will give you the best deal, and the bank will typically be happy with any serious offer because it will get the house off of their hand and they will stop losing money.

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.