Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Tips for buying foreclosure properties


Buying a foreclosure property can help you get your dream house at lower than the market price. When a house is listed as a foreclosure property, it means that owners are in big financial trouble, for a very long time. The owner is not able to pay the mortgage any more, and any payment in the future is not possible. In such cases, the lender takes a court order for foreclosure in order to get the money back. First, there is pre foreclosure period; this is a time when the borrower is warned about the possibility of foreclosure, if the mortgage is not paid within the stipulated time. The time limit of the grace period is determined by state laws. This pre foreclosure period is very beneficial for a customer who is looking to buy foreclosed properties. You can approach the owner with a good price for the house, which is good to your pocket and even helpful to the owner.

When the owner is not able to repay the debt to the bank, the owner is forced to give up the property to the bank. These bank owned properties are open for foreclosure sale at below market prices. As the sale is held by banks, they are safe for new buyers looking for foreclosed properties. The main purpose of the lender is to get back the money. Therefore, the lender might offer the buyer a price which is less than the market price.

While bidding for the house, the buyer must have the cash ready. If the buyer is successful, the house is handed over at the same time, in its present condition. If you are able to get a house in a foreclosure sale, that is also in a good area, then it can be a very amazing investment. The owners who fail to repay debt voluntarily give the house to the bank to cancel the loan. These banks hold auctions in order to sell the house and get back their money. Therefore, it will be beneficial for the buyer looking for foreclosure sales.

It is true that the foreclosed property is cheaper than the market price, but still you must study the market and do your homework. You must research the market price of the house, the location of the house, and even the condition of the house. You can get to know where the auction is being held. You can find it in the local newspapers. You can approach real estate agents or the attorney and notify them that you are interested in buying the foreclosure property.

After the property goes into the foreclosure mode, the owners do not care about the condition of the house. Therefore, you must know the present condition of the house, and how much you need to spend on its renovation. You can go by yourself or take an expert advisor with you to inspect the house. You must calculate the market price of the house and the expenditure you will need to make on the house. Because it might happen that you will end up spending more on the repairs than is worthwhile.

A little homework about the original market price of the house and the actual condition of the house will help you to play it safe at foreclosure auctions. You will be able to determine the price that will be profitable to you. After all, this research will help you fix your price range and you must stick to it. You can attend some foreclosure auctions to understand its working pattern and process.

You must set practical expectations when buying any foreclosed property. If you realize that the house requires more repair, then you can bargain more. You can also look at how long the house was empty, because there will be more damage to the house, the longer it has remained empty. You must check whether the house was given pest treatment and there are no bugs and moths eating up the woodwork of the house. These damages require huge expenditures to get them repaired.

There is one more form of foreclosure sale, known as hidden foreclosure, which is carried out for new and upscale houses. The auction for this is not advertised openly and, therefore, has less exposure to possible buyers. Real estate agents carry out the proceedings of such sale. Therefore, if you come across such sale, you must inspect carefully for all the details and make a smart decision.

© Global Realty & Investment Corp 

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