Buying Foreclosure Homes : Why You Should Check Out REO Properties

By Carolyn Langlois

If you are looking for an affordable home, buying foreclosure homes presents a great opportunity. These homes are often for sale at huge discounts. But in this situation it is definitely a buyer beware situation as moving into a foreclosed home may present some unforeseen difficulties. That's why some buyers are opting to only look at buying REO properties. These properties are referred to as REO but are simply real estate owned property.

Buying and then taking possession of a foreclosed home can be challenging for a few reasons. Even if a home under foreclosure is being sold at auction, winning the bid is not the end of the story. Some states have redemption laws which give delinquent borrowers extra time to restore their mortgage to good standing. If the borrower is able to do this, your winning bid means nothing because the borrower retains possession.

It's important to realize that often people just do not want to accept that they have lost their home and they refuse to vacate the premises. When served with an eviction notice some will comply and leave; others will put up a fight. Even when they do decide to leave in most cases they will have a month or two to leave. And if they fight the eviction order, you may have to hire a lawyer to help adding significantly to your costs.

Finally, be sure that there are no liens on the property and that taxes are up to date before you purchase. This is crucial because in some states, buyers may be on the hook for these things.

You can probably see why buying foreclosures can be so risky. To avoid these pitfalls, buy REO properties instead. Repossessed homes are a secure investment because they are properties that have been repossessed by the original lender. You are dealing with a bank or a mortgage company rather than an emotional homeowner. Since banks have so many repossessed properties that they are trying to sell, you can often negotiate a really good deal.

Those in the know agree that buying an REO home is the best way to purchase a property that is in foreclosure. The reason is that when homes come back into the ownership of the lender, that institution has the legal power behind them to evict residents who are reluctant to cleave their homes. So when you are ready to purchase you won't be faced with the unpleasant and often difficult task of eviction. Once you buy you can rest assurre that you won't be facing any legal problems from the former owners because you didn't buy from them.

The best way to locate a REO property is directly through the bank or mortgage holder. Avoid properties that have been listed through a real estate agent. Those properties will be more expensive because the agent will get a percentage of the proceeds so it will be in his best interest to get the best price.

The first step should be to contact banks in the area you are looking to purchase in. If they have some REO properties available schedule an appointment to discuss and possibly view the property. Don't forget to check bank websites for listings that are available in other branches throughout the country.

You can save a lot of money by buying foreclosure homes or by buying REO properties. Just be sure to always do your due diligence whenever you are set to purchase property, be it foreclosures, REO property or even a home listed through an agent. Never sign any legal document without consulting an attorney who is a specialist in real estate law. - 31862

About the Author:

Do You Need Help Saving Your Home from Foreclosure: Go to Your Lender

By Doc Schmyz

If your home is on the verge of foreclosure, you will do anything possible to save it. But the question is how to do it. One answer... ask your lender for help.



For most home owners, contacting the lender at the first sign of financial problems seems to be not so good of an idea. It may be because they are embarrassed to discuss money issues to others or they simply don't see the need to inform their lender right away of their present financial standing. But the truth is, asking for your lender's help will save you a lot of trouble and it could help you save your home.

Most people have the perception that lenders, think only of themselves and don't care about the borrowers. This leads to the common notion that lenders show no mercy to homeowners who have defaulted on payments and will foreclose at the first opportunity. The truth is lenders like owners will do everything they can to avoid home foreclosures. So again, the best way to save your home is to work with your lender to solve the problem.

Lenders usually send a Notice of Default, also known as a NOD, if you miss payments for 3 consecutive months. DO NOT wait until you get the Notice to take action. Call your lender as soon as possible. Inform them why you have defaulted on a payment and ask for an alternative payment schedule or temporary lower rates until your finances have returned to normal.

Make sure you talk to your lender, inform them the cause of your delay, and ask for payment alternatives. Don't wait before you make a move to save your home. Act fast, understand the gravity of the situation and do something. It is your obligation to pay your mortgage but when worst comes to worst, your lender will help you keep your home. - 31862

About the Author:

The Process Of California Foreclosures Today

By Tom Penderson

If you have tried to purchase a house in California, you have encountered an instrument known as a deed of trust. This deed involves three parties; the borrower, the money lender, and the neutral third person who gets foreclosure rights if ever they arise. This is the basic tool used with regards to CA foreclosures.

In a deed of trust there is also a clause empowering the third party to get the rights to implement the collection of the entirety of the debt. This means that the third party has the authority given by the lender for him to sell your property in the event that you default on your debt payments and face foreclosure.

The foreclosure process begins when the property owner substantially defaults on the mortgage loan and a notice of default is recorded. The borrower is granted a 90-days redemption period to cure the default. The primary method involves a non-judicial foreclosure and does not involve court action. The process does not move forward for a minimum of 60 days. There's a 14-day period in which essential details of the property and the mortgage payment is recorded. The borrower must receive a 20-day notice prior to any foreclosure sale. The defaulter may prevent the sale by paying all arrears up to five days before the foreclosure sale. If the foreclosure sales occur, it must take place any business day between of 9AM and 5PM, at the property location and the trustee will auction the property to the highest bidder, including the lender. The borrower is permitted to postpone the sale for one day.

If what you have agreed upon was a non-judicial foreclosure, the trustee will need to fulfill certain requirements before they can sell the property. Contrary to how it sounds, this is actually a pretty fast and simple process. It is not necessary for the trustee to get a court order before they can ask you to vacate or any order from the court before they can sell the property. This kind of foreclosure happens if there was no power-of-sale clause in the deed of trust.

In California practices, a non-judicial foreclosure usually starts after the lender sends you a notice of default. This is simply a letter stating that you have not been able to pay your mortgage debts. It serves as the formal notice that the lender now eyes foreclosure as a possible way to recover what they have lent you.

A non-judicial foreclosure can happen from one week to a couple of months after you fail to pay the first payment on your mortgage. Once the process has started, you no longer have the right to try and halt the proceedings.

What you need to realize is that once legal action is brought against you, it becomes part of your legal record. It will also have a very big impact on your credit for years. During this time you may not be able to obtain another home loan. Also, other loans and credit lines will be affected.

So, as you can see, the foreclosure process in California is very strict. Your best bet would be to make all your mortgage payments on time each month. Lets face it - no one wants to have their home foreclosed. - 31862

About the Author:

Some Truths About Foreclosed Properties

By Doc Schmyz

When you say the word FORECLOSURE, most people have two popular notions about foreclosed homes: that they are being sold at bargain prices and that they are only located in crime-ridden areas. The former is not always true while the latter is definitely not always the case.

The price of foreclosed properties can be 30% to 40% cheaper than their current market values but that doesn't necessarily apply to all. Most houses will likely be sold at about 5% less than their current value. This is because banks decide the listing price with respect to the condition of the property. Factors including the location and the type of neighborhood where the property is will also affect the listing price of the property. A common notion that a foreclosed home can be bought cheap, only requires a little fixing up, and can be sold at a hefty price is a big misinterpretation. Well, some properties may fit this idea, but this is no longer the norm for this type of real estate investment.



For foreclosed property buyers, this means one thing: in order to get the best deal, you really have to put in the time and legwork in finding the best property on sale. One thing you have to remember if you are considering this kind of investment is that banks will definitely not sell off the properties at cheap prices as they are being appraised first before they go into listings. They know the value of homes that they have foreclosed and they don't treat them as liabilities, but as assets.

What about those properties that sell at bargain prices? Most, if not all, require major repairs or have eviction issues, or both. Electric and plumbing issues are the most common across the country. Followed closely by wood rot and decay. These handyman specials can be a great deal IF you can do the work.

Foreclosed properties can be found everywhere and can come in any form, shape, size, and price. This is contrary to the popular belief that foreclosed homes can only be found in crime-ridden areas. Meaning, finding a country villa, log cabin, beachfront home, and prime property among many others are within your viable options. But you should never, ever expect that these properties are sold dirt cheap. As the old saying goes, "you get what you pay for." So, if you are eying a premier foreclosed property, just expect to pay the real cost or slightly lower than its current value because in the end, saving you from the trouble of repairs and dealing with the bad neighborhoods are really worth the extra bucks. - 31862

About the Author:

Thinking On How California Foreclosures Grow Because Of Recession

By John Newbank

Understanding how California foreclosures are affected by the ongoing recession is necessary if one is going to understand how what happens in California can affect the rest of the country. This is especially so when the time comes to begin getting back into the real estate market out in the Golden State. And though it might not be time as yet, knowing what went on can help one avoid the same problem in the future.

For those still not aware, it's a fact that California, and the rest of the country to a slightly lesser extent, is undergoing a very steep recession. In fact, some would say this is the most severe recession since the Great Depression, and there would be few scholars around who'd be willing to dispute that assertion. The Golden State, at present, appears to be not so "Golden" to many, unfortunately.

It's important that people continue to believe that things can be done when it comes to the rate of California foreclosures, especially as they pertain not only to the foreclosures themselves at their affect on the broader economy. It's hard, though, to do so because, of the top 10 cities in terms of foreclosure rate, California can boast of having six of those. Some are in the north and some are in the south.

There are many different reasons for why the Golden State and its housing market has found itself in the doldrums, including that too many people were out there chasing properties that they thought they could make a quick buck off of, relatively speaking. In good times, there's nothing wrong with this, but when the recession kicks in it can hurt people caught on the short end of the market timing strategy.

It's the belief of most experts that California and its real estate markets will straighten out in the future, though it's true that the present is being hurt by the economy and the recession that it is experiencing. While most experts think the recession has ended in most of the country, they also believe that California may not see any relief until 2012 or later.

This means that there will be a continuing shortage of ready willing and able buyers of real estate around the country but most especially out in California, which is suffering from a number of structural budget defects that has led to more people leaving the state and are moving into it. This decline in population, of course, affects all manner of revenue collection in the Golden State.

When California begins experiencing a consistent out-migration, it's inevitable that the rate of CA foreclosures would rise, at least in the short term. It hurts right now because there's little belief that an army of buyers will be arriving to purchase the ocean of foreclosed and on-the-market properties at present. That's because many of these properties are now worth less than what is owed on them or what the market is commanding for them.

So then; it looks like California foreclosures and the recession out in California and in the rest of the country is forcing many to consider taking strong action to get control of a tough circumstance. Whether anything can happen in 2010, which is an election year, remains to be seen. More likely, action on the rate of California foreclosures stronger than what's already been taken will have to wait until January, 2011. - 31862

About the Author:

Income Property Sales Activity And How Florida Foreclosures Affect Florida's Economy

By Jack Bennington

Florida real estate markets and the phenomenon of Florida foreclosures have lately come into sharp focus down in the Sunshine State. It has much to do with a lot of the speculation in land and properties that's been going on down in Florida for many years, to tell the truth. Unfortunately, speculation can always lead to an inevitable decline in property values, which it's done in Florida of late.

Why so many people believed that property values would continue to rise indefinitely is a mystery, and maybe it's because Florida real estate has been on a steady upward curve for quite a while until the last 18 or so months. Once the recession really began to kick in, though, Florida eventually started to follow the rest of the country in its real estate behavior.

The Sunshine State, though, was able to avoid much of the housing bubble burst and its effects for quite some time after California and places such as Las Vegas saw their own home values decline precipitously over the last couple of years. Maybe it was because Florida had no personal income tax and good employment figures that continued to attract new immigrants where other states saw drops in population.

This sort of population increase couldn't last for ever, of course, and it soon became the case that Florida saw out-migration (more people leaving than coming into the state) for the first time. California has been experiencing a small level of such out-migration for a decade or more. Unfortunately, fewer people means less taxes, which Florida is also finding out about.

It should come as no surprise, however, that even Florida would not be immune to the effects of such migration and recession forever. The steep recession finally, in fact, began to hit Florida beginning in late 2008. With unemployment up and property values down, those who bought into quite-frankly overpriced real estate are now seeing their homes worth much less than they paid for them.

Of course, this has seen people holding onto real estate now being forced to confront the fact that the real estate they're holding is worth less than they can hope to recoup in the near future. With a general increase in unemployment, many people are also now finding themselves with fewer options that will allow them to hold onto their property, which means foreclosures have also begun to increase.

It doesn't have to be that way, of course, because there are numerous programs, both at the state and federal level, aimed at putting a stop to the increasing number of FL foreclosures. It'll depend on how rationally the real estate markets are going to behave over the next year or so, of course, and on an equally-inevitable return to real estate as an ever-increasing investment vehicle. Whether that happens soon remains to be seen. - 31862

About the Author:

What Should You Expect From The Steps Involved In An Arizona Foreclosure

By Henry Johns

Loosing a home due to non payment to the mortgage company is becoming extremely common due to the current economy. Often times after the first payment is missed the process to take back the property will begin. There are many steps in process of an Arizona foreclosure; however, being evicted from the property can happen quickly and unexpectedly for many.

There are two basic laws pertaining to a foreclosure. Judicial or non judicial. They have similar meanings but different processes. During a judicial process a lawsuit will be filed through the court in order to be awarded an order of foreclosure. If the property deed did not have a power of sale included this is the process most likely used. During this process, the home will immediately be placed in auction status following the court order.

If there is a clause pertaining to the power of sale the typical route will be one of a non judicial route. The clause is one that has been included in the deed authorizing the sale should a default occur in order to pay the balance owed. This is a consideration to research should you be considering the effort to prevent foreclosure.

The majority of homes are purchased with the signing of a promissory note. The document is intended to serve as the agreement on your part to repay any monies borrowed for the purpose of purchasing the property. The deed of trust is the document also signed to use the home as the loans collateral.

In simple terms this breaks down to being what is pertaining to the trustee. The trustee would be the lender or the lenders affiliate having the legal authority to sell the home. This gives the trustee all legal rights to sell property in default without a need to go to court.

The foreclosure process may include several months of various steps; however, if the current owner is not prepared it could occur quickly. There are several steps that are intended to give the owner notice of impending loss to the property. The lender will send a letter, call or both after the first missed payment. When they do not receive a response, a notice of default will be sent to the owner. Both of these forms of communication are recorded in your credit reports. After all efforts have been depleted the bank will have the lender or affiliates put the property up for sale through auction.

If the home has not been sold in auction, the bank takes possession and will the property will be classified as REO. Real estate owned is a department at banks for all properties they have possession of. The banks are losing money the longer they have possession of these properties are anxious to sell them.

An Arizona foreclosure will cause serious damage to your credit score. The report is used to determine the eligibility of borrowing money for the purchase of another home or getting a rental property. It is extremely to get credit of any kind with a bankruptcy or foreclosure on the credit record. In many cases, loss of property can be prevented so it is important that plenty of research be done regarding your options to prevent this appearing on credit reports. - 31862

About the Author:

Learn What Occurs During Connecticut Foreclosure Proceedings

By Jack Bennington

Knowing how the Connecticut foreclosure process works is critical for successfully defending against a foreclosure. Banks will do everything in their power to get money or get the collateral, so knowing what to expect is important for avoiding being abused by a lender who may use underhanded tactics to snatch your home from you.

In Connecticut, you can be subject to one of three kinds of foreclosures. In a Foreclosure by Sale, the bank basically sells the house from under you. A Strict foreclosure involves the court giving the homeowner a certain amount of time to catch up the payments after which it will turn the home over to the bank. Judicial foreclosure is where a judge decides if the debt is valid and what happens to the home.

Foreclosure by the bank will start with a notice from the lender advising you that you have thirty days to bring your loan current before they will file paper with the court. If payment is not made within this time period, they go to the next step.

All lien holders, determined during a title search, will be notified that the bank has initiated proceedings to foreclose on the home. You will receive a court summons as well as any other financial institution who may have a financial claim on the home.

At this time you will receive a mediation certificate which must be returned within 15 days of receiving court summons. If you can answer yes to the questions on the survey then you are eligible for mediation. If you own a single family to four family property, it is required that you and the bank participate in the mediation program.

Even though you are working to renegotiate the terms of your agreement with the bank through mediation, the bank will continue to file motions on the case. They will submit a motion for default judgment for failure to appear, one for default judgment for failure to plead in case you or any other lien holder has not filed Answer papers within two days of being served court summons and a motion for summary judgment which requests a ruling on the issue of you owing money on the loan.

Luckily, the courts will delay making a decision in the case until after mediation ends. You and the bank have 60 days to come to a meeting of the minds about the house and you can always petition the court for more time if needed. The best chance you have of saving your home is through mediation with the bank so it is crucial that you participate.

The lender will stop foreclosure proceedings if you are able to successfully negotiate with each other during meditation. Otherwise, it will go to Judgment where the court will decide if to give the house to the lender or to order a sale of the home. The decision is mostly dependent on the home's value in relation to what is owed on the house note.

Up until the moment you are put out from your home, you can defend against a Connecticut foreclosure. If you want to keep you home then use all the resources available to you to win your campaign. - 31862

About the Author:

The Rules Of California Foreclosures Today

By Jack Bennington

When you are purchasing a home in California or many other places, you find that it involves the use of a deed-of-trust. This involves three different participating parties, which are the borrower, lender, and a neutral third party that will receive the right to foreclosure if needed. The process of CA foreclosures is a complicated one but may or may not be a long drawn out process.

In a deed of trust there is also a clause empowering the third party to get the rights to implement the collection of the entirety of the debt. This means that the third party has the authority given by the lender for him to sell your property in the event that you default on your debt payments and face foreclosure.

When you default on your mortgage loan, the foreclosure process begins. There is a 20-day notice period in which the borrower must get a notice of pending foreclosure. During this process the lender will take over your home in an effort to recover the principal investment. Once your home has been either sold or in some cases repossessed by the lender you must then vacate the home.

When there is a non judicial foreclosure then the trustee actually will have to meet a variety of different requirements before they are allowed to sell your home. This type of foreclosure is actually a fairly quick process because the trustee of your loan does not need to obtain a court order to seize the property nor do they need to have a court ordered supervision when they go to sell their house. This type of process is generally used if you do not have a power-of-sale clause in your deed of trust contract.

Within the California area, the non judicial foreclosure will actually begin when the lender files a notice of default which is a letter that is sent to you notifying that you have failed to meet the minimum requirements of your mortgage. It will also be your formal notification that the lender of your mortgage plans on selling your home to recover there investment.

A non-judicial foreclosure can happen from one week to a couple of months after you fail to pay the first payment on your mortgage. Once the process has started, you no longer have the right to try and halt the proceedings.

The important thing for you to know is that the moment a legal action has been filed against you, even if it is on foreclosure, it stays in your legal records. Your credit evaluations will also take a hit for at least the next couple of years, meaning that it will be very difficult and expensive to get a home loan during this time. In fact, it might even be impossible. Any other loan and credit facilities that you have will also be impacted.

To avoid losing your property, which you certainly worked hard to earn, it is advisable to choose a mortgage program that will offer you low interest rates over a longer duration of time. Paying your mortgage on time is essential or else you too stand a risk of losing your home. - 31862

About the Author:

Want To Purchase Foreclosure Property For Cheap

By Aimee Jones

When obtaining a residence the initial issue you need to know is that you most likely are planning to overpay for that point. Seriously, this ought to be the first factor you consider whenever you key in a residence you are thinking about obtaining. The place is overpriced. I do not attention what place you go into and why you like it. The thing is overpriced.

Why is it overpriced? Well, it's very simple really. Almost every house is overpriced because the market value is really just a guess as to what they expect or hope people will pay for it. So, by default the house is priced too high.

I would estimate that just about everybody is paying at least a 10-20% premium on every house they buy. The premium tends to go to the realtor who talked you into buying the house and possibly the leftovers to the loan brokers and maybe a little to the owner too. You see, the whole industry is designed to make home buying more expensive.

Did you know that most genuine estate agents make 5 to seven percent commission on each and every residence that they're involved in promoting (or buying)? That signifies just perfect there the accurate price in the place has to become marked up 5-7% just to hit industry value. So, a decent chunk of the mortgage just goes to paying the realtor.

Also, what about these thousands of dollars in closing costs? Yeah, these aren't significantly entertaining either. All in all it's some thing like 10% on major in the residence price to cover all of the costs, providers, and so forth that are now "required" when selling or obtaining a residence.

1 awesome way to generate an end-run around all of these costs and costs is to buy a foreclosure asset. When getting a foreclosed house, it is possible to get an incredible offer just by virtue on the situations where the property is becoming sold.

Most of the time the bank or government will mark down the property by about 25% right off the bat and will knock off another 25% if you are good at negotiations. So, at the end of the day you can come out almost 50% ahead, just by buying the right kind of house.

I know all of this sounds too good to be true, but it's entirely real and happens all the time. For example, in Detroit recently some houses were being sold for $1,000. They should have sold for at least $20,000. Those kind of deals happen in the foreclosure space.

At the end of the day when you buy a house you can save a lot if you just understand that you don't want to overpay for the house. You only have one chance to buy a house, so you'll be stuck with the price you pay no matter what. - 31862

About the Author:

Video Marketing -3 Lesions Every Real Estate Investor Must Learn On Using Real Estate Web 2.0 Blog Marketing

By Mark Bradley

The internet has made the world a very small place to live in with information traveling very fast. The use of internet is growing at a rapid pace. As a proprietor in the real estate business you should use the internet in a very scientific and effective manner to grow your real estate business. Nowadays marketing is being done through the internet. Real estate industry is also using the internet for its advertising. Video marketing has become an unbeaten tool of online advertising. As a person working in real estate you can use real estate video marketing for attracting the buyer's attention.



The usage of images and sounds has always been and still is the most effective way to attract and hold the attention of people. Visual images are seen to create more impact than words and if you use motion pictures with sound effects it can be even more interesting and appreciable. If you seriously want to use video marketing to publicize your online real estate business, you might be amazed as you get to know how simple it is for your use.

Nowadays almost everyone is proficient with using cameras and making tours of any home. Movie cameras have also become affordable and a majority of them are digital and can save you on money that you might have had to otherwise spend on replacing tapes. It is also a lot easier to transfer these videos to your own computer since it requires you to only plug and then play it. Video marketing as a tool of online social marketing can be very convenient and beneficial at the same time.

YouTube and various other sites of social news and social networking boast of millions of users and members around the world and you can upload your videos here. This uploading of videos is important to promoting your real estate and is a form of video marketing.

Your online exposure and presence will increase with the implementation of real estate video marketing and this will provide you with a new tool of advertising that has the potential to generate traffic to your blog, accumulate money and time, provide you with bigger commissions and increase your search engine rankings. Competition is taken care of and in this way you can stay ahead of other competitors in your field.

You can use video marketing in various ways to develop your real estate business. You can add the videos of some satisfied clients to share their experiences, showcase your team with a professional and impressive presentation, use it in providing a virtual tour of the homes and properties you want to sell, create some short films on efficient home selling and first time buyer's guide and finally make movie presentations specifically for real estate agent profiles.

To give your business, web site and blog more commissions, potential clients, buyers and greater exposure there are various techniques in video marketing that you can use. Websites like YouTube and other social networking sites for real estate video marketing, can be used for free to increase your customer base for your real estate property buying and selling.

Free marketing venues through free uploading will make available for you channels for your real estate business expansion and generate some interest in users to visit your property listings. You can hire a low costing professional service or you can do it all by yourself. New technology has further added ease to the usage of movie cameras and made it very convenient to do video marketing. You must consider implementing video marketing and test its efficiency whenever you need to update your listings. - 31862

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here