Foreclosure Trends

Igor Mosyak asked:


The foreclosure process may be initiated when a given property owner defaults on his or her mortgage loan. It is initiated by the lender and can result in the seizure and sale of the property. There are different stages of the foreclosure process to consider. These stages present the borrower with opportunities to bring the loan back to a current standing and negate the foreclosure. The time periods for each stage may vary from state to state as well.

After a specified time period, normally 90 days, the lender files a Notice of Default at the Circuit Court in the county in which the property is located. This serves as an alert to the borrower that the foreclosure process is beginning. This should come as no surprise in the vast majority of cases. This is the time to request the advice of a professional foreclosure consultant. They can help you understand how to save your home from foreclosure. Learn more at Stop Foreclosure Help Today.

The Notice of Default also marks the beginning of a period in which reinstatement is possible. This reinstatement period lasts as long as up to one day before the actual sale of the property. With foreclosure rates at record high levels country-wide, both the lenders and state governments are attempting to give borrowers every opportunity to bring their loans current. Since October, 2007, there has been a 71% increase in the amount of foreclosures filed. There were 81,312 foreclosures filed nationwide in September of this year alone.

If the loan is not brought current during this reinstatement period, a sale or auction date is then established. The borrower is presented with a Notice of Sale, normally via both first-class and certified mail. The Notice of Sale is also to be posted at the property in question. It is normally taped boldly to the front door. The lender is also required to run an ad in the local newspaper notifying the public of the sale for three weeks in advance of the sale date. State dependent, borrowers are still able to intervene in the foreclosure process. Most states allow the borrower to bring the loan current until the day before the sale or auction.

If the loan is still not brought current and the sale is held, the opening bid is normally set at the amount of the balance of the defaulted loan plus interest accrued and any other fees associated with the sale. Of course, having a skilled foreclosure consultant in your corner goes a long way towards saving your home from foreclosure. They can deal with lenders, court systems and all other involved parties on your behalf and find ways for you to be able to stay in the home that you have worked so hard to acquire. Remember that the initiation of the foreclosure process doesn’t necessarily mark the end of your home ownership.



ORLANDO

R. Sebastian Gibson asked:


Today, it is estimated that one in ten homeowners is either in foreclosure or behind in their payments. As the economic crisis becomes more severe and the recession feeds upon itself, people have become more and more desperate to find some way to hold onto their houses. With such conditions, the average member of the public is ripe for a scam and the and those who try to dupe you or use trickery know this. It is no surprise, therefore that the number of foreclosure type scams are on the rise.

 

If you’ve been the victim anywhere in Southern California of real estate fraud or the target of an unscrupulous loan modification service, foreclosure consultant or someone acting on your behalf to modify your mortgage or cure your problems who is in violation of the strict regulations in California, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com .

 

If you are a licensed real estate broker or agent and have either been wrongly accused of being in violation of the laws and regulations governing loan modification services and foreclosure consultants, or acted as such without being aware of these strict regulations and need legal defense, we urge you to call us at any of the numbers which you can find on our website.

 

Those who are most likely to be targeted by persons attempting to perpetrate a fraud are the elderly, anyone entering foreclosure, people who have recently lost their jobs, families who have lost a loved one, people who have limited knowledge of English, people with limited resources, and homeowners whose payment amounts have recently been raised.

 

The moment you enter foreclosure, expect to be inundated with offers of help from many individuals with generic type sounding names, and some claiming even to have references from churches near you. These are, in most cases, some of the people you should stay away from at all cost.

 

The person who will approach you in this type of scam is more often than not, well-dressed, well groomed, and seems personable, kind, and trustworthy. Some utilize social skills to put you at ease such as their representation to be of the same religion as you, or even the same church, to have been in the military if they think that will put you at ease or feel more trusting of them, and others will claim to be working for non-profit organizations, or branches of the government.

 

These are some of the most common scams and what you can do to avoid being a victim.

 

1) The Disappearing Foreclosure Consultant - With a helpful sounding name, and armed with references and a kind voice, the person who contacts you promises to help you stave off foreclosure with just an up-front fee for their time. The only problem is, as soon as the money clears their bank, you never see or hear from them again. The soon-to-be phantom performs little or no service, takes your money and you are left with your original problems and less time to try to save your home from foreclosure.

 

2) Loan Modification Helpers - Unlike Santa’s Helpers, in this scam you pay a fee up front to the “loan modification expert” to negotiate directly with your bank, only here you don’t get a present from Santa. If the expert really gains your trust, you also make your mortgage payments directly to the expert rather than to the mortgage company. Both the up front fee and the mortgage payments go directly into the pocket of the loan modification helper with the white beard and the kind voice and by the time you receive notice that your house is in foreclosure, this elf has disappeared and is back at the North Pole.

 

3) Just Sign Here Scams - As you face the prospect of foreclosure, one offer of help seems far better than all the others because it allows you to stay in your home as they save it from foreclosure. Unfortunately, in the papers you sign without having a lawyer look at them, you agree, knowingly or unknowingly, to sign over the house to the person offering this help and still remain responsible for the mortgage payments. The person then either sells your house, collects other fees from you or holds onto the house and evicts you.

 

4) Sale and Leaseback Scams - In this scam, if you are a homeowner who still has some equity in your home, you will be convinced to sign over title in your home and pay rent to the scam artist with the promise that they can bail you out, cure your problems and that you will be allowed to buy back the house later at a bargain price. All of this can be accomplished, but only if the property is in the consultant’s name. The payments you make go directly to the scam artist and eventually you will find yourself holding the bag. You may also find yourself evicted when you can no longer make the excessive rent payments. If you have lost your job and are having trouble making your house payments, even if you have equity in your home, you may be tempted by this scam. And while you would be entitled to the excess equity in your home if the house is sold in foreclosure, when you fall victim to this scam, you will lose the equity when it is either sold out from under you or the equity is stripped away by the new owner.

 

5) The Trust Me, I’m Religious or I Was In The Military Too Scam - These people posing as Christians, former members of the military or members of whatever social organizations you belong to come complete with references from members of your church or with military haircuts and promise that by adding them to the title to your home, they can rescue you from foreclosure, and have your credit repaired. Having gone through your mail or your trash, they probably know all about you. There’s no need to see a lawyer, they tell you. Just pray with them or have a drink with them and swap military stories. Just be sure to hold on to your wallet, don’t give them any money and don’t sign anything.

 

6) Sign Me Up Scotty And Get A New Loan Scam - In this scam, you are told that if you add the nice looking good Samaritan onto your title by signing a Grant Deed or other legal instrument, (which you are told, you don’t really need to read) this friendly person can apply for a new loan, which, unfortunately, if approved, will leave you on the hook for both the old loan payments and the new loan payments, and any up front fees you pay for this service will disappear with this fraud.

 

7) Buy My Books, Take This Seminar And Make Millions Scam - You may see this offer on late night television, on roadside signs or even on billboards. Only this time, you are talked into buying materials that are full of worthless information that will do nothing to help you avoid foreclosure. Even worse, the materials you receive may offer advice that will land you in jail by telling you how to approach others in foreclosure and advise you to tell them you can save them from foreclosure. The trouble is, what you will be doing is either practicing law without a license or acting as a credit repair agency or loan modification expert without a real estate license and without an advance fee agreement approved by the Commissioner of the California Department of Real Estate and without being registered with the California Department of Justice.

 

The Short Sale Scam - In this scam, the “short sale specialist” who contacts you promises his expertise to accomplish a short sale in a small amount of time that will protect your credit. There is a fee of course that would have been better spent on groceries. When the real estate market was better, there were additional wrinkles to this scam that today are more difficult to perpetrate due to the difficulty of selling homes in this economy.

 

9) It’s Like Magic - Here the homeowner is told to sign one thing, but the homeowner winds up signing something altogether. In some instances of this bait and switch scam, the scam artist will serve as the notary as well. In conjunction with this and other scams, or in other variations, forgery may be utilized, and identity theft employed as well.

 

10) Want Somewhere Cheap To Rent Scam - Here the bogus homeowner or leasing agent takes your rent payment and security deposit and rents or leases you vacant residential or commercial property, that isn’t owned by the person you are talking with and if you are talking with a leasing agent, this “agent” has no authority to offer you the property for rent or lease.

 

11) How About A Nice Loan Modification Scam - As with foreclosure consultants, loan modification services are strictly regulated by California statutes. If you have lost money or your home to a foreclosure consultant or someone promising to obtain a loan modification or cure to your problems and they have violated these statutes, in some cases you may be entitled to any moneys paid to them, but also, in some cases, your other actual damages, equitable relief, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs and punitive damages of three times the compensation received or misapplied by the foreclosure consultant or loan modification service who contracted with you.

 

It is difficult, if not impossible, to recover your money when you have been the victim of any of these types of fraud. However, there are times when the persons attempting to defraud you simply don’t know better and are otherwise responsible citizens and business people who don’t know the law, or conveniently fail to research the law, and who may either have errors and omissions insurance or assets which may cover their indiscretions.

 

Such defendants may include real estate brokers, foreclosure consultants, loan modification companies and services and mortgage brokers.

 

These parties may be responsible if they made misrepresentations to you, committed fraud, charged you fees and collected such fees in advance for foreclosure consultant services, failed to follow the strict regulations set forth in the California Civil Code and Business and Professions Code or had you pay fees in advance for loan modifications under agreements that have not been approved by the Commissioner of the California Department of Real Estate. The laws in California are very strict as to when you may be charged fees for such services and under what circumstances.

 

If a person makes promises or representations to you without any intent to perform the services promised, and if you have been damaged as a result of your reliance on those promises or representations, you may have a valid claim against that person for fraud. Such promises may include a promise that they will be able to obtain a modification of your loan or to save you from foreclosure, and will likely require you to pay up-front fees that do little, if any, good.

 

Here are the five tips of advice we recommend to anyone in this situation being approached by people offering help.

 

1. Avoid any solicitations of help that come unexpectedly, by mail, e-mail and by telephone or to your door.

 

2. Avoid using any help agency whose name you find on roadside signs such as those which state “We Buy Homes For Cash” and those which promise to “Stop Foreclosure.”

 

3. Avoid paying up-front fees to foreclosure or loan modification experts.

 

4. Disregard anyone who tells you not to talk to your bank or tells you to avoid consulting with a lawyer.

 

5. Don’t sign anything without having it reviewed by a real estate lawyer.

 

Red flags to you that you are about to be scammed should include requests of you for any of the following: to pay money up-front before any service has been performed, payment by cash, cashier’s checks or bank wires only, transfers of title, actions to be taken immediately, power of attorney, signatures on grant deeds, signatures without any explanation or while under time constraints, signatures on incomplete documents, and mortgage payments to persons other than the mortgage company.

 

Other red flags include unqualified promises, offers that sound too good to be true, failures to provide you with copies of what you sign, oral promises that are in conflict with written provisions, refusals to put the oral promises in writing, oral statements that the provisions in writing don’t mean what they say or won’t be enforced, and warnings not to discuss the matter with an attorney, your lender or anyone else.

 

If you have a business or real estate legal matter in Palm Springs or Palm Desert, in Ontario or Rancho Cucamonga, Temecula or Murrieta, Newport Beach or Huntington Beach, Anaheim or Santa Ana, El Cajon or Carlsbad, Palmdale or Victorville, Long Beach or Santa Monica, Ventura or Oxnard, or anywhere in Southern California, our Palm Springs, San Diego, Orange County, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo law firm has the knowledge and resources to be your Business Lawyers and Real Estate Attorneys. If you’ve been the victim of a real estate, business, loan modification or foreclosure scam or fraud, be sure to hire a law firm with experience in loan modification, foreclosure and real estate fraud in California and who will endeavor to ensure that your rights are properly represented.

 

To learn more about such scams or the statutes which regulate loan modification and foreclosure consultants, or for legal representation, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com .



CORY

Susan Jan asked:


Foreclosure occurs when you fail to make your payments and the mortgage company takes legal action to repossess your home or property. Mortgage foreclosure may take place if a homeowner, who has taken out a loan, defaults on the mortgage payments. Through the process of mortgage foreclosure, the lender company can take possession of the defaulted home. In case the value of the home is less than the mortgaged amount, the borrower may have to face the ‘deficiency judgment’ to pay the balance amount. Mortgage foreclosure also has a negative impact on the homeowner’s credit score.

Even though you may be facing mortgage foreclosure does not mean you have to lose the house. There are many ways to stop foreclosure when you are faced with mortgage foreclosure on your home. Some ways to avoid foreclosures include forbearance, loan modification, mortgage refinancing, sale of the property, etc.

It is also important that you save your house from mortgage foreclosure in order to maintain a good credit rating. If you have trouble making your mortgage payments, the first thing you need to do is contact your mortgage company and let them know. Prepare all your financial information such as tax returns, bank statement, etc. and do not abandon the property to avoid mortgage foreclosure. You can even have an option to go for a ‘pre-foreclosure’ sale where you simply sell your home before the bank completes the mortgage foreclosure.

To stop foreclosures, there are several other things that a homeowner can do. Homeowners can try and apply for Special Forbearance to avoid foreclosure. This may lead to a revision of the repayment schedule and in some cases the payment may either be revised or suspended. Your lender is not in the business of taking homes through mortgage foreclosure; they make more money by lending your mortgage payment to other homeowners.

If you are familiar with the foreclosure listings in your area, it will make things easier for you when you discuss with your lenders. Foreclosure listings are the lists of foreclosure homes, with comprehensive information and details geared towards potential buyers interested in buying a foreclosure property. Foreclosure listings provide detailed description on various aspects such as the property details, foreclosure information, neighborhood information, sales history, tax information and also the contact information. To find out more on foreclosure listings, the internet is a good place to learn more on the subject.



TROY

Joseph Lane asked:


The real estate housing market has been through a tough time. Many loans were approved a few years back and many of those loans have payments that increased with time. This problem caused and is continuing to prompt many foreclosures. When the real estate housing market has many foreclosures, that is not good because that means many people are losing their homes. We know that if many people lose their homes, that is a bad sign for the economy.

After times are bad in a situation like this, it usually will have a boom-a-rang effect and the market may come around to show great savings to buyers. With so many properties being sold, the market is flooded with lots of housing. This of course means that buyers will get good deals. Good deals equal more profit on the front end of the sale.

A good deal on a property also means other things. For example, if your flipping the house Armando Montelongo style, with so many houses on the market, you shuold be able to get a good deal on a house very easily if you shop around. Its a good time to build wealth.

The price on many properties are going to be low because of all the houses on the market. If you factor in the fix and any repair cost and resell cost overall, then how long it may take to find a buyer could be the key variable to consider.

Now may be the beginning of a housing rebound. With so many houses and properties available on the market, the sheer volume of deals that are floating around and the fact that it’s a buyers market should be good indicators that a housing market rebound is around the corner.

Make sure to look around in your area for good deals. There are many properties available on the market so their may be a few good deals in your own area.



BENNY

Jhoana Cooper asked:


Many people are worried given the aftermaths that the economic crisis could produce. They have every reason to be worried about their jobs and also about the possibility to pay their mortgages. Specialists have started to analyze foreclosure trends on a monthly basis, making lists of top cities and states.

Pennsylvania represents just one of the numerous examples that could be given. The truth is that the number of foreclosures is high in all of the United States. The worse was the month of November. Foreclosures have increased by a distressful percent and more homeowners are about to receive a notice in the following weeks. As for 2009, one can only hope that foreclosure trends will turn to a more positive road.

In Pennsylvania, November foreclosures reports failed to meet the expectations of specialists. The number of foreclosure filings remained the same as in October and September, while in many other states foreclosures seem to have decreased by a small percent. In November, the situation was different, as foreclosure trends followed the up-road in the state of Pennsylvania. Compared to 2007, the number of foreclosures has almost doubled.

And it’s not just Pennsylvania where over 4000 properties are about to become foreclosures. Such filings have been encountered in California, Florida, Michigan, Colorado and Arizona. Negative foreclosure trends affected all of the United States, with Louisiana included. Here, like in many other states, homeowners were unable to pay their mortgages and they end up receiving a filing for foreclosure. Many of these loans have been taken by people who already had bad credit but needed the money for various reasons (e.g.: health expenses, building a home or settling an impending debt).

United States, like many other countries on the planet, is undergoing recession. The economic crisis could not have avoided the housing sector, the intensity of the financial stress being clearly reflected by current foreclosure trends. Homeowners are suffering from foreclosures filings and they are seeking desperate solutions to solve their financial problems. There are certain cities which are more affected by foreclosures, with Detroit, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Indianapolis among the top. California cities occupy several places on the list, just like Florida and Michigan.

When it comes to foreclosure trends, no one can be certain what 2009 is about to bring. Nationally, the number of foreclosures seems to have decreased during November. Taken state by state, foreclosures still remain high in certain states and homeowners still receive filings, such states exceeding the national average by far. On the other hand, there are some states where the situation seems to be improving and the number of foreclosures being brought down by a few percents. Time will tell whether such foreclosure trends are permanent or not.



VERN

jamiehanson asked:


Stop Foreclosure helps the borrowers who cannot make loan payments and hence helps them save their home from foreclosure. If any homeowner has a fear of loosing his/her home, he/she has a wide choice to help him save his home from foreclosure. Whatever may be the situation of the borrower the financial institutions offer great help to them and hence stops foreclosure on their home. However to benefit from the stop foreclosure with loan modifications the borrowers should take assistance from a number of mortgage institutions that are willing to help him to get a loan modification done with the approval of the lender and help him save his home on stop foreclosure. All the borrower needs is to do a bit of documentation process and provide the details accurately to the mortgage company. The mortgage company further evaluates the information provided by the borrower and then provides a number of options for loan modification to the eligible borrower. The borrower is eligible for stop foreclosure with loan modifications if he has a valid reason to miss his loan payment. This may happen if he looses his job or may fall ill, or due to an increase in genuine expenses or simply fall short of funds to make loan payments. The mortgage company helps the borrower to modify his loan and assist him to save home by stop home foreclosure. If the borrower fails to make loan payment for the first time, the investor or the bank charges you a 30-day late fee. For this the investor or the bank sends a prior notice as a reminder for non-payment. The bank also discusses forbearance plan with the borrower to work on the missed loan payment and to bring you again on path. This special plan helps the borrower to reduce his payments or delay payments to help the borrower to repay the loan. The investor or the bank may also help by refinancing the loan and helps make the payment more reasonable. For this the borrower should confirm that he will anyhow handle the modification made on payments. But if you are unsuccessful to initiate your bank or investor and further avoid payments you may be charged late charges for 6 months , then 9 months and so on…till this period you loose your credit ratings and may even loose to gain from the forbearance plan or refinance assistance provided by the bank helping you avoid home foreclosure. If the borrower can not make payments for 90 days, the bank or investor charges you with an NOD (Notice of Default) which states that the borrower has 30 days to make his loan current for which the borrower may approach the court or be prepared for foreclosure. The court orders an auction for your home to sell it within seven days. If there is no buyer for the home on auction, the bank or the lender takesover the ownership and starts with legal formalities like name transfer public notice etc… Other way round, if the borrower pays all the charges like legal fee, late fee, foreclosure fee he might be saved. A foreclosure leads to a tremendous drop in his credit ratings and may not be further eligible to borrow loans for at least four years. Luckily there are other simple ways by which a borrower can stop loan foreclosure without a big deal: a) Refinance b) Forbearance Plan c) Partial Claim d) Pre-foreclosure e) Deed-in Lieu of foreclosure f) Real estates short sales Refinance is the help offered by the bank that enables the borrower to easily pay off the loan for he should be qualified to make the payments. Forbearance Plan helps to ease or suspend payments till the payments are current again. A partial claim plan allows the borrower to make advance payment to the lender by a Promissory Note. HUD helps to grant a partial claim. A pre-foreclosure helps to sell the homeowners home with less effort and thus avoid foreclosure. Deed-in Lieu helps the borrower to stop foreclosure by selling back the property to the lender or the bank itself. Hence avoids foreclosure but at the cost of the borrowers home. Thus the borrower under a financial burden who can not make the payments to the bank or the investor can stop foreclosure by opting a number of ways mentioned above and thus saves his home with Stop Foreclosure with Loan Modifications.



EARLE

Paul Hata asked:


Are you facing foreclosure?If you have received an intent to foreclose notice from your bank, you may be feeling a wide array of emotions.These emotions may include fear, anger, and sadness.Regardless of how you feel about the situation, now is the time to take action. Depending on how soon you act, as well as what steps you take, you may be able to avoid foreclosure.

When facing foreclosure, one of the first places you should turn to is that of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD. There you will find experts who can help to point you in the right direction. One direction that you may be pointed to is that of a HUD approved housing counselor. A HUD approved housing counselor can give you tips on how to avoid foreclosure. However, if you have reached the point where foreclosure cannot be stopped, assistance on picking up the pieces and finding a new home will be provided.

Another professional that homeowners facing foreclosure should turn is to that of an attorney. Should you decide to contact an attorney for legal advice, it is vital that you select one who has experience dealing with real estate and foreclosure cases. As for how a lawyer can help you, they may be able to stop the foreclosure process. There are a number of ways this can be accomplished. An attorney can and should be contacted in the event you find yourself a victim of a foreclosure scam or if you feel you are being discriminated against by your mortgage lender.

Although it is best that you seek professional assistance, such as the assistance of an attorney or a HUD approved housing counselor, you may want to turn to those around you. As embarrassing as it may be to admit that you may lose your home, now is the time to receive support and encouragement from close friends and family members. In fact, they may be able to help you avoid foreclosure. Can you borrow money from someone that you know? If so, just make sure that you pay it back and in a timely matter.

Returning back to seeking professional foreclosure advice and assistance, real estate agents can also be approached. However, it is best if they are contacted as soon as you notice a problem. If you suspect you may fall victim to foreclosure, contact a real estate agent immediately. Before your home enters into the official foreclosure stage, it is known as being in pre-foreclosure. You can still try to sell your home. You can list your home as for sale by owner, but the knowledge and expertise of a professional real estate agent can help you sell your home faster.

Out of all of the places that you should turn to seek assistance with avoiding foreclosure, the bank is the most important. Financial lenders want to avoid foreclosure. Why? Because they almost always lose money on the sale of foreclosed properties. For that reason, schedule a meeting, in person, with your lender. Make sure you meet with someone who is high ranking in the branch, such as the bank president or the chief loan officer. If you can prove that your financial hardships are only temporary, do so. This may help to convince your mortgage lender to give you more time.

The internet can also be used to seek foreclose help and assistance. When using the internet, it is important to proceed with caution. You, honestly, never know if what you find online is true. With that said, many states clearly outline their foreclosure laws and homeowner options on their websites. You may also find detailed information online from homeowners who have been in the same place as you, facing foreclosure. Other homeowners may share the ways that they were able to successfully stop foreclosure. In addition to carefully reviewing all information provided to you, do not pay anything. Foreclosure advice can easily be found online free of charge.



WINSTON

Mark Walters asked:


The number of homes facing foreclosure continues to grow in many parts of the country. The consensus among ordinary citizens seems to be that a fortune can be made buying foreclosure homes. Is that true or false? The truth is - it’s some of both.

Three and a Half Ways To Buy Foreclosure Properties

Buying real estate foreclosures only produces profits for those who have the knowledge required to recognize and negotiate profitable deals. With foreclosures that’s not as easy as it might seem.

Preforeclosure

The preforeclosure period offers the greatest opportunity for the novice investor. Preforeclosure can be divided into two periods. The first is where a financially distressed home owner realizes he or she will soon be unable to stay current with their mortgage payments.

If you can reach the owner during this period you have a chance to buy the home in the normal way. That is, make your deal with the home owner, get a mortgage loan and go to the close.

Ah, but how do you reach that owner. You target a housing development that first began selling new homes about three years ago. You do that because many adjustable rate mortgages reset to a much high interest rate after three years. As that date approaches many home owners begin to realize they have a problem.

You blanket that development with flyers every 30 to 60 days advertising yourself as a home buyer . Once a week you spend a Saturday afternoon going door to door and asking “Are you the folks that are planning on selling your home? No? Let me leave my card in case you change your mind.”

The second part of the preforeclosure period is at some point after the homeowner has stopped making mortgage payments and the lender has filed a notice of foreclosure (sometime called a notice of default). Now the clock is running and you must move quickly to make your deal before the lender takes the home.

The owner could be as much as six months behind in mortgage payments. You’ll need cash to bring those payments current and stop the foreclosure.

The catch is that many of these homes were purchased as real estate values peaked. Now home values are falling and the home is worth less than the amount due on the mortgage loan. The owner is “up side down” and there is no equity and no profit for you.

If there is equity you have a chance to make a good buy. There is seldom enough time to apply for and qualify for a mortgage loan. You will either need cash or the ability to strike a deal using a lease-option or to buy “subject to” the existing financing. You will need a thorough understanding of those tactics to use them profitably.

Foreclosure Auction

Your next chance to buy is at the foreclosure auction sale. Auctions are cash-on-the-spot sales. Yes, you will need cash, but even more important is the ability to research the property being sold to determine if it would truly be a profitable buy.

Many foreclosure homes have been trashed and stripped. What will the cost of rehab be? How’s the neighborhood? Is it safe to go in unarmed? Are there zoning or building permit issues attached to the property. Foreclosure auctions are not a game for the inexperienced investor.

Now we have listed the first two opportunities to buy foreclosure homes:

1. During just before a foreclosure.

2. At the foreclosure auction.

Bank Owned Homes

Opportunity number three is homes owned by the bank. These are often called REOs for real estate owned.

If there are no successful bidders at the foreclosure auction the home becomes the property of the bank. When there are many foreclosures banks end up owning thousands of homes they do not want. If you have the cash they will listen to offers. If the bank is eager to get those homes off of their books they may consider financing your purchase if you have a decent credit history. Often they want cash.

You can put together a group of investor who pool their funds to bid at foreclosure auctions or buy REOs.

Redemption

I promised three and a half ways to buy foreclosure homes, so here’s the half. In some states the owner has redemption rights. That means during a certain number of months after they have lost their home at the foreclosure auction they can regain ownership.

To redeem they must pay all money that was owed on the mortgage, pay all the costs of the foreclosure and pay any interest that accrued during the redemption period. It is sometimes possible to buy the redemption rights from the displaced owner, cover all the costs and own the home.

What about the investor who bought the home at the auction? He or she has our most sincere sympathy.

That’s it, three and a half ways to buy foreclosure homes. There’s money to be made, but you will earn every nickel!



GLENN

Otto Ruebsamen asked:


Buying foreclosure homes for sale is an uncharted territory for most of us.  We need to have a comprehensive understanding of foreclosure homes for sale as these are now regular occurrences during these times of crisis.

If we properly learn how to find the best buys in foreclosure homes for sale, this can be one of the best investment options for us in the uncertainty of the times.

Foreclosure homes offer great opportunities to potential buyers by opening up choice selections of prime properties at amazingly low rates.

What are Foreclosure Homes for Sale

Foreclosure homes for sale are unique types of real estate properties that are not sold through agents or brokers.  These are properties offered directly by the mortgage lenders with the intention of selling these foreclosure homes to other potential buyers and investors in order to raise money to prop up their liquidity.

Foreclosure homes are the real estate properties that a mortgage lender has taken over from their original homeowners who failed to make regular payments on a mortgage loan for an extended period of time.

These foreclosure homes are offered for sale through a public auction to interested homeowners and investors.

Who are Qualified to Buy Foreclosure Homes

Foreclosure homes for sale can be bought by any interested buyer or investor.  The potential buyer won’t need the services of a broker or an agent in order to participate in an auction of foreclosure homes.

What is great about these foreclosure homes for sale is that the price tag is much lower than in the open real estate market.  It is normal for you to find some foreclosure homes for sale being offered from 10% to 50% lower than it would normally fetch when sold in the open market or through an agent.

This very liberal feature in auctions for foreclosure homes for sale is predicated by the pressure on the mortgage lender to improve on their liquidity through successful auction of these real estate properties.

Many of these foreclosure homes are found in good locations, with practically no structural damages or defects.  It is really a wonder why it stays in the hands of the mortgage lender over long periods with no apparent takers.  The obvious reason for this is that the mortgage lenders are hesitant to invest more on these foreclosure homes for sale in the form of advertisements.

This is also the reason why foreclosure homes are not very popular among regular home buyers.  Most of us don’t know where to look for them. Therefore, it is essential for wise buyers and investors to do their own research to find these prime foreclosure homes for sale.

The high incidence of foreclosures that has been plaguing the real estate industry for a couple of years now has put to our consciousness the importance of foreclosure homes for sale.  These prime properties are getting their fair share of attention from potential buyers and investors.

The rewards to your effort can be enormous as you can find prime foreclosure homes for sale at really bargain prices, as most mortgage lenders are pressured to dispose of these assets to avoid additional expenses on maintenance and upkeep of these properties that are still in their possession.



WADE

Mathtaus asked:


The Housing Market

Everyone is interested in the housing market for one reason or another. Some are looking to sell homes, others are looking to buy, and many people are looking for information on apartments and condos as well. Deciding on where you want to move is one of the major factors in choosing a home and making the best of what the housing market has to offer. If you’re moving to a major U.S. city like Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, or the state of Florida, you’ll want to find out as much about the real estate market and home buying suggestions for each area. Here is some information that will definitely help.

First of all, figuring out what you’ll be able to afford when it comes to a home will help you to customize your real estate search. Take a detailed look at your finances, and compare your financial state with the areas you plan on moving to. Each city will have different economic requirements, and there are different features in homes depending on the part of the country they are located in. For instance, you’ll probably find smaller but conveniently located apartments in New York, but these apartments will be slightly more expensive than an apartment in Florida; there are a number of loft-style apartments in Chicago, but the same style of apartment in Los Angeles may cost a little more. So, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the real estate market while you’re planning your move so that you’ll know exactly what to expect once you arrive in your new area.

Next, you should look at the specific types of homes that each geographical location has to offer. Search the Internet for real estate listings in each area, and take notes on the things that interest you in each home, apartment, or condo. You can also find out which real estate agents in the area will be able to give you the assistance that you need. If you don’t yet live in the city you plan on moving to, contacting a real estate agent online, as well as browsing real estate listings on the web will be very beneficial in helping you to decide on the perfect home.

Look for all the details you’ll need in a home, no matter how small. For instance, if you want wall-to-wall carpeting, or prefer a home with a balcony or spacious yard, be sure to make this plain when you talk to your real estate agent. The ads should be descriptive enough to let you know whether or not you want to look into seriously purchasing the home, but if you have questions, be sure to let the agent or seller know. For instance, there are several apartment ads in Chicago detailing apartments and town homes with garages, but if you need a two-car garage, you should contact the real estate agent to see if this is a possibility; there are a number of real estate ads for penthouses in New York, but you may not be able to see a picture, so you should contact the agent for more details. Many real estate listings will allow you to take a tour of the property to determine if the square footage is to your liking; if not, you may be able to request more details.

You should also take a look at the number of homes, condos, and apartments that are available in each area. If you’re moving because of a job or school transfer, you’ll want to make sure that there is enough opportunity for you to get the home you’ll want in the time frame you need it in. Sites like www.house.info will let you know how many homes of every type you can expect to find in Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and the state of Florida. Places like New York and Chicago usually have the most apartments for rent and for sale, and if you’re looking to purchase a home, town home, or condo, Las Vegas is a good place to begin your search.

If you’re selling a home in either of these areas, you’ll want to make a checklist of all the things that should be done to make sure that your home looks its best and is as marketable as possible. It’s a good idea to do minor repairs to the home, such as painting the fence, fixing small electrical problems and even doing a few painting jobs in certain rooms in your home will make your home more attractive and appealing to potential buyers. It’s also a great idea to look at other homes in your area that are for sale–this will give you an idea of how to price your home, and will let you know which home features are popular in your neighborhood; this way you’ll appeal to buyers that are natives to the city, and those moving to the are for the first time. You’ll also need to do a home evaluation with your real estate agent to see if the home’s value has increased or not. You’ll also want to make your home more enticing to buyers by using the area you live in to make the home more sensible for buying. For example, if you’re selling a home in Florida and live relatively close to a beach or two, make sure that you mention this when potential buyers arrive for open house. You may also want to fix up the landscape around your home, such as trimming palm trees, making sure that lawn is manicured, and even adding a fountain or bird bath. If you live in a big metropolitan area like New York City or Chicago, you’ll want to point out how convenient the area is, and become aware of neighborhood attractions–even the ones you don’t go to that often.

For more information on the home market, real estate agents, and housing information on the above-mention cities, check out sites like www.house.info, and click on the city of your choice.



HUGO