Purchasing a house can be an emotional process. You have to choose the right location, consider your family, and think about your finances. If you’ve gotten settled in and are now having a difficult time making the payments, it can be overwhelming. If things get severe enough, there is always the threat of foreclosure.This means that the bank takes possession of the home and many times, they sell it for a price below market value.
For this reason, many people are attracted to the thought of purchasing a foreclosed home. With foreclosed homes, individuals can get a great deal without having to pay a ton of money. But, where can you find these cheap, bank-owned properties?
Well, the answer to this one is simpler than what you might imagine. You can either find these kinds of repossessed properties in depressed markets or in strong real estate markets, although the former is more likely. Of course you need to be extremely careful and constantly on the watch for potential nightmares, as not all repossessed homes are truly bargains. Having guidance from a real estate agent is a great idea, especially if you are inexperienced in this field. Plus, these agents are usually quite adept at finding these kinds of properties.They have tons of listings you can choose from, helping you shorten your search and make things easier on yourself.
You can also take things into your own hands and drive around looking for real estate signs indicating “bank repo”, “bank-owned” or “foreclosure” homes. These signs usually include agents’ names and phone numbers, so make sure you write those down. You can contact them later to determine the details about the houses you find and ask any questions that you need the answers to.
In addition to agents, there are numerous websites that list repossessed houses and foreclosures. Asset management companies that handle foreclosures on behalf of lenders is another great idea, as well as government agencies like HUD or the SBA.