Real estate foreclosure auctions, sometimes referred to as sheriff sales, usually take place in a designated area in the county courthouse. Sometimes they can even take place on the steps of the county courthouse. There is nothing fancy about them. They are set up to be quick and business-like affairs with rules put in place to help expedite the process. You can expect some regulars to show up and new bidders sometimes too. They may be weekly or bi-weekly events, and can vary depending on the number of foreclosures in the area and the backlog. The listing for foreclosures are listed for people who attend the real estate foreclosure auctions on a list or they can also be researched beforehand in the local newspaper too.
How To Buy At Real Estate Foreclosure Auctions
Rules can differ from county to county, but you will be usually expected to pay some percentage of your bid upfront once you are declared the winning bid. Expect to pay at least 5% of the value of your bid. You will also need to pay the remainder of the the bid by the end of the business day. So, if you bid $100,000, you might have to pay $5,000 upfront at the end of your winning bid and the rest some time later, usually by the end of the business day.
Bankers Buy Back
The original bids will probably start out with the bank or lender who holds the mortgage bidding a nominal amount to get the process going. They may even bid against you to drive up the price to an acceptable loss for them. They certainly won't try to give away the property, even if they don't want it on their books. However, if they don't get the bids they want at the real estate foreclosure auctions, they will simply bid to buy back the house. This way they don't take a huge loss on the home.
Do Your Research Before You Go
Real estate foreclosure auctions are fast-paced and you will need to know ahead of time what property you are willing to bid on and the fair market value of it. You should have researched as much as you can about how much is owed, what the neighborhood is like, and what the condition of the home is like. You will also want to make sure you understand all any fees or liens associated with the property that you will be responsible for bringing current should you have the winning bid.
Real estate foreclosure investing is very popular right now, even among foreign buyers. There is a potential to make good money in the real estate foreclosure investing market, but like all investments, it requires some homework on the part of the investor. Whether you are a home-grown investor or a foreign investor who is capitalizing on the falling dollar by buying discounted foreclosure real estate, the same rule applies: Buyer beware. Foreclosures may seem like a deal, but you have to have a good idea of the market and the property you are buying to really do well.
Do It With A Team Of Experts
Real estate foreclosure investing requires a team of experts. You will need your own lenders, attorneys, and rehabilitation teams. You will have to have access to real estate agents who might be specializing in foreclosures, or you might research them yourself. The more experts you have that you can trust, the better the odds that you don't end up putting money into real estate foreclosure investing that ends up leaving you broke.
For lenders, you will require not only conventional lenders, but also private lenders too. This will be very necessary if the foreclosed home you bought ends up needing extensive repairs before it can be put back on the market. Without financing, buying a foreclosed home may save money initially, but once you walk through the front door it can be a whole another story. You may find that the plumbing, wiring, or other house systems need to be repaired or replaced and that's when you want to have the money to do these things.
Hiring your own attorney can also help you work around some deals that you might otherwise not attempt. They can help you get documentation together should you get wind of a preforeclosure that can be bought out before auction. Attorneys will also search the title and taxes to see if there are any liens on the property. This is very important to make sure they are clear so that you can resell when it comes time to reap the real estate foreclosure investing returns.
If you are a foreign lender, having someone scout out foreclosures here for you can also be good to ensure better returns. You don't want to buy a property completely blind, even though most foreclosures don't allow you to get into the house for inspection. You still want someone to scout out the neighborhood and give you appropriate feedback of comparable sales and the market economy of the region you want your real estate foreclosure investing to be in.
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