Free Real Estate Foreclosure Listings

If you are like most people, you may not quite trust the word “free” anymore. However, when it comes to foreclosure listings, there really are ways to get free real estate foreclosure listings. You might think you have to join a special real estate foreclosure club or get listings through third-party online websites that compile this information, but it's not true. You can generate free real estate foreclosure listings right from the privacy of your own home – if you now where to look.

The Newspapers

Your local newspapers will have information in the Public Notice section of upcoming foreclosure sales. You can either subscribe to multiple local newspapers or you can check them out at the local library for free. This won't give you all the information you need to bid on a property, but it will allow you to start building free real estate foreclosure listings to research for potential bids down the line.

The Public Records

Searching the public records is free. If you are trying to search multiple states, you can check online to see if their records are searchable online. In this modern age where you can find public records online, you don't even have to waste gas money to start building free real estate foreclosure listings from the privacy of your own home. Some public notices of foreclosures also include the tax lien information on the record too, making your search that much better.

Let Them Come To You

If you are an investor that has a proven track record of buying foreclosures, then you might want to get a local real estate agent to do some of the leg work for you. They end up getting 6% of the sales, but typically it's the seller that pays their commission, not the buyer. So, why not put the word out to someone who understands what you are looking for so they can help you locate foreclosed homes or REO (real estate owned) properties. It may not be free for the realtor, but it should be free for you and you get the added advantage of seeing items that may be in the MLS that don't show up elsewhere.

Being Frugal

While being frugal and getting free real estate foreclosure listings has obvious appeal, you don't want to waste too much time compiling lists that you can buy for very little through a third party. Always check the time costs versus savings benefit to see if it makes sense to get free real estate foreclosure listings by doing some upfront work yourself, or whether it pays to someone else do it for you.