Tuesday, 11 November 2008

Pre-foreclosures - Why Real Estate Gurus Prefer Them

By Dale McPhee

Due to the recent real estate collapse, many people across the United States are losing their homes to foreclosure. The period of time before the official foreclosure is called pre-foreclosure. Depending on the state the pre-foreclosure period lasts from seven days to a 60 days. Real estate experts know that the pre-foreclosure period is a great time to purchase a home.

Many houses that are 'for sale by owner' are houses that are in a period of pre-foreclosure. The lenders sometimes allow the homeowners to try to sell their home before foreclosing it. The banks are not in the real estate business themselves and would rather the owners sell the home instead of (the lenders) having to foreclose it.

Here are some of the reasons many real estate professionals prefer purchasing a pre-foreclosed properties rather then waiting until they reach foreclosure:

- Pre-foreclosed homes are sold for less than foreclosed homes. A homeowner will sell their pre-foreclosed home for low cost so they won?t have to face foreclosure.

- Since you won?t be at an auction, you will be given more time to talk to the home owner about any questions you may have concerning the house.

- There will probably be less competition for a pre-foreclosed home than a foreclosed home at an auction. You won?t have to worry about placing the highest bid.

- You will be given more time to consider your finances before making the decision to purchase a pre-foreclosed home.

- Auctions can be annoying for some people. Some people become very angry when they are outbid.

- Less risk of potential problems because you can get a good look at the house ahead of time, and in some cases have it professionally inspected.

- All you?ll need to buy a pre-foreclosed home is a down payment for as low as a few hundred dollars. At a government auction you would need the entire amount in cash.

Make sure you bring along an inspector when you check out a pre-foreclosed home. You should also check to make sure there are no past judgement liens or unpaid taxes on the property. The risks in buying a pre-foreclosed home are about the same as buying a home the traditional way through a real estate company, but there are a lot more advantages! You can even buy a pre-foreclosed home and then resell it for twice as much!

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