Monday 15 August 2011

REO Versus Foreclosure Home Purchases

By Rick Cole


On the surface, repossessed homes sound like ideal opportunities to take a position in real estate or get a fair deal on a home. It's correct that you can get some great prices on repossessed homes, particularly at auctions. But there are some serious legal problems to this that change by state. This is one reason many individuals choose instead for property owned, or REO, properties over traditional foreclosure properties. Or you can use a good Atlanta property manager to help sort through all of the pitfalls.

In some states, the purchase of a foreclosed home does not guarantee ownership of the foreclosed home. So you can't always purchase a foreclosed home and move right into it. There's frequently an option for the prior owner of the home to reclaim possession under state home redemption rights. In these states, if the prior owners come up with the back home loan payments, they are once again considered the owners as if they had never missed a payment.

Imagine you were the owner of a home, got downsized, and suddenly found yourself unable to make payments on your dream home. If you ultimately found another job, would you want to reclaim your dream home? It is not surprising that many folk attempt to redeem their home mortgages under such circumstances. What might be surprising is that as a good faith buyer of a clear foreclosed home, you could find yourself at the other end of a legal action.

That's not the only way in which the government can screw up your foreclosure purchases. In several states, you'll find yourself responsible to pay off any liens or taxes held against the house under the prior owners. What do you think the possibilities are that the people that couldn't make their housing payments also didn't pay their property taxes and other debts? Your good foreclosure deal could end up being a deal that costs you much more than the house is worth.

REOs, on the other hand, are foreclosure properties that have failed to sell at a foreclosure auction and has been subsequently reclaimed. Typically , the repossessing entity will clear any back taxes and liens against the property, as well as any adhering residents, before putting the property back up for auction.

Historically, the best REO deals are the ones you get when the bank puts the property up for auction, as the bank wants to liquidate inventory as quickly as achievable. This is particularly true if the home has didn't sell for a substantial period of time. In some cases, other entities will broker the sale of the home, such entities typically being real-estate agents. There is frequently a markup when an estate agent is involved to cover that agent's commission.

If you are inquisitive about buying REO, check with the local banks to see what REO inventory they're looking to clear. Plenty will guide you towards an internet site with a list of properties and further details about those properties. Whether you go the REO route or the traditional foreclosure auction route, make sure you hire a specialist to steer you thru the method.




About the Author:



No comments: