How to Find a Foreclosure For Sale
 by Greg Cryns

            When you’re looking for a great deal in the real estate market, foreclosure properties are a great place to start.  If you’ve never looked for a foreclosure property, you may not know where to start. You have several options for searching for foreclosures.  

Whether you want to go it alone or use a realtor to help you, foreclosures can be a great way to get a good deal on a home.  When you know where to look, you’re off to a good start.

            Foreclosure listings can often be found in your local newspaper.  The classified ads section will have notices for foreclosure auctions that are in your area.  Checking these regularly will help you to find out what properties are available.

            Banks also have lists of their foreclosure properties.  Contact your local mortgage lenders to see if they have listings for you.  In addition, you can also find companies online that list foreclosure properties.  These companies often charge a fee for you to look at their lists.  They save you time, but you can also find properties in other ways without paying.

            There are also lists of foreclosure properties online that are available at no cost. These are also great tools for finding foreclosure properties.  The internet is also a good place to search if you’re interested in properties nationwide.

            Check with your local courthouse to help you find foreclosures and pre-foreclosures.  As part of the legal process of foreclosure, governments are required to post properties that are up for sale. 

            You may also want to check with government agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for homes in foreclosure.  They often have many lists of homes that are available all over the country.

            There are also realtors who specialize in foreclosure properties.  This is a way for you to have someone do the legwork for you.  He or she will find properties that match your needs.  It will narrow your search for you.  Then you’ll have just a small list of suitable homes that you can purchase.

            You may also want to just ask around.  Word of mouth tends to be a great way to find properties.  You may have friends, family members, or coworkers who know about properties that will work for you and are in foreclosure.

            In the current real estate market, you should have no trouble finding homes that are in foreclosure.  A little bit of work can help you to find outstanding homes at a great price.  While you’ll have to do some investigative work to find properties, it’s well worth the effort.

 

Greg Cryns is the owner of Flat Fee Real Estate Guide - http://www.flatfeerealestateguide.com