Learning To Invest In Foreclosures

There is lots of talk these days about foreclosures. Investing in foreclosures can be a big money maker when it comes to real estate investing niches. While investing in foreclosures results in large profits when you choose the right house, there are pitfalls that you must look out for before you buy a foreclosure. There are a lot of other factors to consider. 

A foreclosure occurs when the owner defaults on the mortgage. The bank has to start the process of taking the property that was pledged as security for the homeowner's loan. If the homeowner can't remedy the situation by paying the bank any money that is then owed, the property will likely make its way to public auction where it will be sold to the highest bidder at a sheriff's or trustee's sale.

When you are investing in a foreclosure, the first step is to determine what you are doing with the property. Do you plan on flipping it for a profit? Are you going to keep it as a rental? This will determine what area you should look in when searching what type of foreclosure properties you're interested in pursuing. 

The main factor to consider when you invest in a foreclosure is to know the law in that jurisdiction. There are laws that vary from state to state and county to county that govern foreclosures and if you violate those laws, accidentally or purposefully, serious consequences will follow. 

A lot of the home study courses and infomercial gurus advise buying a foreclosure and then renting the property back to the homeowner with the hope that they'll repurchase it at a higher price in the near future. 

Do not do this! One of the highest risks a real estate investor can take is letting the previous owner come back and reclaim their property because they misunderstood what you had agreed upon. In most states, you, the real estate investor, is the "bad" guy - you lose! 

Besides, would you really want a tenant in your property that has a history of not paying their bills? Of course not! You should always run a credit report on the potential tenant no matter what their excuse is today. However, many beginner real estate investors as well as many experienced foreclosure investors do that very same thing each day and pay a high price for doing so, oftentimes losing their investment completely when a judge declares that the transaction was indeed a usurious loan instead of an option to repurchase. 

During various stages of foreclosure, you can make a deal happen between you and the homeowner in default, wait and purchase at the auction, buy after the auction or many other more sophisticated strategies. If you intend to buy a property at the public auction, know that in some states, the law sets a certain time frame for foreclosures to become finalized commonly referred to as a redemption period. 

If you're considering investing in foreclosures, it is highly advisable for you to find out if and how this law potentially affects the ownership and possession of the property in your local area. You may think you own the property, when in fact you are a temporary caretaker for a set period of time. Once again, know rhe law! 

If there is a redemption period, the homeowner could be working out a deal with another investor or attempting to sell the property in some other manner without you even being aware what is happening. This can obviously have a big impact on what you do to the property during the redemption period, even if the property is vacant at the time of the auction. 

You could find yourself investing in foreclosures, putting money into them, only to lose all of the profit you thought you had coming to you. You are buying real estate foreclosures to make a profit. Act like it and treat it has a business! 

Many real estate investors look at investing in foreclosures as a sure bet to increase their wealth and or portfolio but fail to realize the potential pitfalls that await them. Knowing what to do as well as what not to do will save you a ton of money and headaches as you progress into the arena of investing in foreclosures. 

When you finally decide to buy real estate foreclosures, the bottom line is always to make a profit. A good rule of thumb to follow is only consider buying a foreclosure if you stand to make at least a 30% profit no matter what happens. That way, you'll never have to worry whether or not you should make a deal or not. 

Once you learn your local market for investing in foreclosures, you will find yourself keeping an eye on which properties are headed to foreclosure and how to potentially make potentially high profit deals happen on a regular basis. You will also begin networking and becoming familiar with other investors in your area. 

Finally, do not do everything yourself, especially if you are just starting out in the business. You should actively seek out someone more experienced than yourself to model. 

And remember, that education and specialized knowledge are key as well as taking massive action on what you learn along the way will guarantee your success as a pro real estate investor! 

Author: Richard Bleuze

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