February 9, 2012

Real Estate Foreclosures – an Alternative

real estate foreclosures
Greg Cox asked:


If you have the desire to start your own business and get yourself a start-up kit form someone who will tell you the “insider secrets” on how to do it, you will have no shortage of materials to buy. Most of these are not very good. Some of the material that is good, the market may not be a good as it first seemed.

Let’s examine one of these markets – real estate foreclosures.

I spent a year trying to buy foreclosures for profit and never did. I did not just piddle with it either. I was very serious and dedicated a lot of time to it. Here is my story. First a few facts



Every foreclosure that goes to auction has about $5,000 – $10,000 of legal fees tacked onto depending on your state

It is difficult to find out what will be sold on auction day. Most foreclosures go through a handful of law firms. These firms do not want to take calls from potential buyers all day asking them what is going to sell. That cost them money to have someone take those phone calls and you calling them does not help their business

If there are 100 properties in a county that are scheduled to go to auction in a month, only 20% will be auctioned

One cannot go inside a house that is slated for auction unless you can sweet talk your way in. These people are not listing their house for sale, it is being sold for them

Most houses that are foreclosed on have liens that are less than three years old. This means the current owner has very little equity in the property

If you buy the house, you could be buying liens against it also. You have to search county records to find out

Foreclosures auctions need to be settled with cash or cashiers check



Knowing all this I did my homework, I knew the market price a house could sell for, I took pictures of the houses, I got inside a few, I had an estimate of what it would take to get it ready for market. From all this I was able to determine what my top bid price was on every property.

At the auctions, 90% of the properties had a STARTING bid over my top price. When you look at the equity they had a plus the attorneys fees, it just went up. Out of what was left, I wound up bidding against realtors. A realtor has a cost advantage over a non-realtor because they do not have to pay listing fees. I did buy two houses at auctions. On each one, I got a phone call the next day saying the owner worked out a deal with the lender. I got my money back. I was able to find out that this happens on about 50% of sales.

Bottom line with 100 houses set for foreclosures, here is what happens

20 sell at auction 18 sell higher than a top bid 1 that sells is refunded

That leaves 1 house to buy and you compete with some one who has a cost advantage.

Many people make money on foreclosures, but it is a hard industry to break in especially considering the cash needs. Regardless of all the things going against it, buying foreclosed homes attracts many people looking to make extra money.

If someone is looking to make extra money, why not consider an easier market to break into. Would a market that has the following characteristics be more attractive?



The entry point is a little as a two hundred dollars

Many people will not go into the marketplace as a dealmaker because they look down on the industry for no real reason. This means more opportunity for those in it

More deals to spread the risk around

You sell to people who are already emotionally attached to your product

Deal turn around ranges from 1 week to a couple of months

Average deal return is around 15%

The more you do the, greater the probability of investing in deals that can return 500%

All online

Nationwide deals are available



The industry we are talking about is ticket brokering to concerts, theater and sporting events.

People can get started with a few hundred dollars or have thousands of dollars in inventory. Many people turn their nose up at this industry because they call it “scalping”. While we make no attempt to shy away from the scalping moniker, we do ask the question – “what exactly is wrong with buying from the source and selling it at market prices?” Since when is capitalism a bad thing?

One can be a ticket broker from their home computer and do as many deals a week as they want. There is nothing limiting you from buying and selling for events all over the country.

 



Find a Foreclosure Home Now!

Quick Cash in Foreclosures


Quick Cash in Foreclosures is a basic guide to profiting from foreclosed properties in the state of Texas. This book all the steps in the foreclosure process:

  • Finding bargains homes
  • Buying and selling foreclosed properties
  • A step-by-step guide on negotiating with sellers at the pre-foreclosure stage
  • Flipping or assigning the property to another investor for quick profit.

For first-time investors and experienced investors alike, Quick Cash in Foreclosures offers all the tools and tips the everyday investor needs to profit from foreclosure properties. Read more

Real Estate Foreclosure Paralegal Practice and Procedure

Real Estate Foreclosure Paralegal Practice and Procedure: 1995 Supplement

Foreclosure doesn’t have to be the end of the world

These days, foreclosures are affecting all kinds of people and  properties. If you are facing foreclosures, you might feel  feel helpless, hopeless, and resigned to giving up your house without trying to save it.

If so, cheer up! You actually have some good, solid options to take control of the situation, avoid foreclosure proceedings, and even protect your credit.

Depending on which option you choose, Stop Foreclosure Now will help you: * decide whether your property is really worth saving * figure out how much time you have to respond * negotiate with your lender * use the courts to stop the foreclosure * decide whether bankruptcy is a good option * arrange to refinance your property * sell your property quickly Includes all the necessary forms and step-by-step instructions.

The book is covers 5 specific topics

  1. Promissory notes, mortgages, and deeds of trust.
  2. Differences between judicial and non-judicial foreclosure
  3. Various strategies homeowners can utilize to stop the foreclosure and save their homes
  4. Specific foreclosure procedures in each of the 50 states.
  5. It includes a nifty map of each states and that state’s website (which you can access for updates on foreclosure laws).

The final section contains a glossary of commonly used real estate terms. This book is a valuable new addition to my real estate library, and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to learn more about foreclosure

Avoiding Problems with Home Owners Associations

The purpose of a home owners association is to keep up and manage the neighborhood including public parks, roads, and pools. If you live in a community with a homeowners association, you are obligated to pay dues – which can be anything from $100 to $10,000 a year, depending on the neighborhood and its amenities.

Homeowners are also obligated to live by the association’s rule book, also known as covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs). An elected, volunteer board of directors is responsible for enforcing these rules.

The regulations vary widely but typically cover such things as the color of your house, the kinds of trees you may plant, where you can park your car and whether you can rent out your home.

In some neighborhoods, homeowners have faced fines for such offenses as flying the American flag, decorating for unapproved holidays or putting the wrong color curtains in their windows.

Homeowners associations even have the right to foreclose on those who fail to pay their association dues.

According to a study by Sentinel Fair House, a fair housing group in California, associations were responsible for 18 percent of all foreclosure actions in five counties they studied over a 12-month period. All told, associations foreclosed on about 70 houses in five counties for amounts of less than $2,500 – including legal fees.

Before you purchase a house, spend some time researching the home owners association. Learn about their rules, conditions, and restrictions. Finally, learn if there has been any complaints filed against the home owners association.

Getting Out of Foreclosure

getting out of foreclosureGetting Out of Foreclosure is a timely publication for homeowners facing the stressful foreclosure process. The author packs his handbook with realistic, no-nonsense advise for homeowners losing their hom

.Getting Out Of Foreclosure was written for people with little or no knowledge of the foreclosure process. This book will save you thousands of dollars in unnecessary legal expenses, save you from hours of confusion and unnecessary heartache, and alert you of the various scams used by real estate opportunist targeting foreclosed property and distressed homeowners.

You will also be guided through the foreclosure process and introduce them to the variety of players whose goal it is to either help or hinder your success.

Getting Out of Foreclosure can be read in one afternoon. It quickly gives the homeowner the information necessary to make competent and informed decisions for saving their home.

Foreclosure Myths: 77 Secrets to Saving Thousands on Distressed Properties!

In Foreclosure Myths: 77 Secrets to Saving Thousands on Distressed Properties, Realtor Ralph Roberts and Certified Mortgage Consultant Chip Cummings expose the 77 myths that prevent would-be homeowners and real estate investors from pursuing from foreclosure investing.

You will learn how to distinguish the difference between good and bad deals. You will also learn how it is to find, evaluate, and obtain foreclosure properties, and unveil the power of using other people’s money to leverage your own personal investments.

Foreclosure Myths: 77 Secrets to Saving Thousands on Distressed Properties includes quotes and stories from many of the nation’s top industry professionals, with contributions from real estate investors, attorneys, real estate agents, industry insiders, and top foreclosure experts from across the country. The book also incorporates a healthy Appendix packed with state and national foreclosure guidelines, including valuable contracts and websites, sample forms, checklists, and all the necessary tools you need to find, evaluate, secure, and profit from foreclosure properties.

Buy A House With Poor Credit

Buying a house is in reach for everybody, even those with poor credit. Even with bad credit, you can secure a mortgage with reasonable rates and terms.  If you do have bad credit, plan on getting the best rates possible by following these three tips. [Read more...]