Terms we should all know when referring to Foreclosures and Home Opportunities in this RealEstate Market
Terms you need to know when looking to buy a Foreclosed or REO Property
Bank foreclosures — also referred to as Real Estate Owned (REO) properties — represent great opportunities to acquire real estate at prices well below market value.
If a homeowner falls behind on his or her mortgage payments, the lender — usually a financial institution like a bank — will initiate foreclosure proceedings on the property. If during this time the homeowner and bank can't work out a deal to get the loan current, the property will be put up for auction.
Sometimes a property will fail to sell at auction, or the lender will bid the highest amount to protect its investment, and the home becomes a bank-owned foreclosure. A bank will then try to sell this REO property through a Realtor® or third-party marketing company.
Because banks are in the money-lending business — not the real estate business — they want to sell as quickly as possible. Banks are not very concerned with turning a profit — they just want their money back.
So where can you find bank foreclosures?
Foreclosure.com offers America's most reliable and up-to-date database of bank foreclosure listings. Of course, you can also scour the newspaper and visit local court houses for public announcements and notices about foreclosure auctions. But that'll cost you so much time and unnecessary work.
And timing is everything when buying bank foreclosures. Keep in mind, this process takes time. As a local realtor with access to all the information above, I can save you a significant amount of time and money because I have access to the most recent and upcoming bank owned properties in the valley and with a short click I can send you daily notices of these opportunities. Whether you are ready to buy today or looking for tomorrow, now is the time to make sure you are ready to invest.
Notice of Default - this is the first stage wherein the homeowner receives an official notice of the bank foreclosing on the property due to non-payment of mortgage.
Foreclosure at Auction - if the homeowner fails to settle all mortgage debt including interests and penalties, the property will be foreclosed and an auction date will be set.
Bank REO properties - in the off chance that there was no winning bid during the auction, the property will be reverted back to the bank from which the mortgage loan originated. Thus, the property can now be referred to as bank foreclosure property.
Obviously, the banks will want to sell off the bank owned foreclosure as soon as possible in order to regain whatever capital they have on the property. They price these homes very aggressively and they usually sell for 3-5 % of asking price.
For buyers interested in reo properties for sale, it is important to realize that bank owned homes are sold as is. A professional inspection will be in order if the buyer wants to accurately estimate how much it would cost them to fix up the place.
In no time at all, I can provide you with a shortlist of foreclosure bank owned properties (REO) you can choose from a variety of options. Just drop me a line !