Let us create a 3D eBook for you!
Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com

 

A Possible Bargain: Foreclosed Properties


In the superheated San Francisco Bay Area property market, foreclosed properties are available at as much as 40% below market value, writes Srini Saripalli.The last few months of a calendar year are considered sluggish for transacting real estate, but Silicon Valley seems to be an exception to this. Properties are appreciating rapidly at this time of the year and this year has been one of the best years for selling real estate.

Understanding the marketplace and rationalizing the escalating prices has become difficult for investors and homebuyers . At a time when real estate prices are soaring there are still many opportunities to buy properties that are 30 percent to 40 percent below market value. Foreclosures are one of the best ways to find great bargains.

So what is a foreclosure?

A foreclosure is a legal process that a lender initiates after the borrower fails to repay the loan as per the terms of the contract. The lender initiates the foreclosure process to reclaim the possession and ownership of the property. For example, let's say a borrower has a mortgage of $1 million on his property that is worth $1.5 million. Let's assume monthly payments on a $1million mortgage are about $9,000. If the borrower misses three consecutive monthly payments, then at the end of the 90th day or third month the lender will file a "Notice of Default" at the county recorder's office. This is the notice that indicates pending foreclosure proceedings. It also indicates the auction date. At this time the borrower will have the following options:

Pay off all the back payments, penalties and legal fees if any and make the loan current

As the borrower in the example has equity of $500,000 he can convert a part of that to cash by re-financing the property. Re-financing a property in foreclosure is usually difficult.

Sell the property and payoff the mortgage, provided the proceeds from the sale equal or higher than the mortgage amount.

The opportunity to buy a pre-foreclosure property opens the day the "Notice of Default" is filed. The opportunity ends on the day the property is sold at the auction. The time between these two events enables a buyer to work with the homeowner and the lender to negotiate and structure a deal that could be extremely profitable. This is the only time in the entire foreclosure process where the buyer can use conventional mortgage, hard moneylenders or creative financing techniques to buy the property.

Once a "Notice of Default" is filed it becomes public information, and usually there is a lot of competition from other investors due to this filing. Hence to avoid competition experienced investors use various farming techniques to spot owners before the "Notice of Default" is filed. Properties can also be bought in auctions at bargain prices too, but one would need cash for the purchase. Bidding in an auction sale is extremely risky and one needs lot of experience and skill.

What is the motivation of the seller?

Once a borrower defaults on a loan his credit is at serious risk. A foreclosure stays on the credit report for a minimum of seven years. This is the prime reason why people who have defaulted their payments are extremely motivated to avoid a foreclosure proceeding.

Borrowers in foreclosure are sometimes difficult to deal with, as they are confused and scared. Their self-esteem is low and they are in need of support from someone who understands the process. As a buyer your motive should always be to help them in their tough times. If any time during the transaction a seller perceives that you are taking advantage of his or her situation, he/she always walk away from the deal.

Srini Saripalli is a real estate investor and business development consultant to Fortune 500 companies. He lives in San Jose, Calif. Srini can be reached at: http://www.srinisaripalli.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Real Estate - Google News

TEXT: S&P: Nomura Real Estate Residential Fund Bonds Rated 'A' - Reuters


TEXT: S&P: Nomura Real Estate Residential Fund Bonds Rated 'A'
Reuters
8, 2012--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services today assigned its 'A' rating to Nomura Real Estate Residential Fund Inc.'s (NRF; A/Stable/A-1) proposed JPY5 billion series 2 unsecured bonds, due Feb. 24, 2017. The rating on NRF reflects its relatively ...

Apple Valley real estate developer rejects offer in San Bernardino County ... - San Bernardino Sun


Apple Valley real estate developer rejects offer in San Bernardino County ...
San Bernardino Sun
By Mike Cruz, The (San Bernardino County) Sun SAN BERNARDINO - Apple Valley real estate developer John Dino DeFazio, who is charged with six counts of perjury related to a county corruption probe, turned down a plea bargain offered by prosecutors ...

and more »

Asia real-estate bull turns bearish - MarketWatch


MarketWatch

Asia real-estate bull turns bearish
MarketWatch
“Singapore and Hong Kong are two of the freest economies in the world, yet you pay more in stamp duties [real-estate transaction taxes] now than you would in London, because they are very worried about the markets continuing to overheat,” Murphy said.

and more »

Rogue Valley Commercial Real Estate In Upswing - KDRV


KDRV

Rogue Valley Commercial Real Estate In Upswing
KDRV
Signs advertising commercial space for sale are not hard to find in the Rogue Valley, but local real estate agencies say these spaces are gradually becoming easier to fill. Strips of retail or office space are seen in many areas around Medford.
Q&A: Broker's job expands as market contractsPress-Enterprise

all 3 news articles »

Real estate market likely to see an increase in M&A activity - China Daily


China Daily

Real estate market likely to see an increase in M&A activity
China Daily
By Hu Yuanyuan (China Daily) BEIJING - China will see more mergers and acquisitions in the real estate sector this year, with domestic players continuing to dominate the market, according to industry analysts. The cash flow of property developers will ...

and more »

Real estate developer says he plans to make cash bid for Philadelphia's 2 ... - Washington Post


Real estate developer says he plans to make cash bid for Philadelphia's 2 ...
Washington Post
PHILADELPHIA — A wealthy real estate developer said Tuesday he and four partners plan to make an offer to buy the city's two largest newspapers, whose downtown offices he already owns. Bart Blatstein said he plans to pursue an acquisition of some or ...

and more »

Real estate market rebounding - Park Record


Real estate market rebounding
Park Record
The Park City Board of REALTORS shut the book on the 2011 real estate market, releasing their annual report on last year's number of sales, sales prices and number of foreclosures. 2011 sales increased by a total of six percent from the year before ...
Real Estate Market Picks UpKIII TV3

all 2 news articles »

Alexandria Real Estate Q4 FFO Rises - Quick Facts - NASDAQ


Data Center Knowledge

Alexandria Real Estate Q4 FFO Rises - Quick Facts
NASDAQ
(RTTNews.com) - Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (ARE) Tuesday reported an increase in funds from operations for the fourth quarter, as revenues grew. Funds from operations, FFO, attributable to common stockholders for the quarter was $67.8 million ...
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Year Ended ...MarketWatch (press release)
2011 Operating Results And Increased 2012 Guidance Announced By National ...Daily Markets (press release)
BRE Properties 4Q Net Soars As FFO ImprovesWall Street Journal
RTT News -4-traders (press release) -Business Wire (press release)
all 68 news articles »

REAL ESTATE: Refinancing expanding for Fannie/Freddie borrowers - Press-Enterprise


Daily Mail

REAL ESTATE: Refinancing expanding for Fannie/Freddie borrowers
Press-Enterprise
With the changes that are expected to make the program much more effective, the program is being called HARP II by those in the real estate and mortgage industries. Probably the most significant improvement is that it lifts the ceilings on the amount ...
US mortgage giant plans massive auction of foreclosure propertiesA Place in the Sun

all 143 news articles »

The Real Estate Book Helps Agents Go Mobile in Just Minutes With Free Online ... - MarketWatch (press release)


The Real Estate Book Helps Agents Go Mobile in Just Minutes With Free Online ...
MarketWatch (press release)
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA, Feb 07, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- With more and more consumers relying on mobile devices for local information, real estate professionals can no longer ignore this increasingly important channel when marketing properties.
The Real Estate Book Helps Agents Go MobileRisMedia.com (press release)

all 4 news articles »

Click here for Best Buy In-Store Pickup

StreetSideAuto.com

Looking For Royalty Free Photos for your Website, Business or Advertising?

My Life Through The Lens

List4Sale Domain Is For Sale - $10,000 For Enquiries eMail Us

© www.List4Sale.biz 2011

home | site map | links

eXTReMe Tracker