Many people are either losing their homes to foreclosure or walking away because it doesn’t make sense for them to keep making expensive mortgage payments, when the house is worth less then the remaining mortgage. Currently 50% of home sales across the US are foreclosed homes. Although the real estate crisis is worrisome for homeowners, it is providing opportunities for families and investors.
If you look at any successful real estate investor, they have accumulated much of their wealth by buying when there was a downturn in the market. Donald Trump is a good example of someone who was buying up real estate real when everyone else was selling as illustrated in the quote. “When I first started out in Manhattan, everyone was saying what a terrible market it was, and if I’d listened to them, I would not be where I am today. There are always opportunities.” Donald Trump.
Many of the most successful real estate investors currently see this as an opportune time to buy real estate (Mr. Trump is in this list) and see pre-foreclosures as the greatest means in which to negotiate the best deals.
The great thing about buying a pre-foreclosed home is that you are dealing one-on-one with the owner and have a chance to ask questions and inspect the house. Since the bank has time to evaluate the property there is a higher probability of being granted a mortgage.
It is important to understand the surrounding community or macro aspects when purchasing a pre-foreclosed home. Here are some macro aspects to consider:
- Look around the neighborhood to see how many homes are being foreclosed. It’s best that the house you’re considering for purchase is the only one facing foreclosure. Obviously the more homes in forced sale, the more likely the properties will depreciate.
- Check with the local tenants to see what the rent levels are and whether they have been increasing or decreasing over the last little while.
- How strong is the economy at the town and county levels? Is the current employment rate growing or stagnating?
- Check with the local government to see of any upcoming infrastructure projects that will be taking place within 2-3 years. Projects such as new shopping malls, highways, train/subways lines, building permits for new businesses being established, new parks near the property, etc.
- Consider the age of the majority of the population within the community. If the majority of the local population is seniors that own homes, that could translate into an excess of future housing as they move into elderly care facilities.
If you do your due diligence and find positive answers to these questions when considering a pre-foreclosure then you can feel secure that it is a good community in which to invest. Successful real estate investors buy discounted properties at the right location at the right time.
