It’s no wonder that the foreclosures market is gaining popularity among first-time buyers and real estate bargain hunters alike. Foreclosure properties can often be purchased at 10 to 30 percent less than their market value, making them an attractive investment in a time of soaring real estate prices.

But despite what you may see on late-night cable TV, investing in foreclosure properties isn’t a sure fire “get rich quick” formula. Lenders aren’t likely to give properties away, particularly in a real estate market where prices continue to rise. And homeowners in financial distress still have some leverage to negotiate the purchase price, particularly early in the foreclosure process.

“You have to practice both diligence and patience when looking to buy a foreclosure property,” explains Jim Saccacio, chief executive officer for RealtyTrac. “There really are some fantastic deals out there, but you have to be willing to wait for the right opportunity, then make a realistic offer so the seller will view you as a serious buyer.”

With interest rates ticking upward, experts predict an increase in the number of foreclosure properties on the market. Web-based services such as RealtyTrac, give consumers access to foreclosure and pre-foreclosure information that was previously available only to professional real estate brokers and investors. Today, homebuyers can use these services to identify and research potential home purchases, as well as to find the tools and professional resources they need to help them close the deal.

Sales in this marketplace can move rather quickly, so there’s no time to make uninformed or low-ball bids on properties in a half-hearted attempt to save a few bucks. Nothing turns a seller off faster than a low-ball offer on a fairly-priced property. In most cases, doing so may irritate the seller so much that no further negotiations will be entertained, meaning that you’ve essentially lost any opportunity to buy the property. Conversely, making an uninformed offer that is too high may get you the house you want — along with a never-ending monthly reminder that you overpaid!

Find out what the house is really worth
In order to make a realistic offer, you first need to know what the actual value of the property is. Look at the original purchase price and recent comparable property sales to determine the current value of the property. You can obtain information on recent sales in the area from your realtor or via RealtyTrac’s Comparable Sales Report. Ideally, you should look at sales in the area over the past six months. Then you can drive by each property on your list and note its condition, size, appeal and location. You should also look for properties that are currently listed for sale in the area and research the same information for them. This information, along with a thorough examination of the condition of the property, should give you a good feel for what it is really worth.

Find out how much is owed
You should also find out the amount the seller is in default and the remaining loan balance. In order to determine a reasonable offer price, you’ll need to know, at a minimum, how much money it will take just to satisfy the debt to the lender (or lenders). Knowing this will help you determine whether the property is within your price range or unattainable considering your current finances.

The estimated loan amount and default amount are included in the foreclosure documents filed with public records, and RealtyTrac posts this information online for subscribers.  Additionally you can order RealtyTrac’s Legal and Vesting Report or Transaction History Report to check for any other mortgage loans on the property.

Ultimately, even if you’ve presented what you believe to be a fair offer, you’re likely to receive a counter offer from the seller. That’s to be expected as the negotiation process is a major part of real estate sales in general, even foreclosures. Remember, a successful negotiator in any situation must be informed, prepared and realistic. Again, you must practice patience and diligence in order to get the property you want for a price you are willing to pay.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that real estate purchases can be rather emotional, especially as you grow attached to the idea of owning a particular property. It’s important to know what you are willing to spend on a home, regardless of your emotional attachment to it, so you need to set a limit and stick to it.

One of the most overlooked and underestimated expenses involved in the purchase of a home is the cost of repairs. Whether the problem is a defective part in an appliance, a structural problem overlooked by the home inspector or just Murphy’s Law making its presence felt, it’s rarely the case that someone can buy a property and move in without spending at least a few dollars to fix, repair or replace something.

While these types of expenses are generally minimal in new homes and well-kept resale properties, they can be fairly significant when the home in question is a foreclosure property.

As housing prices have escalated over the past few years, more and more people have started to look at foreclosure properties as an affordable alternative to more traditional real estate purchases. It’s not unusual for a buyer to acquire a foreclosure property for 10 or 20% less than full market value, and sometimes at much more dramatic discounts of 40 and 50% or more. And online sources such as RealtyTrac make it easier than ever to find foreclosure properties. But while the savings possible on foreclosure properties are real and really attractive there are sometimes hidden costs involved.

One of these hidden costs is the cost of repairs. Foreclosure properties come in all shapes and sizes–from run-down mobile homes to palatial estates overlooking the ocean. But they all have at least one thing in common: their owner was in some state of financial difficulty. Generally, this means that a property in foreclosure may not have been kept up as well as a home buyer might like. It’s nearly a certainty that the typical foreclosure property hasn’t benefited from the type of pre-sales work that many homeowners perform to increase the sales price of their homes. And, as a rule, most foreclosure properties are offered as-isleaving it up to the buyer to find anything physically wrong with the property.

Is it worth saving 1% on a home purchase if it means doing extensive repairs? Probably not, for most people. On the other hand, saving $20,000 on the purchase may make it worth your while to invest in home repairs.

Determining the degree of disrepair can be something of a challenge as well. Early in the foreclosure process, when an owner is in Notice of Default (NOD), he or she may not be interested in discussing the sale of the home, making it impossible to do a thorough inspection. At the auction, or Notice of Trustee Sale (NTS) phase, bidders are generally required to buy the property as is, at the courthouse. And once the home has been foreclosed on by the bank, becoming a Real Estate Owned (REO) property, arrangements to inspect the property often need to be made with the lender.

Foreclosure properties certainly present an attractive bargain, and often the amount of money needed to repair a foreclosure home is inconsequential compared to the possible savings. In fact, many successful investors have made a career buying, rehabbing and then selling these types of properties at a significant profit, says Jim Saccacio, chief executive officer for RealtyTrac, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties. But buyers do need to be diligent about determining the repair costs that will be incurred after the purchase. A property isn’t really a bargain if the cost of repairs equals or outweighs the savings on the purchase.

Many investors routinely budget 10% of the purchase price of a foreclosure home for repairs. In a typical scenario, where a property with an estimated market value of $150,000 might be sold during the foreclosure process for $120,000, a 20% discount that would amount to a repair budget of $12,000. In this scenario, the homebuyer still saves $18,000 on the purchase price, and likely increases the value of the home by doing the repairs. Each property, and each situation, is different. But it’s important to note that a difference of 10% in either the discount or repair costs would dramatically alter the financial outcome.

Example 1
Estimated Value: $150,000
20% Discount: $ 30,000
Purchase Price: $120,000
10% Repair Budget: $ 12,000
Total Cost: $132,000
Total Savings: $ 18,000

Example 2
Estimated Value: $150,000
10% Discount: $ 15,000
Purchase Price: $135,000
10% Repair Budget: $ 13,500
Total Cost: $148,500
Total Savings: $ 1,500

Example 3
Estimated Value: $150,000
20% Discount: $ 30,000
Purchase Price: $120,000
20% Repair Budget: $ 24,000
Total Cost: $144,000
Total Savings: $ 6,000

If you’re interested in buying a foreclosure property, the following tips should help ensure that you’ll really get your money’s worth.

1. Physically Inspect the Property
It’s imperative to physically inspect the property if at all possible. In some cases, such as auctions, there is little or no possibility of an inspection. However, if you are able to negotiate a deal with the property owner directly during NOD, or pre-foreclosure, it may be possible to set up a walk-through prior to conducting the sale. During the pre-foreclosure period, the owner has a chance to sell the property or pay off the amount owed before the property is sold at public auction or repossessed by the bank. You’ll also be able to set up a physical inspection if you purchase the property directly from the foreclosing bank after the property has been repossessed. You can locate pre-foreclosures, auctions and bank-owned properties by checking with the local recorder’s office or through online services like RealtyTrac, which maintains the nation’s largest database of foreclosure properties.

If you’re not able to physically inspect the inside of the property, assess the property’s condition as much as possible by driving by and looking at the exterior. Add extra padding into your repair budget for unexpected problems. When there is no physical inspection of the interior, most experts recommend that you cap your purchase price at no more than 70% of the property’s estimated market value. You can determine a property’s estimated market value using Comparable Sales, which are available through MLS listing from your real estate agent or online through RealtyTrac.

You should never assume the property is in move-in shape simply because the owner says it is. Even if the home owner is being completely honest, he or she probably isn’t as accurate or objective in assessing the condition of the home as most real estate professionals would be. And an owner may be completely unaware of a major problem with the home. The bottom line is that you need to do your own research and be as thorough as possible.

It’s wise to hire a professional inspector to come along with you. The trained eye of a professional inspector is priceless in this case because, regardless of how diligent you are in previewing the property yourself, you will undoubtedly miss items an inspector would catch. Make sure the inspector checks the electrical wiring and moisture levels, as well as asbestos, lead and carbon monoxide levels, especially in homes built prior to the 1990s.

2. Note Every Detail that Needs to be Fixed and the Estimated Cost for Each Repair
Have your inspector provide a list of all necessary repairs and, if possible, a ballpark estimate for what each of the repairs might cost. You can also ask the inspector for professional referrals for each individual problem area (roofing, plumbing, etc.). You can check with those professionals for approximate costs. Either way, you’ll know the true cost of the property you are buying.

If you find that your repair list is quite lengthy, you may want to reconsider whether the property is actually worth purchasing. If you’re dealing with home owners in default, you can’t expect them to have the resources to pay for any repairs before they sell the house, but you can use the cost of repairs to negotiate a lower purchase price. That’s why it’s imperative that you accurately document every single repair cost.

If you buy a bank-owned property, the bank will have the resources to make repairs, but they will roll their repair costs into the price of the house. And the bank may not be as motivated as you to get the best prices for the necessary repair work. If you want the best bargain, you’re often better off agreeing to buy the house as-is from the bank.

3. Distinguish Between Cosmetic and Structural Repairs
While you may be completely correct that the property could use a new coat of paint and some fresh carpeting, your first concerns should be structural. For most people, this can be tough because it’s inherently difficult to look beyond a home’s aesthetic appeal when deciding whether or not to purchase it. Beyond that, most people don’t really know how to determine the structural integrity of a property, unless the defect is so obvious that the home probably shouldn’t even be considered for a purchase. This is yet another reason why it’s imperative to hire the services of a professional inspector: to keep you on task when determining what repairs the property actually needs to make it suitable for living.

Especially with older properties, another point to consider is that homes do require a certain amount of ongoing maintenance. It’s expected that any home will at some point need a new roof or appliances. Don’t let this cloud your judgment or turn you off. Instead, focus on signs of necessary repair such as leaks in the roof or other damage. Make sure all appliances are at least in working order and not emitting dangerous fumes. Overall, you should be more concerned with damage than age.

This is not to say that cosmetic repairs shouldn’t be taken into consideration. However, they should be prioritized properly, so that any repairs that make the property safe and livable are taken care of first. Your goal should be to prioritize a list of repairs from most to least crucial. You can use the information for negotiation and keep yourself on track for what should be handled first when you purchase the property.

The bottom line: know what your priorities are. Remember, while that gold-colored crown molding might be an eyesore, replacing it won’t make you sleep any better on a rainy night under a leaky roof.

4. Get as Much Information from the Owner as Possible about the Property’s History
Aside from the tips mentioned, it’s a good idea to get some history on any home you are thinking about buying. Actually talking with the owner of a property about what has been done to it over time is a great way to learn about potential flaws or concerns to look out for. You should ask what repairs have been made and when, as well as whether any structural changes have been made and whether these changes were permitted under the local building codes. Inquire whether the seller has paperwork to back up repairs that have been made. This information may alleviate suspicions you have about repairs that have supposedly been made and may also be helpful when applying for home insurance for the property.

Of course, you’ll only have the opportunity to talk with the owner if you’re purchasing pre-foreclosure. If you buy at the auction or from the bank, you’re buying from a third party who has no knowledge about the history of the property.

It’s important to estimate the cost of repairs when you purchase a foreclosure property, but your strategy for estimating those costs will vary depending on the status of foreclosure. You’ll usually have the most accurate estimate when you buy directly from the owner during pre-foreclosure because you’ll be able to conduct a complete physical inspection and find out information about the property’s history from the owner.

If you buy a bank-owned property, you’ll still be able to perform a complete physical inspection, but you should allow for a little extra room in your repairs budget because you won’t be able to find out about the property’s history. You’ll need to pad your repairs budget even more if you purchase a property at public auction, where you usually won’t be able to physically inspect the inside of the property.

When you properly account for the repair costs when buying a foreclosure, you’re much more likely to realize a great bargain on your next home or investment property.

Foreclosure properties can be a terrific investment, or give home buyers a much more affordable option than traditional properties in this time of escalating prices. But, before you jump in assuming this is “real-estate for dummies” or the next get-rich-quick scheme, think again! You really need to know your stuff when it comes to navigating your way through the process and making sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

“For people willing to do some homework, the foreclosure market offers some of the best opportunities in real estate today,” explains James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer at RealtyTrac, the leading online foreclosure marketplace.

Web-based services like RealtyTrac can help investors and homebuyers tap into this previously hidden market by providing access to foreclosure and pre-foreclosure information typically available only to professional real estate brokers and investors. Today, homebuyers can use these services to identify and research potential home purchases, as well as to find the tools and professional resources they need to help them close the deal.

When offering advice to buyers interested in taking advantage of the foreclosures market, Saccacio stresses the importance of educating oneself about the types of properties and the processes involved. Even seasoned real estate investors have something to learn when it comes to approaching this market. It’s important to go in with the appropriate knowledge.

Types of Properties Available at Various Stages of the Process
Serious buyers must first understand the difference between the varying types of foreclosure properties. It’s important to review the basic types of properties, each representing a different stage in the foreclosure process.

Pre-foreclosure Properties
A property enters pre-foreclosure after a default notice is filed by the foreclosing lender against the borrower who owns the property. The different notices that are filed during pre-foreclosure include Notice of Default (NOD), Lis Pendens (LIS), Notice of Trustee Sale (NTS) and Notice of Foreclosure Sale (NFS). For most consumers, buying a pre-foreclosure property from a private homeowner is the most favorable of options. This is a best-case scenario because the seller is able to get out from under a mortgage without destroying his or her credit rating, the lender is saved the time and expense of foreclosing on the property, and the buyer gets a below-market price on a home. In addition, buying at this stage of the process allows you, the buyer, a chance to fully evaluate the property before making an offer.

The disadvantages associated with purchasing a property during the pre-foreclosure stage are few, but worth mentioning. As with any major purchase, negotiations between the buyer and seller can be difficult, especially since the seller would typically prefer not to have to sell the property in the first place. Secondly, transactions are time-sensitive, since there is pressure to complete a sale before the property goes to auction.

Auction Sales
Foreclosure auction sales are typically the domain of the professional investor. These properties are formally in default, and sold to the highest bidder at an auction. Buyers are required to be physically present at the auction and must be prepared to pay 100 percent of the sale price in cash on the spot.

Though foreclosure auctions can offer significant savings as well as immediate property ownership, they are not for the faint of heart or the uninformed! Unless the buyer is already familiar with a particular property, there is usually little time to examine it. And, the buyer will be competing against professional investors and the lender at the auction. 

See more info about the: Foreclosure process in Prescott Arizona

Real-Estate-Owned Properties
Once the lender officially reclaims a home, it is classified as Real Estate Owned by the lender (REO). While REO properties typically offer more time for evaluation and a more standard bank-managed transaction, their prices are usually very close to full retail market value. Therefore, they offer buyers the lowest potential savings.

It’s definitely possible to find great deals in the foreclosures market. You just need to know where to look and be able to differentiate exactly what you’re looking at. With an understanding of the pros and cons of buying at each stage of the process, you’ll be well on your way to a successful purchase you can be proud of.