Things to Research in a Community Before Buying Pre-Foreclosures
In this current real estate crisis, many people are loosing their homes either because they can’t make the payments or are walking away because their house is worth less then the amount owed. It was reported by CNBC on July 24 that foreclosures now represent half of all the homes sold in the US. Although this is downright scary to a highly leveraged homeowner or speculator this is also an opportunity of a lifetime for anyone looking to buy real estate at these depressed prices.
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 real estate experts including Donald Trump agree that now is a great time to invest in real estate and understand that pre-forecloses offer one of the best, if not the best, real estate opportunities.
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 local authorities to become informed about any infrastructure projects that may be planned within the next two or three years. Things such as new buildings and highways being built or corporations moving into town can be a positive indication of future growth.
- Demographically if there is a high number of elderly people living in town who are home owners, then there could be an over supply of housing in the future, as they move in with family or nursing homes for care.
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.