| Pre-foreclosures - How to Find the Right Location |
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| Written by Julia Clark |
| Saturday, 16 August 2008 15:40 |
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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. Donald Trump is a great example of someone who was investing in real estate during a downturn in the market. Now look at him! "There are always opportunities", he is quoted as saying. "When I first started out in Manhattan, everyone was saying what a terrible market it was". He admits if he had listened to the nay Sayers he won't be were he is today. 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 main reason is unlike foreclosures, a pre-foreclosure is made privately between the owner and buyer and therefore avoids the bank auction foreclosure process. This provides many advantages to the buyer including more time to inspect the inside of the house and a better chance to establish a mortgage with a bank. There are macro (local community, etc.) and micro aspects to take into consideration when looking for a pre-foreclosed home. Here are the some of the macro aspects: - 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. - Ask around to find out what the average rate for rent is in the neighborhood and if it has changed lately. This will indicate if local housing demand is on the rise or not. - What is the employment rate in the area? If declining then that may indicate that it's not the right area in which to invest. Does the local economy appear to be stable? - 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. About the Author: To find the top pre-foreclosure sites the web has to offer go to government auctions review or go straight to pre-foreclosures Kindly provided by LJ-Marketing.dk You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include the link just before this text. |