By: Edward McCarthy
President: Sell By Owner Listings, Inc.

Searching for Foreclosure and Pre-Foreclosure Homes

Foreclosure homes are perhaps among the most lucrative investment for real estate investors. There are several different ways that investors can make a profit from foreclosure homes. Some investors choose to purchase foreclosure homes from an auction for a price that is lower than the market value for the home. This allows the investor to sell the home for a price that is within a few percentages of the market value and still make a profit.

Other investors choose to work with pre-foreclosure homes. These investors work with homeowners to keep their home from being foreclosed. Usually an investor pays the remainder of the balance owed on the home and takes place of the bank. The investor, in turn, extends the homeowner the ability to pay lower payments on the home for a period of time.

No matter which strategy an investor chooses to use when dealing with foreclosed and pre-foreclosed homes, the vast majority of the work comes with finding the homes. There are some general methods that can be used to find these homes.

During the foreclosure process, there are notices recorded with various government agencies. These include the country clerk and the county recorder. Most people are not aware that this information is public record and is available to the general public. If you want to find foreclosure information, you can simply visit the county's office and look for foreclosure notices of homes within your area. By searching the county's office, you don't have to pay a fee for the information. In many cases, you can find information about foreclosures before other data providers have the chance to find it.

The internet is another good place that you can search for foreclosure listings. The good thing about using the internet is that you can find foreclosure locations in places other than your immediate county. There are various websites that offer this information. Some of these websites offer the information for a fee while others offer the information for free. You can find various websites offering foreclosure information by using a search engine.

Local newspapers are another source of foreclosure information. In most cases, the newspaper does not have listings of pre-foreclosure homes. For investors those investors that deal primarily with foreclosure homes, the newspaper is a good source of listings. One of the requirements for a foreclosure to be filed is that a Sale Notice must be filed with the local newspaper. Perusing the newspaper at least once a week for these notices will yield several listings for foreclosure homes.

The government agencies Fannie Mae and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are also sources of listings for foreclosed homes. The websites to these agencies are www.fanniemae.com and www.hud.gov, respectively. Both sites have local listings for homes that have been foreclosed.

It takes work to find foreclosed homes. The information is readily available, but you have to look for it to find it. As long as you know where you can find foreclosed and pre-foreclosed home listings, you are well on your way to investing in these kinds of properties.

Selling your home? Then you need America's #1 Homes for Sale by Owner Advertising Value to help you get the job done!

Have you ever wondered...could I sell my house by owner and not pay a penny in commissions?

Looking for a new home? Search homes by owner today.

Need a home inspection? Search our directory of home inspectors for one near you.

Have questions? Read more about our sell your own home service. Need more information? contact us anytime.