Preforeclosures – Are they Better then Foreclosures?

Due to the recent real estate collapse, many people across the United States are losing their homes to foreclosure. The period of time before the official foreclosure is called pre-foreclosure. Depending on the state the pre-foreclosure period lasts from seven days to a 60 days. Real estate experts know that the pre-foreclosure period is a great time to purchase a home.

Many houses that are ‘for sale by owner’ are houses that are in a period of pre-foreclosure. The lenders sometimes allow the homeowners to try to sell their home before foreclosing it. The banks are not in the real estate business themselves and would rather the owners sell the home instead of (the lenders) having to foreclose it.

Many Realtors agree that buying a pre-foreclosed home is an excellent idea. Here are many advantages to buying a pre-foreclosed home from a homeowner rather than a foreclosed home at a government auction:

- A pre-foreclosed home could actually be cheaper then foreclosure because you are dealing one-on-one with an owner who desperately wants to avoid foreclosure.

- Because you are working with the owner you’ll be able to ask questions about the property you wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

- You won?t have to worry about things becoming hectic like they would at a government auction.

- You will be given more time to consider your finances before making the decision to purchase a pre-foreclosed home.

- Auctions can be either overwhelming or lead to egotistical or emotional decisions.

- You have more time to have a pre-foreclosed home inspected than you would at an auction. You will be aware of any potential problems the house may have.

- You don’t need all the cash up front like you would at an auction. You can pay a down payment for as low as a few hundred dollars!

Make sure you bring along an inspector when you check out a pre-foreclosed home. You should also check to make sure there are no past judgement liens or unpaid taxes on the property. The risks in buying a pre-foreclosed home are about the same as buying a home the traditional way through a real estate company, but there are a lot more advantages! You can even buy a pre-foreclosed home and then resell it for twice as much!

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