Government Seized Properties – What Realtors don’t want You to Know
Seized and abandoned properties as well as government surpluses are offered to the public through government auctions. There are many government auctions being held across the country every single week. The deals you’ll find here are unprecedented and could be used for personal investing or to start a business.
The government surplus items sold at government auctions are items not required by the federal, state, and local government. These items can come from the government purchasing more than they needed, or technological equipment that has been updated.
Items found at government auctions can also come from businesses that have gone bankrupt. Many of these items found at government auctions can include furniture, computers, electronics, furniture, and miscellaneous equipment. Most people don’t think of these types of items at a government auction, however, it’s where you can get these types of used items the cheapest.
The seized properties offered at these auctions can include foreclosure homes, bankrupt commercial properties, properties owned by convicted criminals, and more. Police have the right to seize a property if the owner is convicted and has to serve time in prison. The most common reason for property being seized is because their owners have neglected to pay their mortgage and/or taxes.
There are many causes as to why a property could be declared abandoned including the owner leaving the property (usually because of property taxes, mortgage default or simply because the property is valued at less then his current mortgage), or the owner dies but there isn’t any living family members on record.
You can find out where government auctions are going to be held in your area, as well as the listings that will be available, through the Internet. There are many government auction websites (some are great and some are scams) that charge a membership fee to provide listings and information regarding abandoned/seized properties, and surplus items.
Read government auction reviews on the web to find out where the best membership deals are. This will help prevent you from falling into the many scams that are on the web.
Best ways to increase your credit score
It used to be that “people” made decisions about your credit worthiness. You knew your banker and your handshake was all the collateral you needed. Those days are long gone, and now a single number – your FICO score – determines your credit worthiness.
Several credit models can be used for this article, however we are going to focus on the Fair, Isaac Company model. Better known as FICO.
Your FICO credit score can be used to determine your interest rate and how much credit a lender will give you. So taking care of your score, and keeping your credit clean will save you money.
Keeping your credit history in good order and improving your rating is not a hard thing to do…but it will take time. Here are a few ideas how to do just that.
FIRST: You need to get a copy of your credit history
You may not have a credit history for several reasons. Maybe you?re a student, maybe you pay all your bills with cash, maybe you have never needed a loan for anything. All this will have an effect on your history.
An easy way to improve your credit history is to get a loan and pay it off onetime. A loan such as a car loan (also known as an installment loan) is generally looked at as more important, and given more value, then a credit card loan.
A second idea is to take a sum of money, let?s say $1000, and put it in to a 6 month CD at a bank or credit union. Then you in turn go and get an installment loan against the first CD as collateral. The final part of this step is to take your new loan and repeat the process 2 more times at a different bank each time.
Let the CD’s mature, paying only the minimum for the 6 months. Once they mature you cash them out and pay off all three loans. Congratulations…you now have a credit history.
SECOND: Maintain Your Good Credit History
Good job – you have paid your bills on time, and do not have high credit card debt. Here’s some ideas to keep your FICO score as high as possible.
You don?t need to close old accounts. (Unless you?re being charged a fee to keep the account open.) Part of the FICO formula is based on the amount of credit available vs. how much you have used.
Here is a thing to think about. Paying off your credit cards every month is good money management, but you may be able to improve in this area. Here’s the scenario: you have a $2000 credit card. Every month, you charge about $1800 to that card. And, every month you pay it off. But here’s what happens – your credit card company reports your credit information monthly to FICO. If they report it before you pay off your card, it looks like you carry a balance on your credit card every month. You may find your FICO score improves if you pay off your credit card at a different time of the month.
THIRD: Repair Your Poor Credit History
At some point there is a very good chance you will have something that causes your credit rating to drop. Don’t panic…poor credit can be fixed. Understand however that the process takes time. In some cases you may need to talk to a credit counselor to assure you address the reasons for the drop as well as remove any future habits that may cause it to drop again.
The most heavily weighted part of your score is based on your payment history. The first thing to do to start repairing your credit history is to pay your bills on time. The mortgage is the most important, followed by installment loans, and finally credit cards.
The next largest portion of your FICO score is based on how you use credit. The fastest way to improve this is to pay down your credit cards.
At the end of all this, make sure you review your credit report. Get one report from all three credit agencies. Read every page. (I know it reads like stereo instructions in Greek) Look at the entries and call and contact the creditors to have them remove any errors.
Your FICO score is an important part of your financial life, and using these strategies may help improve your FICO score. Before making any drastic changes to your finances, consult with a financial advisor.
Advantages of Pre-foreclosures over Foreclosures
Pre-foreclosures are homes and/or property that are about to go into foreclosure. This is where some of the best deals are made. These are generally negotiated directly with the owner, who is eager to avoid the grief of foreclosure.
Pre-foreclosures properties are increasing in numbers every day. Real estate agents understand that investing in pre-foreclosure homes is definitely one of best ways to secure a profit. The timing couldn’t be better then now to get involved in the real estate game because of the sub-prime crisis and other external difficulties facing home owners today.
Rather than going to an auction, buying a pre-foreclosure home may be a better option. At an auction, you usually require the necessary cash on hand in order to participate. Without the down payment, you cannot bid. Buying pre-foreclosure homes, however, doesn’t necessarily require any deposit. This is ideal for anyone with limited liquidity, while still enabling them to purchase the home.
The number one benefit of a pre-foreclosure sale is that you communicate directly with the homeowner whose house you may be purchasing, in a more comfortable setting then at an auction. The home owner will likely be anxious about having their home close to being repossessed, however, they should see you as a potential last hope to receive at least something for their house.
A huge benefit to buying a pre-foreclosure is the ability to examine the property ahead of time. Because the current owner is still living on the property you can physical knock on their door and have a look around and examine the house. You can even discuss with the owner as to any current problems with the functionality of the property. If you time it right and the owner agrees you may also be able to get a home inspection done.
This allows you to determine how much effort, if any, will be required to repair the house and at what cost. This will eliminate much of the risk and will help you make a better decision about if the property would be a good investment or not.
I hope this write-up has educated you as to the benefits of buying pre-foreclosures as an effective means of investing in a property. It all comes down to limiting your risk and being informed enough in order to make the right investment decision within your budget.
Where to look for foreclosures
In a down real estate market, finding foreclosed homes is easy, but to make your search easier, here is the list of the places where you can find foreclosures.
Auctions
Auction companies hold a inventory of properties, sometimes selling as much as 100 homes or more in just 1 day. Since the bidding is relatively quick and houses can be sold in a matter of seconds, prices of real estate can go over the board but you can find really good properties in their inventory.
Major Bank Web sites
Most major banks maintain a list of foreclosed properties that they now own. Visit bank web sites and check out the foreclosed properties listing. More often then not this is a great method to find good solid investment property…just be warned…banks take FOREVER to move on a sale if your offering below what they feels is “Fair market value”.
Online foreclosure companies
There are a few companies online that specialize in selling foreclosed homes. A small,one-time membership fee is charged to anyone who wishes to access the list of foreclosed properties. Once you join you will normally have access to a list of property from across the nation. This is very helpful if you have a part of the country you prefer to invest in.
Real estate agents
These agents are either maintaining personal web sites or deal directly with real estate companies that sell foreclosed properties. You can search them online. Major cities have real estate offices where you can inquire into possibility of acquiring foreclosures. Be sure to ask if the agent is a “buyers agent.”
Real Estate Signs
You don’t need to look anywhere else because you can find foreclosure signs around your neighborhood.These signs contain address and contact information of the agents you can visit or call. The best thing about considering homes with real estate signs is that you can actually check the condition of the house on-site. Nothing is stoping you from walking the property to take a look to see if it is worth looking into. And with one phone call, you can arrange with the agent the date when you want to see the interior of the house.
Government Agencies
VA forclosed homes, Fannie Mae foreclosure homes, Housing Urban Development, Small Business Association, Department of the Treasury and other government agencies have a list of real estate properties for sale. Usually, when buying a house from these agencies, you are required to acquire the services of a real estate broker or personally submit an offer. Go to any of the government agencies web sites for more information.
Modifying Your Mortgage On Your Own
The crisis in the housing industry and the current slide in the economy have made loan modification top news. Literally thousands of Americans are facing home foreclosure, and the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Act of 2009 from Congress has given many homeowners hope that their home loans can be negotiated with a home modification loan, thus resulting in the ability to stay in their homes and make lower monthly mortgage payments.
The main problem is that homeowners are told to try to contact the bank on their own to renegotiate their home mortgage, which usually ends up with frustration and absolutely no change to their mortgage. These homeowners are having no luck at all with companies that seem to be less than helpful.
There is help today for those who are facing foreclosure, but getting that help can be very difficult. When homeowners are in danger of foreclosure, most try to contact the bank by themselves without an attorney’s help. In many of these cases, people never actually do get to talk to a real person, even though they may spend hours on the phone trying to get help with no luck.
There have been many reports of desperate homeowners trying to get in touch with their banks for a loan modification with no results at all. Many have spent hours on the phone, only to get automated responses, put on hold, and given the run around from person to person in the company. Yet in the end nothing has been resolved at all.
At the end of the day they are met only with frustration and no hope in site. One story done by ABC News even highlighted one Congresswoman trying to help her constituents get the loan modification they needed, only to have the same run around, hours on the phone, and still no results.
There is a positive note to this, though, and that is that there is indeed help up there for those who want to try to save their homes. However, it’s a mistake for most of these homeowners to try to do this on their own. If you’re a homeowner who has only experienced frustration and resistance as you tried to save your home, you may be able to avoid foreclosure and stay in your home through the help of loan modification.
For those who are looking for a way that they can get a loan modification to avoid foreclosure, seeking professional help is the key here. If you are getting no results on your own, then it’s time to look for the professional help that can get the results you need. One of the best options is to find a loan modification company that is experienced and to get a free consultation from the company regarding your specific circumstances.
These companies are experienced at dealing with banks and loan modifications and can provide the professional and quality assistance that can get results. The initial consultation is totally free, so homeowners have nothing to lose.
If you’ve tried to resolve your mortgage difficulties by yourself and have just been given the runaround, spending hours on the phone, “talking” to automated messages, or being transferred from department to department or placed on hold, consider working with a company that specializes in loan modifications. If you are in danger of foreclosure, you literally have nothing to lose. Contact an experienced loan modification company today, and have an expert on your side.
