Showing posts with label rehabbing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rehabbing. Show all posts

Monday, March 29, 2010

Bank Owned House Explained

Nowadays, many people are cutting back on their expenses because of the sluggish economy. Spending less on trivial things is actually a prudent move on their part. With the current state of the country’s finances, one can never be too careful with one’s hard-earned savings.

For real estate investors, meanwhile, one of the best ways to cut back on your expenses when rehabbing properties is to buy a bank owned house. Popularly known as real estate owned houses or REOs, these properties are being sold at rock-bottom prices because the banks and lenders that own them have no choice but to sell them as quickly as possible.

A bank owned home is a property foreclosed by banks and lenders after its homeowner defaulted on his or her mortgage. Unlike ordinary foreclosures, however, an REO failed to get bids at the auction, which forces the bank to take legal ownership of the property in question.

As we all know, banks and lenders are not in the business of selling homes. Being as such, they are required to clear their inventories of real estate. Failure to do so may result in profit losses or sanctions from industry regulators. To avert such a disaster, banks will sell REOs at very low prices to easily attract the attention of buyers. They would rather sell low than not to make the sale at all.



To buy a bank owned house, meanwhile, the first thing you need to do is contact a realtor. A realtor, or a real estate agent, can help you find the cheapest and the best property to rehab. If you don’t know how to make an initial contact with the bank or lender, a realtor can also help you with such a task.

With the help of a realtor, you can now go house hunting. Bear in mind that there are lots of REOs available in a particular area, which is why you need to check out as many properties as possible to ensure that you’ll make the most of your purchase. After you’ve chosen the house that meets your criteria, you should head to the bank with the realtor in tow and express your intent to buy the property.

Another important pointer to remember: never buy an REO without giving it a thorough check-up. Who knows, certain problems might be lurking behind its walls and you’ll get to find them out only when you have already purchased the property. Once the inspection is complete, close the deal with the bank, ASAP.

Buying a bank owned house is indeed a great way to minimize expenses and maximize profits when rehabbing homes. To learn more about these great properties, visit www.REIWired.com.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Real Estate Investing Tips on Buying Bank Owned Homes for Profit

Dreaming of building a great real estate empire? Well, you’ve come to the right place because this article will give you an insight into one of the best ways to build wealth in the real estate investing business – by investing in bank owned homes.

Bank owned homes, or real estate owned houses (REOS), are considered some of the hottest investment properties in the real estate market today. In fact, they are extremely popular among real estate investors and conventional homebuyers because of their affordable prices. So if you want to buy these hot properties, here are some real estate investing tips to help you get started:

1. Check out as many REOs as you can. Don’t limit your choice to a single bank owned property. As much as possible, check out all the available real estate owned houses in the area you want to invest in so you can have more properties to choose from. Always remember that more choices mean more opportunities to make money in real estate.


2. Determine comparable sales and the history of the property. Once you have singled out the REO that you want to buy, perform due diligence. You might have probably heard this a million times but studying the comps and the property’s history will help you determine the market value of the REO in question, as well as give you an idea on what your initial offer to the bank that owns the property would be.


3. Inspect the house. One of the most important real estate investing tips on buying bank owned homes that you should remember is never sign a deed of sale without giving the property a thorough inspection. As we all know, many bank owned homes are in a state of disrepair as their previous owners were unable to maintain them because of financial difficulties. By inspecting the house, you’ll get an idea on how much the cost of repairs would be, which you can use to support your opening bid to the bank.


4. Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Although banks will tell you upfront that prices of real estate owned houses are non-negotiable, there is no harm in trying to negotiate for a lower price. Who knows, they might consider your request if you ask nicely.

If done correctly, buying bank owned homes can provide you with great investment opportunities. For more real estate investing tips on buying, selling, and rehabbing REOs, log on to www.REIWired.com.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

5 Real Estate Investing Tips for Newbie Investors

Generating huge returns by investing in real estate is quite easy as long as you know what to do. You don’t have to totally master the art of buying and selling properties just to earn huge profits. However, if you don’t know what you are doing, you might find yourself in deep trouble.

To help you become a prolific real estate investor, here are five real estate investing tips that you should need to know:

• Always remember the three golden words in real estate investing: location, location, and location. Two identical houses may fetch different prices if they are built in different locations as the price of a property is usually determined by the amenities in the area where it is situated. Therefore, if you are going to buy an investment property, ensure that it is located in an area where people are happy to live in.

• Don’t buy properties unless they are from motivated sellers. Motivated sellers are good sources of great deals. Because they are always in a rush to unload unwanted properties, you can buy real estate for pennies on the dollar.

• Don’t forget to do your numbers. Always evaluate a deal before you commit yourself. While you might be able obtain a property at a low price, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can make tons of money out of it. Have a professional appraiser take a look at a house that you want to invest in so you can be sure that the
property will indeed give you huge profits.

• Always have an exit strategy. This is probably one of the most important real estate investing tips out there.
Before you buy a property, find out what are going to do with it. Are you going to rehab the house and sell it at a much higher price? Are you considering renting it out or wholesaling it to other investors? Make a decision early on to avoid being stuck in the middle of a deal.

• Have a real estate coach. Having a mentor is better than studying real estate investing techniques and
strategies on your own. In addition, a coach can help you assess deals and provide you valuable pointers that will help you grow as a prolific real estate investor.

By following these real estate investing tips, it would be easier for you to make money in real estate. If you want to learn more, go to www.REIWired.com.