Buying property is a big investment and buying your new or family home is a huge step for anyone to take. There are many options on the real estate market to consider prior to the purchase and buying a foreclosed house is one of the possibilities. There are a lot of benefits for choosing this possibility, however, there are also many risks attached so you should find a reliable professional with experience in this type of deals who can give you advice. The best is to contact a real estate agent who is familiar with foreclosed homes and who can guide you throughout the entire process. It is also a good idea to consult a foreclosure attorney who might be willing to take a look at the paperwork once you have chosen the property and confirm that all is in order. Before making the step you can also research the web for some information and below you can find some of the main risks and benefits related to purchasing a foreclosure home.
Main risks
Quite often foreclosure homes are also referred to as distressed property and for a good reason. Some of the main risks when buying such a house or apartment is that they might be in a very bad condition with outstanding repairs. Since the foreclosure procedure itself can take several months or even years and through this time the property has not received proper care and often no one even lived in it. So be prepared for a deteriorated maintenance condition. The other related risk, which is also a result of the above mentioned reason, is delayed payment of utility bills or other burdens such as unpaid property tax. In some cases there might be a problem with the previous homeowners, who despite having lost the property, refuse to leave it. Of course, the law is on your site but legal actions take time and efforts, as well. The other not so pleasant site of buying a foreclosed home is that the overall purchase procedure might be quite lengthy as after making an offer, you should wait for the reply of all participants in the process, such as the primary lender, the current owners or any other interested party. So, stock on patience and prepare to wait a few weeks. And to end up with the risks, we shall also mention that even after a long waiting the deal is never sure and you might end up not being able to buy the property you chose. This should not discourage you from buying a foreclosed home, though, since there are also several benefits.
Main benefits
The first and most important benefit of purchasing a foreclosed property is that you can end up with an excellent bargain and buy a larger home than you have expected. There is a variety of properties on the market that usually sell for the market price or even below it, so it can also be a good idea for investments. You can find anything from starter houses and condos to luxury mansions that are even in a good state and ready to move in. It can also turn out that you can have a bigger place in a better neighborhood than you can normally afford. Besides, the lower price you will pay also means that you will have sufficient funds to refurbish and redesign the old property according to your taste, which is a great plus.
The overall conclusion regarding purchasing foreclosure property is that in most of the cases it is worth the risk and the waiting. The main advantage is on the financial side – you will pay less for the house itself and have spare money to turn it into a home. So, if you are looking for a new place to live, you should definitely consider this option as well.