Real Estate Foreclosers See Opportunity in Adversity

Jul 26
19:14

2008

David Cowley

David Cowley

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For one thing, people who have had their homes foreclosed still need a place to live. Very often they may have lost their jobs or have had to take employment that simply doesn't pay as much - working behind a counter instead of in an office, for instance. With investors coming into the area and buying up homes that have been foreclosed on that can be rented, then there is more rental property available for those who simply cannot afford a mortgage. Make no mistake, many lenders say that you can afford a mortgage for the same amount as paying rent, but this isn't always the case.

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An interesting trend has sprung up in recent years and in areas that have been hard hit by poor economies resulting in foreclosers on real estate.  Investors willing to invest in real estate foreclosers have moved in and purchased properties that have been seized by banks and lenders for unpaid mortgages.  They do this in order to purchase the property for much less than market value in order to turn around and rent it out.  This is a great opportunity for everyone in the area,Real Estate Foreclosers See Opportunity in Adversity Articles not just the real estate investors themselves.  What do we mean by this?

For one thing, people who have had their homes foreclosed still need a place to live.  Very often they may have lost their jobs or have had to take employment that simply doesn't pay as much - working behind a counter instead of in an office, for instance.  With investors coming into the area and buying up homes that have been foreclosed on that can be rented, then there is more rental property available for those who simply cannot afford a mortgage.  Make no mistake, many lenders say that you can afford a mortgage for the same amount as paying rent, but this isn't always the case.  Rental properties are typically more affordable, and real estate investors are providing some needed housing when nearby apartment complexes become full.  Keep in mind also that when apartment complexes have few vacancies, they are less likely to offer discounts and deals on their rental prices, so by offering more homes for rent, investors in the real estate market are actually keep rental amounts competitive in the area.

Also, when a bank seizes a home due to an unpaid mortgage, they are really stuck with that property.  Banks don't have staff on hand that can maintain the lawn or keep out vandals.  When there are a large amount of foreclosures in one area, there are fewer buyers for any property, meaning the bank needs to somehow maintain the property, handle it being on the market, and so on.  This is a lot of added expense for them.  Real estate foreclosers offer a valuable service to the banks by purchasing the property, repairing it, and then handling all the rental paperwork and so on.  Without them, the banks would have an entire treasure trove of unsold properties that they would somehow need to handle.

Because these homes are typically so much more affordable than most, anyone wanting to get started in the rental industry would do well to investigate real estate foreclosers as an opportunity.  You can start with one particular property and handle the purchase, repairs, rental agreement and so on, without needing to buy an entire apartment complex or hire a maintenance company to do all this for you.  Investing in the real estate foreclosers market will bring some challenges with it, as does renting out any property, but considering the small investment you may need to make for the large payoff, it is definitely worth investigating.