What Are the Various Stages of Foreclosures and How to Find Foreclosures For Sale at Each Stage

Basically a foreclosure is a situation in which a home2. Foreclosure stage is the second step in foreclosures
owner defaults on the mortgage payments for theirfor sale. The auction is the next stage after the
house. Such properties which are foreclosures for salepre-foreclosure stage. You can attend an auction and
are called as distressed because typically the homebid for the property. Usually the auction is held at the
owner is in financial distress and has defaulted on hiscounty clerk's office.
payments. The owner may be in financial distressDuring an auction, the lender tries his best to get the
because of the following reasons:o Laid off/fired orbest possible price on the property under foreclosure.
quit jobo Unable to continue job due to medicalAt an auction sale, buyers are required to buy in cash
conditionso Mounting debt and excessive billso Tiff withand without having the facility for prior inspection of the
co-owner or divorceo Relocation to another state dueproperty in concern. However an auction sale does
to job transferpermit good bargains as much as 40 to 50 percent
Getting foreclosures for sale does not happen in abelow market value.
day. A typical foreclosure process can extend over aThe best way to identify foreclosures for sale at this
few months. Each stage of foreclosure offersstage is via the county clerk's office. Find out about
different types of opportunities to the potential buyer.notices of default that have been filed to locate
There are three stages of foreclosure namelypending foreclosure sales.
1) Pre-foreclosureThe foreclosure process will vary from state to state
2) Foreclosure Auctiondepending on whether it is a title or lien state which
3) REO stage or Real Estate Owned by banksdetermines a judicial or non judicial form of foreclosure.
1. Pre- foreclosure is the first stage in the process ofJudicial foreclosures pertain to mortgages and take
foreclosures for sale. In this stage the home ownerlong to finish. Non judicial foreclosures involve deeds of
has not paid up the mortgage of the loan for the firsttrust, where a third party, a trustee handles the
time and is now considered as a defaulter. Aproperty after period of default.
pre-foreclosure is also called as NOD (Notice of3. Third stage is Real Estate Owned (REO) stage
Default) Or Lis Pendens as a formal warning is sent towhere the property reverts to the bank. REO
the home owner about default on his payment.properties are also a good opportunity to purchase
Investors can find property at the cheapest rate at thisforeclosures for sale as the bank is in a hurry to get
stage. Further damage to the credit rating of the homerid of its 'non performing asset". Thus at each stage of
owner can be avoided and the property can beforeclosure, there are numerous opportunities for
transferred to the buyer at a mutually agreed uponobtaining foreclosures for sale. Banks can be
rate. The best leads to learn about properties at thiscontacted directly or online listings can be found
stage are attorneys, friends and acquaintances as wellthrough genuine foreclosure listings at this stage.
as real estate agents.