Commercial Foreclosures Also On the Rise

June 20th, 2008

It looks like troubled homeowners are not the only one affected by the mess in the real estate market. Even owners of commercial properties are facing foreclosures.

According to Foreclosure Listings Service, the number of commercial foreclosure filings recorded for the first half of the year has risen by 35 percent, compared to last year. Of course, compared to foreclosures in the residential sector, this figure is considered to be quite low. In fact, there were 25,000 residential foreclosure filings during the same period in the counties of Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant.

Dallas County posted a somewhat big share of the commercial foreclosure filing, with 398 buildings. But Tarrant County was the winner with 447 postings.

For this year, most of the commercial properties that entered some stage of foreclosure belong to the condominium/apartment sector. Less than 200 apartments are actually scheduled to be sold in foreclosure auctions. In most cases, the older and low quality apartments are the ones being foreclosed.

Buyers and investors looking to take advantage of the low selling prices of these commercial properties should seriously hurry up and make offers. Although some of these commercial buildings may be neglected and damaged, it is guaranteed that they will be worth it considering their amazing return potential.

Of course, it is important that buyers do their homework before making an offer. Inspecting the foreclosed property is crucial if you do not want to spend more than you anticipated in repair costs. Also, it would not be bad if you check the title or deed for other encumbrances or liens.

Just like residential foreclosure homes, buyers need to understand that the work does not end with the foreclosure search. If you are careless with your decisions, you might end up with real estate properties that are not worth investing into.

Foreclosure Bargains: What You Need to Know

May 28th, 2008

For the last couple of years, foreclosure properties have received more than their usual share of interest. In fact, a survey conducted by Trulia.com revealed that foreclosure searches conducted online has triples for the first quarter of this year alone.

Unfortunately, most of these foreclosure searches remain as searches. About 70 percent of the consumers who participated in the survey were worried about the negative side of buying foreclosures. In most instances, interested buyers become hesitant because they lack the information that will help them make an informed decision.

If you are among these consumers, then it is about time that you learn about foreclosure facts. Just like any other investment, these foreclosure properties come with significant risks. In order to make a smart decision, consider these approaches:

  1. Obtain Solid Information – it is important for you to know what foreclosures are and the process involved as well as the current foreclosure situation in the country. By finding out how and why these foreclosures are considered as golden opportunities, you will be able to determine if you are in the position to make an investment.
  2. Get Expert Assistance – if you are still unsure of some areas of foreclosure, do not hesitate to ask for expert help. There are actually many foreclosure experts such as Mostly Foreclosures who can provide you with accurate and reliable information about foreclosure investment.
  3. Study the Market – for you to make the right decision when it comes to buying foreclosures, it is wise that you learn about the market. You must make sure that you make your decision to buy when market conditions are favoring buyers. this way, you get all the perks and extra incentives that buyers receive from a market where sellers are anxious to sell.
  4. Conduct Inspections – if you are worried about buying foreclosures because of the hidden costs, you should have the property inspected first before closing any deals. Knowing exactly what you are getting for your money is what savvy buyers do.

After all the hard work, you will be able to buy these foreclosure homes confidently.

April Foreclosure Filings Reach Record High

May 20th, 2008

For the month of April, foreclosure filings increased by 65 percent from last year. With 243,000 new foreclosure listings for last month, local governments are being put into a compromising position because of the negative impact to the property tax collection.

In their monthly survey of foreclosure filings, RealtyTrac reported that the record of 239,851 foreclosure filings last August 2007 was surpassed by last month’s results. This is considered to be the most number of foreclosure filings in a month since January 2005. The said report included data for default notices, bank repossessions and auction sales. For the month of April, 54,574 properties were actually repossessed.

Such high number of foreclosure filings also has a great impact on home prices. With the already-saturated market of foreclosure homes for sale, most communities are worried about the dwindling tax collection. After all, declining home values effectively reduce the amount of taxes needed to be paid.

Troubled states like California, Florida and Arizona will be hit most likely by this bad news. Having the highest foreclosures rate in the nation has certainly caused home prices to plummet in these regions.

Nationwide, home values have declined by 7.7 percent, the greatest since 1982 based on data from the National Association of Realtors. Also, the inventory of homes on the market has increased by 3.5 percent for April.

As legislators struggle to find a long-term solution to the foreclosure crisis, there is still a great possibility that the next months will continue to bring in more foreclosure properties. Considering that delinquent payments are on the rise, this is not at all surprising.

Buyers who consider these foreclosed homes as great investment opportunities will somehow consider this news a blessing in disguise. With foreclosure filings increasing, getting gorgeous properties at a fraction of their current market value is certainly a possibility. The best news is that the large inventory of foreclosed houses will mean more choices.

For the hottest foreclosure deals, visit Mostly Foreclosures.

Democrats Successfully Defended Mortgage Bill

May 15th, 2008

A mortgage bill, designed to help distressed homeowners, was approved by the House Financial Services Committee after the Democrats successfully fended off all sorts of challenges from the Republicans.
The said bill authorizes the Federal Housing Administration or FHA to guarantee new mortgages in the amount of $300 billion, offered by private lenders approved by the […]

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Bad Loans affect Countrywide Financial Corp.

May 12th, 2008

Countrywide Financial Corp. is one of the leading lenders in the real estate business and now they are finding themselves once again in red ink. They reported a loss of almost $900 million in various housing-related issues including bank foreclosures. The year 2007 has not been any great for many homeowners who defaulted on their mortgages causing a rise in the number of government foreclosures. The year 2008 has also started on a bad note with rising pre-foreclosures and this has put big lenders like Countrywide Financial Corp. on the back foot.

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American Taxpayers: Not Willing to Fund Housing Bailout

May 8th, 2008

Amidst the chaos to find the solution for the enduring housing crisis, many Americans are not agreeing to the proposal of the Congress to bailout these reckless borrowers and lenders. At Angryrenter.com, a petition is being signed by visitors who believe that taxpayers’ money should not be used to pay for the bailout program.
Launched just […]

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The Future of the Foreclosure Market

May 6th, 2008

Over the next five years, one out of every 8 American homeowners will end up in foreclosure, and estimate of approximately 6.5 million families – is the grim prediction of investment bank Credit Suisse.
Released in a report last week, “Foreclosure Trends: A sobering reality.” Credit Suisse predicts the price of homes will continue to fall […]

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Fraudulent Mortgage Rescue Scams Plague Strapped Homeowners

May 1st, 2008

If it isn’t bad enough to be facing foreclosure, homeowners with distressed properties desperate to stop foreclosures are being made scammed by persons toting to be “assistance”. In reality, what is taking place is that these con artists are, for a fee, promising to get the homeowners property off of foreclosure listings and out of pre-foreclosure. Bank foreclosures and government foreclosures and their homeowners are being made empty promises, and what is happening is more and more persons are finding themselves with foreclosed homes.

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Market Watch: March Foreclosures Up by 57%

April 24th, 2008

Compared to March 2007, the number of foreclosure listings rose by 57 percent last month. There was also a 5 percent increase from the number of filings in February 2008.
About 234,685 homes entered some stage of foreclosure, according to the online foreclosure realtor RealtyTrac. These homes included those that received default, auction and bank repossession […]

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Irvine Suffers Worst of Mortgage Meltdown

April 22nd, 2008

All over the United States, you will observe the effects of the mortgage meltdown. But the worst possible impact can be seen in Irvine, California.

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