Tuesday, October 23, 2007

CT Foreclosure Process Rules

FORECLOSURE BY SALE STANDING ORDERS
1. Committee will be appointed by the Court from a list of approved attorneys.
2. Sale will take place at 11:00 am on the premises unless otherwise ordered by the court.
3. Inspection will occur one hour prior to the sale on the date of sale unless otherwise
designated.
4. The deposit is 10% of the fair market value as found by the Court. The deposit is waived for
the plaintiff unless requested otherwise. Deposit is to be paid by either bank or certified
check. Purchaser is to close within 30 days of the Court’s approval of the committee deed.
The deposit shall be forfeited if the purchaser fails to close within 30 days of the approval of
the committee deed.
5. Advertisement is to be published twice in a newspaper as directed by the court.
6. The sign is to be placed on the premises as directed by the court.
7. The size of the sign is to be approximately 3 feet wide and 2 feet high and must contain the
following statement: DO NOT REMOVE; VIOLATION SUBJECT TO PUNISHMENT BY
THE COURT.
8. Cost of the sign is not to exceed the amount customarily authorized by the court including
preparation, erection and photograph for inclusion in committee report.
9. Committee is authorized to replace the sign once without court approval, provided the sign
can be erected at least ten days prior to sale. DO NOT ERECT THE SIGN YOURSELF.
10. A disinterested appraiser will be appointed and will, under oath, appraise the property and
make return of the appraisal to the Clerk of the Court at least seven days prior to the sale. The
court will retain this appraisal.
11. Committee is to obtain liability insurance for the date of the sale in the amount of $1,000,000.
Premium not to exceed $275.00.
12. Except for filing an appearance, if the sale is more than two months in the future, the
committee should incur no fees or expenses until directed by the court.
13. The Committee is authorized to conduct a title search of the property. The expense incurred
in connection with the title search shall not exceed $200.00.
14. If the sale is cancelled for any reason after publication or erection of the sign, a written
announcement of cancellation should be posted on the site. The committee is to remain on
site in that event.
15. The following information is to be contained in the Court ordered letter to the nonappearing
defendant owner of the equity: a.) Clearly state at the beginning that the letter is being sent at
the direction of the Court; b.) State the results of the foreclosure judgement; c.) Inform the
nonappearing equity owner that he/she/they risk loss of the equity if he/she/they fail to take
steps to protect that equity AND THAT HE/SHE/THEY SHOULD CHECK WITH THE
COURT AFTER THE SALE TO LEARN IF THERE IS ANY MONEY THAT IS
DISTRIBUTABLE TO HIM/HER/THEM; d.) State that the nonappearing party should either
file his/her own appearance or have an attorney file one on his/her/their behalf in order to
protect his/her/their interest in the equity. This letter is to be sent by the plaintiff via certified
mail, return receipt requested. A copy of the letter and later the return receipt should be sent
to the Clerk of the Court. NO SALE WILL BE APPROVED OR FUNDS DISBURSED
WITHOUT PROOF OF MAILING.
16. The sale is subject to and an all liens choate and inchoate which are prior in right to the
encumbrance being foreclosed.
17. The committee is to follow the Uniform Procedures for Foreclosure by Sale Matters except as
modified herein. (JD-CV-81 Rev.1-03). Committee deed to be prepared on form JD-CV-74
only.
18. Standing orders regarding Standard form Newspaper Ads, Model Notice To Bidders and
Plaintiffs Bid at Foreclosure Sale are incorporated herein by reference.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Foreclosure Filings Double

Foreclosure filings across the United States nearly doubled last month compared with September 2006, as financially strapped homeowners already behind on mortgage payments defaulted on their loans or came closer to losing their homes to foreclosure, a real estate information company said Thursday.


A total of 223,538 foreclosure filings were reported in September, up from 112,210 in the same month a year ago, according to Irvine-based RealtyTrac Inc.


The number of filings in September was down 8 percent from August’s 243,947, the firm said.

Despite the sequential decline, the September figure represents the second-highest total for filings in a single month since the company began tracking monthly filings two years ago.

"August was an extraordinarily high month for foreclosure activity, so some falloff was almost predictable," said Rick Sharga, RealtyTrac’s vice president for marketing.

The filings include default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions. Some properties might have received more than one notice if the owners have multiple mortgages.

Typically, borrowers must be 60 to 90 days past due on their mortgage payments before their lender will consider them in default, the first stage of the foreclosure process. If a homeowner can’t find a way to get current on payments, the home is then often put up for auction, and if it doesn’t sell, it eventually goes back to the bank.

In all, 39 states saw a decline in foreclosure filings, the firm said.

Sharga noted that there was a spike in the number of bank repossessions in August that did not occur in September.

It’s likely that the sequential decline in foreclosure activity between August and September was just a blip, not a bellwether of lessening foreclosure filings.

"We don’t see September as the beginning of the end in this cycle of foreclosures," Sharga said.

The foreclosure rate for the nation in September was one foreclosure filing for every 557 households, the firm said.

The U.S. housing market has seen sales decline and home prices fall or remain flat, making it harder for homeowners who can’t afford to make mortgage payments to sell their homes or seek refinancing.

Many of those troubled homeowners were among those who took on adjustable-rate mortgages that are now adjusting to a higher interest rate, translating into payments they cannot afford to make.

The rising delinquencies and foreclosures this year have led the mortgage industry to tighten lending standards, further narrowing options for homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage.

Nevada, Florida and California had the highest foreclosure rates in the country last month, the firm said.

Rounding out the states with the Top 10 foreclosure rates last month were Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Colorado, Texas and Indiana.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Top Ten Reasons For A Title Search

Top 10 Reasons to Check Your Property Title Search


The real estate "bubble" market of the past 5 years has caused millions of documents to be recorded on property titles. This volume has increased the number of errors, and opened loopholes for document fraud. Because of this, more homeowners are becoming interested in checking their property title records, like they might check a vehicle history or their credit report. We are more often finding some common title errors. When clients check the title search on their property, they are often surprised to find old liens, incorrect ownership, and even mortgages taken out without their knowledge.

1. Unreleased mortgages
Even though the financial account for a prior refinanced mortgage may be paid off, the lender also has to file a lien release with the county records office to remove the old mortgage from your property title. The extreme volume of mortgage refinance activity over the past 5 years has resulted in lenders becoming less careful in filing these documents.

2. Incorrect liens
Liens can become recorded on a property due to county clerk error, or misfiling of property tax payments.

3. Property vesting - family events
A title search will show the current ownership structure, if it is owned individually, jointly, as tenants-in-common, tenants by entireties, or even as a corporation. A death in the family, or divorce are also reasons to verify title search records.

4. Document fraud
Increasingly, criminals are using property records fraud to commit financial crimes, and identity theft, without notice to the property owner.

5. Prior owners records
The gap between the contract and closing dates allows a loophole where liens or mortgages from a prior owner may not be cleared from property records.

6. Assessed value
The counties assessed value may not represent the true taxable value of property in today's changing market, resulting in an inflated tax bill.

7. Deed copy
A title search will provide a stamped recorded copy of the property deed, which can be valuable as proof of ownership, or residency.

8. Other party mortgages
By using loopholes in the recording system, third parties can take out a mortgage against one property and have it recorded against another property, resulting in a lien on the title.

9. Pre-purchase research
The title search shows the original purchase price and date of the current owner, listing mortgages and liens. The buyer knows the sellers current financial situation before making an offer.

10. After sale verification
After purchasing a property, the title search is checked, to verify that the correct names are on the title, and that all records are recorded properly.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Best Places For Real Estate Deals

Best Places For Real Estate Deals
By Matt Woolsey, Forbes.com
October 8, 2007

Home sales have sunk to their lowest levels since 2001. Investors are jumping ship, foreclosures are mounting and lenders are exercising caution.

Still, there are areas of the country where it makes sense for some to buy. That's because, in a market slump, sellers eager to unload their homes often accept less money from buyers. New construction also slows. Both bode well for buyers hoping to score a deal--if the market in which they are buying is expected to experience increased sales.

To find such places, we paired with Moody's Economy.com to research current home sales patterns and sales projections in the country's 40 biggest real estate markets. Based on models that estimated housing inventory, sales rates and turnover for 2008, we arrived at a list of markets that are experiencing price stalls or declines, but where over the coming year are expected to provide deals for buyers.

In Pictures: Best Places For Real Estate Deals



A buyers' market in the purest sense is one where there are far more sellers than buyers, creating a supply and demand dynamic that benefit those looking to invest in a home. However, by that definition, a floundering market like Detroit is a good buyers' market because prices are dropping and inventory is high.

"A market with declining prices and few sales is a strong buyers' market," says Anthony Sanders, professor of real estate finance at Arizona State University. "But it is also a risky market given that prices could decline further."

With that in mind, we required the slumping or neutral markets on our list to have expected volume and turnover increases, based on sales and inventory models run by Moody's Economy.com.

The results turn out three types of markets and three types of deals.


Attractive Arrangements

The first are undervalued, affordable markets like Fort Worth, Texas, which haven't felt huge post-boom price corrections, but where there is an expected acceleration in sales volume, making now the time to buy.

Second are markets like Long Island, N.Y., and Washington, D.C. These are traditionally strong markets that are recovering from speculation, especially in the D.C. condo market and by Long Island's second-home buyers. Once these areas stabilize, the market as a whole should return to health.

"Long Island is continuing to slip, but a modest amount," says Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel, a New York-based real estate appraisal and consultancy firm. "In [Long Island] the upper-end market was the market of choice for speculation and tear downs."

But economists caution that while over the next year the dust may settle in these 10 spots, buyers should be prepared for future swings. This is especially true in the case of riskier markets like Orlando and Las Vegas, where the expected increase in sales volume and housing turnover doesn't necessarily mean that the price trough is imminent.

"Housing market activity revives when house prices decline sufficiently to restore housing affordability and entice buyers to step up and make a purchase," says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "Some markets are already approaching those price points, in many others prices will have to decline much more to get to that point."

Friday, October 12, 2007

Short Sale Negotiation Basics

Short Sale Negotiation

Negotiation through the loss mitigation department will be the key factor in getting your new home at a deep discount.

If opportunities emerge in which lenders can sell distressed properties without registering big losses, they will do it.

For example, consider that a homeowner with a $200,000 mortgage is late on his or her loan payments and is facing foreclosure. With the consent of the homeowner, you offer his or her lender $150,000 as full payment for the loan, which is accepted. That means you instantly save $50,000 on a real estate investment.

This is a short sale.


Getting started

Negotiating a short sale with a lender can be a complicated. But with careful research and patience, it is possible for you to earn big profits with short sale deals. Naturally, closing the first one will be the most challenging.

The first step in this process is to identify potential investment opportunities on Foreclosure.com, which offers more than 1.2 million listings across the nation.

Preforeclosure properties are ideal because you can make more money with them versus homes that are already bank-owned.

To be most successful, we recommend reaching out to homeowners who are more than three payments behind on their mortgages. At this point, each of these homeowners has received a Notice of Default (NOD) and is very close to losing their home. Time is running out and the chances of them curing the loans and making up the back payments are slim.

The homeowners understand this and may be grateful for your assistance. The lenders understand this, too, and are motivated to recoup their losses as soon as possible.


Search for Foreclosures Nationwide.

Calling lenders

It’s important to gather as much information as possible about the properties and the homeowners prior to getting on the telephone with lenders. Because when you do get a lender representative on the line, he or she will have questions.

Using the contact information contained within the listings you have targeted from Foreclosure.com, it’s time to call a lender and inquire about the possibility of a short sale agreement. Traditionally, the “Loss Mitigation Department” will handle these types of requests.

If you can’t get in touch with anyone, move onto the next listing. The negotiating can begin only when you get in touch with the right person.

Once you have reached a representative for the lender, inform him or her that you represent the homeowner. This is all you need to say — avoid revealing that you are an investor. The representative will usually want basic information about the property, the homeowner and the proposed deal. He or she will also want to know the value of the property and the financial situation of the homeowner (borrower).

Aside from making the initial introduction, the goal of this conversation should be to request a short sales or workout packet. This packet will provide you with everything you need — instructions, forms and procedures — to close a successful short sales deal.


Broker’s Price Opinion (BPO)

Lenders generally hire local real estate brokers or appraisers to evaluate properties in the foreclosure process prior to selling them at public auction. These are referred to as a Broker’s Price Opinion (BPO).

Essentially, a Realtor® — based on the condition of the home and current market conditions — provides the lender with an estimate for the value of the property. The BPO is the key piece of information that a lender will rely on to make a decision regarding a short sale.

The lower the estimate, the better it is for you.

Lenders want to get rid of distressed properties as soon as possible, but they aren’t going to sell them for ridiculously low prices Many short sales, in fact, fall through if the BPOs come in too high. When properties are in good condition, it is hard to convince lenders that they are worth much less than the appraised values.


Hardship letter

Most lenders will request a hardship letter that details the reasons a homeowner has not made his or her mortgage payments. This is a bit strange because the borrower who is in default must prove that he or she is broke and unable to afford the payments.

This is a fairly extensive request, which may require the homeowner to submit pay stubs, tax records and other personal financial records, along with the letter. It is essential that you submit everything that is requested.

Otherwise, your offer will not be accepted.

Creating an effective and compelling hardship letter requires creativity. Without lying, the letter should paint a very bleak picture of the situation. If neither you nor the homeowner possesses decent writing skills, it may be in your collective best interests to seek the assistance of a professional — it’s worth it.


HUD-1 settlement statement

A lender will generally require a written contract between you and the homeowner. A preliminary HUD-1 settlement statement will reassure the lender that the homeowner isn’t receiving any cash from the deal.

The HUD-1 form requires you to itemize all charges imposed upon you and the homeowner for the real estate transaction. Essentially, it is a complete list of the incoming and outgoing funds.

The contract should be written so that you pay all costs associated with the deal. And, that the “net cash” to the homeowner is the precise amount of the short pay to the lender.

If you have difficulty completing the form, a title or escrow company may help you prepare it in advance of the closing.


Supporting materials
A lender will often agree to a bigger discount if a property requires significant repairs. The more work that needs to be put into the property, the less it is worth and the harder it is to sell on the open market.

Hire a professional(s) to appraise the home and provide you with a bid for repair estimate (the higher the better). This is not a requirement because as mentioned above, the lender will get its own BPO. However, providing independent appraisals and comparable sales information that support your offer are critical.

There are other things you can also do if the home is not in ready-to-move-in condition.

Always remember, it is in your best interests to submit with your paperwork as much negative information about the property as possible. For example, newspaper clippings that discuss “bad news” nearby or in the neighborhood can help reduce the price of the property in negotiations.


Waiting for an answer

It usually takes about three to six weeks to receive an answer from the lender once you have submitted the HUD-1 settlement statement and all of the other supporting materials.

It’s always good to call the lender to ensure that he or she has received the information, as well as make it clear that you are always available to answer questions and provide additional information, especially if something is missing.

If the auction date for the property is approaching, ask the lender to extend it until he or she has had time to consider your offer. If your offer is legitimate, the lender will almost always grant your request.


RealtyTrac

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

10 tips to add value to your property

10 Inexpensive Ways to Add Value to Your Rental or Rehab Property
It's easy to fix up your properties if you have unlimited cash. However, you need to keep your repairs to a minimum to stay profitable. You also need to keep your properties in good shape to attract tenants or buyers. There are the basic improvements, such as carpet and paint, but these can still costs thousands of dollars. The following are some inexpensive ways to improve your properties with very little cash.

#1) New Electrical Switch Plates

This is such a minor, yet overlooked improvement. Most rental owners and rehabbers paint a unit and leave the old, ugly switch plates. Even worse, some even paint over them.

New switch plates cost about 50 cents each. You can replace the entire house with new switch plates for about $20. For the foyer, living room and other obvious areas, spring for nice brass plates. They run about $5 each - not much for added class.

#2) New or Improved Doors

Another overlooked, yet cheap replacement item is doors. If you have ugly brown doors, replace them with nice white doors (you can paint them, but unless you have a spray gun it will take you three coats by hand).

The basic hollow-core door is about $20. It comes pre-primed and pre-hung. For about $10 more, you can buy stylish six-panel doors. If you are doing a rehab, the extra $10 per door is well worth-it. For rentals, consider at least changing the downstairs doors.

#3) New Door Handles

In addition to changing doors, consider changing the handles. An old door handle (especially with crusted paint on it) looks drab. For about $10, you can replace them with new brass finished handles. Replace the guest bathroom and bedroom door handles with the fancy "S" handles (about $20 each).

#4) Paint/Replace Trim

If the entire interior of the house does not need a paint job, consider painting the trim. New, modern custom homes typically come with beige or off-white walls and bright-white trim. Use a semi-gloss bright white on all the trim in your houses.

If the floor trim is worn, cracked or just plain ugly, replace it! Home Depot carries a new foam trim that is pre-painted in several finishes and costs less than 50 cents per linear foot. Create a great first impression by adding crown molding in the entry way and living room.

#5) New Front Door

You only get one chance to make a first impression. A cheap front door makes a house look cheap. An old front door makes a house look old. If you have nice heavy door, paint it a bold color using a high-gloss paint. If your front door is old, consider replacing it with a new, stylish door. For about $125, you can buy a very nice door.

#6) Tile Foyer Entry

After the front door, your next first impression is the foyer area. Most rental property foyers are graced with linoleum floors. Consider a nice 12" Mexican tile. An 8' x 8' area should cost about $100 in materials.

#7) New Shower Curtains

It amazes me that many landlords and sellers show properties with either no shower curtain or any ugly old shower curtain in the bathroom. Don't be cheap - drop $40 and buy a nice new rod and fancy curtain.

#8) Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Replacing kitchen cabinets is expensive, but painting them is cheap. If you have old 1970's style wooden cabinets in a lovely dark brown shade, paint them. Use a semi-gloss white and finish them with colorful plastic knobs. No need to paint the inside of them (unless you own a spray gun), since you are only trying to make an impression.

Americans spend 99% of their time in the kitchen (when they are not watching TV). A fancy modern faucet looks great in the kitchen. They can run as much as $150, but not to worry - most retailers (Home Depot, Home Base, etc) often run clearance sales on overstocked and discontinued models. I have found nice Delta and Price Pfister faucets for about $60 on sale.

#9) Add Window Shutters

If you have ugly aluminum framed windows, consider adding wooden shutters outside. They come pre-primed at most hardware retailers and are easy to install. Paint them an offset color from the outside of the house - (e.g., if the house is dark, paint the shutters white. If the house is light, paint them green, blue, etc.).

#10) Add a Nice Mailbox

Everyone on the block has the same black mailbox. Stand out. Be bold. For about $35 you can buy a nice colorful mailbox. For about $60 more, you can buy a nice wooden post for it. People notice these things....and they like them!

Monday, October 8, 2007

Connecticut Foreclosures - The Real Deal

Connecticut's legal procedure concerning foreclosures offers two options: foreclosure by sale, or strict foreclosure. The appropriate option is determined by the amount of home equity owner has accumulated in the property.

In those cases in which the home owner has accumulated little or no equity, the strict foreclosure rule applies. The bank or lender is entitled to the full amount of proceeds from the property. If the homeowner has accumulated some equity, however, the foreclosure by sale method applies. The judge assigned to each foreclosure case will determine which option is the correct one.

The First Step: The Complaint to Foreclose The Connecticut foreclosures laws require that, when a foreclosure is in order, a set of procedural steps be followed. The first step is the Complaint to Foreclose, in which the bank determines the correct names of all those who hold liens against the property in question. Those parties will be included in the Complaint as defendants.

The Connecticut foreclosures statute requires that the Complaint to Foreclose be filed in the Superior Court of the County in which the property is located, indicating that the mortgage is in default and that the bank is within its rights to ask for repossession of the property, or strict foreclosure.

If the bank suffers a loss from selling a Connecticut foreclosure at auction for an amount less than what it was still owed, the bank is required to send a notification of breach and to follow the mortgage and promissory note provisions.

If you intend to file a Connecticut foreclosure, both the summons and Complaint must be served on all defendants within twelve days. If this is done, and the defendant fails to appear at the Court hearing, the court may award the plaintiff a default judgment; default judgments are also possible if the defendant neither makes no plea nor offers a defense.

A Matter For The Court

Connecticut foreclosures are initiated as soon as a lender files the necessary legal documents against the property owner. From that point the Court makes all the decisions regarding the amount of debt, the property's actual value, and the costs involved in the foreclosure proceeding. And most importantly, the Court determines whether there will be a foreclosure by sale or a strict foreclosure.

In cases of strict foreclosure, the borrowers are given a specific day by which they must either pay off the amount owed or lose their interest in the property. All the other defendants to the foreclosure actins are given similar deadlines, and if nor payment is made, the title to the property vests in the foreclosing lender, usually after one hundred and fifty days. But the time between the judgment of strict foreclosures and the vesting date dictated by Connecticut foreclosure law is discretionary, and if the Court determines that the debtor under financial hardship, it may extend the time for repayment.

If the Connecticut foreclosure is to be a foreclosure by sale, the court will set a sale date which is usually sixty to ninety days in the future. The Court will also, within fourteen days of the actual sale, decide whether or not the terms of the sale are acceptable.

Friday, October 5, 2007

7 ways to flipping properties

"Flipping" is the buzzword of the year in real estate: Flipping books, flipping articles in the newspaper, and even flipping shows on TV! What is flipping, how does it work, and how you can profit?

Flipping Real Estate simply means buying a property and reselling it quickly, as opposed to holding on to a property long term as a rental. Flipping comes in several varieties, most of which are legal and profitable, some of which are not.

Flip Strategy #1: Buy, fix, and flip

Let's start with the most common form--the good, old "fix ?n flip." This involves buying a property that needs work, fixing it up, then selling on the "retail" market, that is, to a person who will live in the house.

This method is tried and true and works very well. You can easily make $15,000 to $50,000 on one deal, depending on your market and how good you are at finding bargains.

The danger in fix and flips is either paying too much or underestimating repairs. Be very conservative in your fix-up costs and length of time it may take to resell. Also, make sure you consider the cost of paying a real estate agent to sell the property.

Flip Strategy #2: Buy, refinance, and lease option

Rather than sell the fixed up property for all cash, sell for terms. Once you have completed the rehab, refinance the property at its new appraised value. If you did the math correctly, you should have little or no money in the deal. Sell the property on a lease with option to buy.

The rent payment from your tenant/buyer should cover your mortgage payment. (If not, consider an interest-only or adjustable rate loan that is fixed for three years.)

When your tenant exercises his option, you reap a larger profit, since you don't have to pay a broker's fee. If the tenant exercises his option after twelve months, you benefit from a lower capital gains tax rate.

Flip Strategy #3: Buy and flip "as is"

Don't like to do fix-up work? Consider selling the property "as is" as a light fixer upper. If the local real estate market is hot, you should be able to sell the property in poor condition just a little below market.

This is especially the case with houses in "transitioning" neighborhoods. Make sure, of course, that you acquire the property cheap enough that you can sell it below market quickly and still profit.

Flip Strategy #4: Wholesale

Strategy #1, the fix and flip, is very popular, which means there are a lot of investors looking for rehabs. You can buy the property cheap and sell it for just a few thousand dollars more to another investor without doing any work. You won't make nearly as much as the rehabber, but you will realize your profit quickly.

Flip Strategy #5: Pre-construction
In very hot real estate markets, prices are appreciating as much as 2% per month. If you time things right, you can put a contract on a pre-construction house or condominium, then flip it to someone else when the development is complete.

If it takes 12 months for the development to be complete, and the condo price is $500,000, you could make $100,000 or more in one year! Of course, the opposite is also true. You could end up losing money if the local economy tanks and you end up with a worthless condo that you can't sell for more than you paid. Use this approach very carefully?

Flip Strategy #6: Scouting

The Scout is an information gatherer, so not technically a property flipper. He is the "bird dog" who finds potential deals and sells the information to other investors. Many people get started as a Scout for other investors because it does not take any cash or prior knowledge to look for distressed properties.

The Scout finds a property for sale, gathers the necessary information, and then provides this information to investors for a fee. The fee will vary depending on the price of the property and the profit potential. The Scout can expect to make $500 to $1,000 each time he provides information that leads to a purchase by another investor.

Flip Strategy #7: Illegal flipping


Okay, I am NOT advocating this approach because it is illegal. Illegal property-flipping schemes work as follows: Unscrupulous investors buy cheap, run-down properties in mostly low-income neighborhoods. They do shoddy renovations to the properties and sell them to unsophisticated buyers at inflated prices.

In most cases, the investor, appraiser, and mortgage broker conspire by submitting fraudulent loan documents and a bogus appraisal. The end result is a buyer that paid too much for a house and cannot afford the loan.

Since many of these loans are federally insured, the government authorities have investigated this practice and arrested many of the parties involved. As a result, the public perceives is flipping to be illegal.

The fact is, "flipping" (as I described in the beginning of this article) is NOT illegal. Loan fraud in the process of flipping is what is illegal. So don't confuse the two. The other six ways to flip are very legal, very ethical, and very profitable!

Click here to join ArmandoMontelongo.com

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Where to find foreclosures?

There are a plethora of places to look when you want to find foreclosure properties. The key is finding them before someone else does. You can find foreclosure properties on the web, newspapers, lis pendens lists, seminars, direct mail, word of mouth, friends, real estate agents, real estate offices, and lending institutions just to name a few.

The internet is a good place to search for foreclosure properties. Several foreclosure listing companies actually search out notifications of default and sell a subscription to those who are willing to pay for this information. Just remember, this is the easiest way to find properties, so beware of competition. Also beware that some of these subscriptions are just a way to make money and provide little or outdated information on these foreclosure properties. If you decide to test one out, make sure they give you a free trial period so you can see how current the listings are.

Newspapers are another great way to find foreclosure properties. All states are required by law to post a public notice of auction in a newspaper for all foreclosure properties. You can look up these notices and send a letter to them, call them or stop by. Another option, you have as a creative investor, might be to place an ad in the newspaper yourself to attract those who are in foreclosure. Believe me, if you have a good ad, your phone will begin ringing off the hook. You see, sooner or later the homeowner finally realizes they cannot save their home. Then when time runs out, they have no choice but to call, and during this time they are very motivated.

Direct Mail is one of the best ways to find the "GOOD" foreclosure properties. This is because you can talk to a person who is still in the pre-foreclosure stage and negotiate a nice discount on the property. There will be fewer investors that even know about the property, however, there is more work involved these kind of foreclosure properties.

Real Estate Agents are a good way to find foreclosure properties. Normally, banks that end up with foreclosure properties will hire an agent to represent them. Banks are not in the foreclosure business, they are in the lending business, so they too are very motivated to sell. Agents have connections and can get a list of some "bank-owned" properties.

Word of mouth is a technique that all the good investors use. Let it be known to everyone you come in contact with that you are a real estate investor who specializes in foreclosure properties. You should make some business cards as well that say "I specialize in foreclosure properties" and hand them out to everyone you know. You will be amazed what this will do for you. You may get a call from your friend's, friend's, sister's, friend who needs help avoiding the public auction.

There are so many excellent ways to find foreclosure properties. In fact there are many more than what are listed here. The idea is that it's a numbers game. You've always got to be working to find more deals. Find out which methods of finding works for you and go with it.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Flippings profits from the computer

You know the value of your computer and how it saves you time and effort.
What if there was a product that taught you how to flip real estate using
your computer? For the first time ever there is a product that will teach you
how to find real estate deals, get money for your deals, fix your deals and
sell them for BIG PROFITS using your computer and the internet.

Never before has real estate been so easy to flip as now! Even if you don’t know
anything about real estate, this product can change your future!

Armando Montelongo of the hit reality show on A&E Flip This House
Invites you to launch his hit product Flip It Now! I would love to extend
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Monday, October 1, 2007

A & E meets internet marketing

How would you like to partner with the most influential partner
in the world… TELEVISION!!! The Offline World of Real Estate and
Reality Television is here to make you BIG MONEY ONLINE!

Armando Montelongo of the hit reality show on A&E Flip This House
Invites you to launch his hit product Flip It Now!
Flip It Now is already growing MASSIVE INTEREST!

“Never Before has there be an online Ground Floor Opportunity like this.
Earn HUGE Commission Checks Promoting an Incredible Product that your
customers cannot refuse - backed by the celebrity of Reality Television!


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