Archive for June, 2009

Understanding Houston Real Estate Foreclosures

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Houston is the main city in Texas. It is one of the newest and fastest growing cities in the United States and is the artistic and economic center of the urban area. Houston is world popular for its aeronautics industries, energy industry and also shipping channel. Houston presents a wide variety of cultural, entertainment, and business facilities. In Houston, banks or lenders have a legal right to foreclose on a home if the owner has missed mortgage payments. By doing so, they will regain the money that is owed to them by selling the property. In extreme foreclosure cases, the property may not be worth enough to completely cover one’s debt to the lender. In this case, not only will their property be taken away from them but they will also have the outstanding balance due to the lender.

In Houston there are two types of foreclosures that will ensue, should the lender decide to go through with proceedings. The first type is a “deed in lieu of foreclosure” to pay for the missed mortgage payments. This type of foreclosure will be agreed upon in a contract between the homeowner and the lender.
The more common type of foreclosure is when the property goes to auction that is overseen by a court officer. This type of foreclosure will allow the homeowner to keep any equity that they have built in the home. Because a foreclosure on a house or other piece of property reflects so negatively on a person’s credit report, it is important that homeowners avoid foreclosure. Houston banks and lending companies will send notices to the homeowner once a mortgage payment has been missed. Once a notice is received, it is important that the homeowner contact the lender to arrange for payment to be made.

Houston lenders can be very understanding and will often review the homeowner’s financial situation before making any drastic decisions. Lenders don’t usually want to foreclose either as it means the added cost and time of selling the home themselves. Therefore, the homeowner and the lender should work together to devise a plan that does not include foreclosure. A Partial Claim is an option that will give the homeowner an interest-free loan. This loan will be used to cover the mortgage payments and the lender will often work for the homeowner in helping them get this loan. To qualify, the homeowner must have missed at least four mortgage payments, but not exceeded twelve missed payments. The loan needs to be obtained before the home is in foreclosure status and the homeowner needs to be able to begin making payments in full immediately.

Special Forbearance is a process in which the lender and homeowner will meet and attempt to make an arrangement that is suitable to both of them for repaying the loan. The lending company is often the main force in these discussions and the options available will greatly depend on them. Bankruptcy is a common alternative to foreclosure. Although bankruptcy does show as a large negative on a credit report, it is better than foreclosure. Because this is such a drastic step, homeowners need to speak to a lawyer before they make the final decision. Many homeowners also choose to sell the property on their own if their home is nearing, or already in, foreclosure. There are many different aspects of selling a home when it is near foreclosure and so it’s important to hire a real estate agent that has experience dealing with these types of sales.

Ways To Buy At Home Foreclosure Auctions

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

There may be some misunderstanding about the deals that can be found on property at a home foreclosure auction, with some believing it is possible to get something for almost nothing. While it is true that many bargains on homes can be found, generally speaking not all properties will be sold dirt-cheap. If you are interested in buying at home foreclosure auctions then there are many things that you must consider. These things include the price of the home, repairs required, and having money to put down on the home.

Home foreclosure auctions are the sales of homes that borrowers were unable to make payments on. It is important to pay attention to homes that go to these auctions prior to making a bid on a home. Visit the home and check it out. Don’t just show up at an auction and hope to get an amazing home for a great price. This is not always how it works and if you are investing you could be making a very bad decision.

The price of the house at home foreclosure auctions will be close to the market value in some cases. The home will be appraised and taken into consideration. However, some lenders require the home to start out at a price that will be at least 80% of what the loan was defaulted on. This means that if the borrower owed 210k then the lender may be willing to start the home price at the auction at 178k. This will give them a chance to lose money but hopefully not lose too much. Also, this may be far lower than the actual market value. The price may be at market value also if the borrower owed above and beyond the market value on the home mortgage.

When you bid on home foreclosure auctions it is wise to see the home first. Know the type of repairs required to flip the home and sell it. If the repairs are too expensive then the price of the home and repairs may be far above and beyond what you can get out of it when you sell it. That will only put you at a loss on your investment. When you attend home foreclosure auctions you cannot place a bid on a home without a down payment. Most auctions require a check right there for at least 10% of the bid for a deposit right there. The winning bidder must have this money or the second highest bidder will get the property.