CBS asked:

As the foreclosure crisis continues to detriment many Americans, even more could now lose their homes due to a phony rescue loan company. Bill Whitaker reports from Woodland Hills, California.

CBSNewsOnline asked:

In the series, How Low Can You Go, Contributor Vera Gibbons spoke to Chris Wragge about finding great deals on foreclosed homes.

NeighborWorksAmerica asked:

NeighborWorks America Senior Homeownership Specialist Milton Sharp Jr. offers tips to strengthen your resistence to foreclosure during tough economic times.

carlpers2 asked:

Homeowners who are in danger of losing their homes through judicial foreclosure should not forget about the equity that always exists in a mortgaged property represented by the sum of the mortgage payments that the mortgagor no longer makes while the property is in foreclosure (and for several months before and after). This is so even if the property is worth less than the amount owed to the bank. The total amount of these monthly payments to be saved can be considerable, depending on (i …

VaBrickHouse asked:

Brick Smith, a Real Estate Broker, with Joyner Fine Properties in central Virginia offers his 2 best buys currently available for Bank Owned Properties in the greater Richmond VA area. A new episode is posted every Friday.

consumerwarningnet asked:

Facing foreclosure? Info at www.consumerwarningnetwork.com may help. Your goal is to make certain the institution suing you is, in fact, the owner of the note. There is only one original note for your mortgage that has your signature on it. This is the document that proves you owe the debt.

Igor Mosyak asked:


The foreclosure process may be initiated when a given property owner defaults on his or her mortgage loan. It is initiated by the lender and can result in the seizure and sale of the property. There are different stages of the foreclosure process to consider. These stages present the borrower with opportunities to bring the loan back to a current standing and negate the foreclosure. The time periods for each stage may vary from state to state as well.

After a specified time period, normally 90 days, the lender files a Notice of Default at the Circuit Court in the county in which the property is located. This serves as an alert to the borrower that the foreclosure process is beginning. This should come as no surprise in the vast majority of cases. This is the time to request the advice of a professional foreclosure consultant. They can help you understand how to save your home from foreclosure. Learn more at Stop Foreclosure Help Today.

The Notice of Default also marks the beginning of a period in which reinstatement is possible. This reinstatement period lasts as long as up to one day before the actual sale of the property. With foreclosure rates at record high levels country-wide, both the lenders and state governments are attempting to give borrowers every opportunity to bring their loans current. Since October, 2007, there has been a 71% increase in the amount of foreclosures filed. There were 81,312 foreclosures filed nationwide in September of this year alone.

If the loan is not brought current during this reinstatement period, a sale or auction date is then established. The borrower is presented with a Notice of Sale, normally via both first-class and certified mail. The Notice of Sale is also to be posted at the property in question. It is normally taped boldly to the front door. The lender is also required to run an ad in the local newspaper notifying the public of the sale for three weeks in advance of the sale date. State dependent, borrowers are still able to intervene in the foreclosure process. Most states allow the borrower to bring the loan current until the day before the sale or auction.

If the loan is still not brought current and the sale is held, the opening bid is normally set at the amount of the balance of the defaulted loan plus interest accrued and any other fees associated with the sale. Of course, having a skilled foreclosure consultant in your corner goes a long way towards saving your home from foreclosure. They can deal with lenders, court systems and all other involved parties on your behalf and find ways for you to be able to stay in the home that you have worked so hard to acquire. Remember that the initiation of the foreclosure process doesn’t necessarily mark the end of your home ownership.

Heather Seitz asked:


 

Have you ever imagined owning a piece of land and building your dream house on it? Deciding if you want to build near neighbors or not? If so, investing in land foreclosure property may be the right choice for you.

 

Land foreclosure is property that was once financed, and due to default payment of the loan, repossessed by the lender. However, the lender does not want to sit on the property. The land foreclosure property will be marked below appraisal value in order to get the property sold quickly. The longer the lender has possession of the property the more money that will be lost. The lender will be responsible for any new taxes or old taxes on the property. Due to these facts the lender wants to get the land foreclosure sold as quickly as possible. This is a great opportunity for new home buyers and investors.

 

There are three types of land foreclosure sales: pre foreclosure, foreclosure auction, and lender owned sale.

 

Pre foreclosure means that the process of the land foreclosure has begun but is not finalized. This gives the original owner a chance to redeem his or her name with the bank. He or she can do this by either paying the defaulted amount of the loan or selling the property to pay off the loan. During the pre foreclosure process, investors and property buyers have a great chance at getting a significant deal on the pre land foreclosure property. The owner of the property is facing an ultimate crisis. The owner is on the verge of losing the property, devastating credit, and other financial burdens. For this reason he or she will be prepared to accept any help that is reasonable.

 

In most cases, an investor can save up to thirty percent off the appraised value of the pre land foreclosure. Not to mention, the ability to inspect the land before making an offer. It is in an investor’s best interest to have financing pre approved before discussing purchase with the property owner. The property owner may not want to discuss any offers if financing is not already pre approved.

 

A foreclosure auction is final process of land foreclosure. The owner no longer has ownership of the land. Nevertheless, purchasing land from an auction requires an investor to be educated on the process and experience. It is not the law, but it is more beneficial to the investor to know what he or she is doing, and can make the difference between making a profit and losing money. The down fall to purchasing land at a foreclosure auction is that the property now cannot be inspected and payment for the land foreclosure is expected at the time of auction.

 

Lender owned sale is a different type of land foreclosure sale. The lender has ownership of the land. The lender will sell the property in a more formal sale at a lower value in order to take a lower risk. However, an investor can expect to save at least twenty percent of appraised value on property. On the other hand, pre foreclosure land or a foreclosure auction may be the most beneficial route for investing in land foreclosure. Though anyone can invest in land foreclosure sale, a smart investor is an educated investor. Do the research and homework before investing.

 

Peter Baptiste asked:


What can I do to stop foreclosure? Are there foreclosure assistance solutions available to help me? These are top questions that many Americans are finding themselves asking today. With so many foreclosures occurring, it leaves families in precarious positions, looking for foreclosure assistance solutions in lieu of foreclosure. Thankfully, there are some great solutions available.

John and Mary were an average couple. Both had jobs, a nice home, two cars, and were doing pretty well. However, John’s company was getting squeezed by the economy, so they laid him off, and at the same time the interest rates on their adjustable rate mortgage jumped, making their payment more than ever before in a time when they had less income than every before. Soon they were missing payments and facing foreclosure, frantically looking for foreclosure assistance solutions to help.

When you’re looking for foreclosure assistance solutions, there are several things to keep in mind. You want to make sure you choose the right solution for your needs, so here are several things to look for when searching for a foreclosure solution.

- Look for an Option That Will Help You Save Your Home – When you are weighing the various solutions available to you today, look for an option that will help you save your home if possible. This is not always possible, but the best choice.

- Make Sure You’re Not Getting Involved in a Scam – There are many scams out there, and when you’re trying to find the right foreclosure assistance solutions, keep your eyes open for scams.

- Don’t Pay for Help – There are many solutions out there and you shouldn’t have to pay for them. So, if they are asking for payment, this is not the right solution for you.

Solution #1 – Talk to Your Lender – Probably one of the best foreclosure assistance solutions to employ if you are facing foreclosure is to start out by talking to your lender. You need to let them know what the problem is. They don’t want to foreclose and can often offer you other great solutions to help.

Solution #2 – Loan Refinancing – Loan refinancing is another of the many foreclosure assistance solutions that is a great option for you. When you have an adjustable rate mortgage, this is definitely a top solution, since you can often save quite a bit in interest. This is a top way to avoid foreclosure but is not always an option.

Solution #3 – Forbearance – Forbearance on your loan can help you reduce your mortgage payments or even delay them for a time period without legal action. If you have dealt with a job loss or extreme financial problems, this is one of the top foreclosure assistance solutions to check into.

Solution #4 – Pre-Foreclosure Sales – If you are not interested in keeping your home and you’d rather make sure that you save your credit and avoid a foreclosure, pre-foreclosure sales can provide you with an excellent option.

Solution #5 – Repayment Plan – Some companies will offer special repayment plans that are great foreclosure assistance solutions. This is a very common method used and includes your lender allowing you to repay the past due amounts by adding part of it to your monthly payment each month so you can get caught up.

Solution #6 – Short Sale – A short sale is not one of the top foreclosure assistance solutions, and it means you’ll be giving up your home, but it is a good option as a last resort. It allows you to sell your home for less than the mortgage amount, but you’ll have to get your lender to agree to it.

Solution #7 – Deed in Lieu – Last of all, deed in lieu is another one of the many foreclosure assistance solutions available, but there are some big disadvantages. While it does help you to avoid foreclosure, it can still damage your credit.

These are just a few of the top foreclosure assistance solutions options that you have today. It’s important that you understand your options and how they work so you can make sure that you don’t get caught off guard by foreclosure. There is help for you if you are dealing with a possible foreclosure, so take the time to find out more about these solutions that are available to you.

Thomas Bladecki asked:


A foreclosure is the process by way of which a lender can take over the property of a person who has taken a loan. There are many reasons for the owners inability to pay the loan; death of an earning family member, divorce, loss of job and employment, mental illnesses, alcohol or drug addictions and many more.

Foreclosures happen when banks, credit agencies or any other financial institutions repossess property. You can find foreclosure listings for properties that include homes, condominiums, residential properties and commercial properties. The foreclosure process begins when for some reason; the owner of the property fails to pay back the loan amount, the mortgage amount. The lender then takes the property back and forecloses the lien on the property that the lender had placed. Investors find foreclosure listings on website that specialize on finding, listing and maintaining foreclosure listings. You can also use real estate agents that specialize in foreclosures.

To find foreclosure listings is relatively easy these days, as foreclosures are increasing very rapidly in today’s market. Most experts think that this year foreclosures will reach record highs. An investor can find foreclosure listings for all parts of the country on foreclosure websites that have a nationwide database.

Traditionally April is considered a month where the new home sales pick up. However, the real estate market is very slow as potential buyers are on edge about buying real estate. New sales are down compared to the number of foreclosures. Since foreclosures are nearing an all time high in the United States, an investor or a buyer can make money when they find foreclosure listings.

When an investor can find foreclosure listings and make money, they can buy at discount prices; many of the homes are available at 10-50% below the current market prices. To do this they find foreclosure listings for such homes. There is also a glut in the market and this is the right time to buy and this is true for the entire country. Investors find foreclosure listings as there are more and more properties that are been foreclosed.

You find foreclosure listings at websites that list information about foreclosures and the current real estate market. The first thing to know is where to find the properties that you can invest and make money. These properties are available with various agents and a growing number of resources on the internet. In order to find foreclosure listings where you live find a website that has a nationwide database. This means that you can find foreclosure listings about all the foreclosed properties in the various cities and states in the United States.

For the investor, buying at these low prices will enable them to make money in foreclosures, since they can resell the properties later when the market comes back up. While the home owner can benefit from buying the property and save money too. They can use the money for other purposes such as renovating the property or even fund the education of their children.

You can also find foreclosure listings for Bank foreclosures known as REO’s (Real Estate Owned); properties that are owned by the bank. When bank foreclosures take place, the prices are typically set at the remainder of the amount of the debt or the loan amount. Find foreclosure listings for them on the websites too banks are sometimes willing to take less then what is owed, this is called Short Sale. Depending on which state you are in, the foreclosures deals can take 6-12 months.

You can also find foreclosure listings through the county office these lists are also available on many of the foreclosure websites. It can be difficult to find a reliable source where you can find foreclosure listings giving complete and vital information. Make sure the website where you find foreclosure listings that are updated daily.

For many homeowners it can be an investment in second homes too, when they find foreclosure listings for the right property. Many websites also gives useful tips about when to purchase properties and how to purchase the properties.

Find foreclosure listings from such websites that enable you to locate and find the brokers and agent information as well. When you find foreclosure listings that give you every detail about the foreclosures it will make it much easier to research and purchase the property. The process of buying the foreclosed property is not very difficult. It just takes a bit of research, time and effort to find foreclosure listings that are reliable. Then the prospective buyer or investor can give a written contract to the lender such as the banks or any other credit institutions to start the process of purchase.

Depending on the policies of the banks or the credit institutions, down payments can range from as low as $500 or up to 10-20% of the total amount of the outstanding mortgage amount.

This means that if the outstanding mortgage amount is $156,000, then the investor would need to deposit $15,600 in order to start the purchase process. The remainder of the funds and the financing needs to be worked by the investor. The mortgage rates currently are extremely low and can range from 6% – 6.8%. Depending on your credit history, date, price terms and conditions, great deals can be worked out between the lender and the investor.