Investing in foreclosures is no doubt one of the best opportunities to make money in today's economy. As with any type of business venture, there are risks involved. Investing in foreclosed properties offers great opportunity to buy homes significantly under market, but there are some risks such as considerable research, under lying lien problems, long-term carrying costs and several others. If you are willing to take the chance on a property or two you may prosper in the end.

Foreclosed homes can be purchased at several stages. First is the pre-foreclosure phase, then the auction phase and finally the REO phase each of these presents their own set of pros and cons. Familiarize yourself with each of these different types of foreclosures, weigh the pros and cons for each, you may be able to avoid a costly mistakes and headaches through the process of investing in home foreclosures.

Take a look at the possible pros and cons at the various stages of a foreclosure:

Pre-Foreclosure Phase

This is the stage where the homeowner is still in control of the property. Although the loan is in default and the pressure from the lenders is just beginning. The homeowner is usually in a position to sell the property quickly and avoid the foreclosure process all together. This means hue savings and large potential profits for you.

Pros

20-40% discounts on the estimate value

Low or no down payment, due to the built in equity

Research and inspection opportunities

Sales agreements that are flexible

Cons

Home owner may not be reachable

Fierce competition, many investors are trying to buy these type foreclosures

Time to research documents and court filings

Undisclosed or underlying liens against the property

Auction Phase

Possibly the most profitable stage of a foreclosure. Auctioned properties usually offer the best potential profit when buying foreclosures. An auctioned property is sold during a public auction to the highest bidder. If you have done you, research these types of properties are sometimes sold way under market value.

Pros

Greater discounts can be as high as 35-50%

Great ROI, return on investment

Greater potential profit

Cons

Property inspection is generally not available

Postponed auctions mean valuable time lost and research wasted

Large down payments that must be paid at the time of auction

Incomplete research can cost you a lot of money

You may not win the auction at all

REO Phase

An REO occurs when the lender retains the property after the auction phase. If the bids are not high, enough during the auto the lender will bid on the property to seize control and resell it themselves. In most case, the property has no value to the lender until the house sells; in this case, the lender is usually motivated to sell the property fast.

Pros

Discounts of 5-18%

Clear title, free of all liens

Back taxes are up to date

Lenders may do the repairs, or offer additional discounts

Cons

Low ROI, return on investment

Research must be very through

Potential for loss in the end

When investing in real estate, especially in foreclosures there is great risk involved. While the potential to make a substantial profit in foreclosures you need to make sure that, you do your research and fully understand what your risks are. Properties that offer the greatest profit potential are often times the risky investments.

More info on your stop foreclosure information search:

Get Free Foreclosure Advice and Free Refinance Quotes
Get your free on-line foreclosure refinance quote and free advice from foreclosure mitigation specialist in minutes. Compare real offers from top national subprime and hard money lenders... more...

Get Info On Macomb County Michigan Foreclosures Whether You're A Distressed Homeowner or an Investor
When it comes to preventing a foreclosure, individuals that are residing in Michigan have a few options. For example, foreclosures in Livonia Michigan and Macomb county Michigan foreclosures help to illustrate this point. This is because when looking at the statistics surrounding the rate of Macomb ... more...

Stop Your Michigan Home Foreclosures Dead In Their Tracks
The home foreclosures Michigan has to offer can be very beneficial for those who are looking to purchase homes at a very attractive price, all while helping the current owners to avoid Michigan real estate foreclosures. Michigan has unique state laws, including the regulations and options which ... more...

Foreclosures in South Florida In June 2007
First and second quarter of this year the number of foreclosures in South Florida was nearly the same but they have dropped this past month, with Miami-Dade County seeing the biggest drop-offs. There were 6,630 foreclosures in South Florida in the second quarter compared to 6,673 foreclosures in ... more...

Making Dallas Foreclosures Work For You
In November of 2006, according to the RealtyTrac? U.S. Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report, RealtyTrac? U.S. Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report the number Dallas foreclosures rose 67%, and the eight counties surrounding Dallas saw a new foreclosure for every two hundred and eighty-six ... more...