The foreclosed home buying market is tight. And for good reason. Many people have learned that they can buy properties for a fraction of their value if they buy foreclosure or foreclosed properties. In order to help people find such properties and further their own business, many companies have started offering a free home foreclosure listing to potential buyers. But these "free" guides are not always worth the hassle.

One reason why this type of foreclosure listing may not be worth the trouble is that finding distressed and foreclosed properties in your area is not that difficult to do. Foreclosure listings are public record and can be accessed by everyone at the local courthouse. You can also contact local lending institutions in your area to find out what properties they have foreclosed upon. You can do all of this for no charge.

Granted, finding foreclosed properties on your own can take hours of research. This may make a free home foreclosure listing look like an easier alternative. But even with a free listing, you will have to browse through the countless national listings to find listings in your area. The listings might not even be up to date or accurate when you find them because many listings are generated through huge databases.

Buying foreclosure properties has also become very competitive with many potential buyers vying for the same property. A foreclosure listing that is available to everybody may not give you the competitive edge you need to find the investment opportunity or home of your dreams. In most cases, you can learn of a property quicker and in more detail if you perform the work yourself.

With that said, not all listings are a waste of your time. There are some reputable ones out there. You just need to know how to find them.

The first thing to look at in a free home foreclosure listing are the dates that the properties were listed. Since many foreclosures sell within days of being listed, an outdated list is not going to do you any good. Make sure that the dates are current and the listings fresh and unsold.

You should also be wary of offers from broad sources that promise to give you free listings in exchange for signing up for their "free" newsletter. In many cases, these types of foreclosure listings are only offered as a way to build lists of subscribers' personal information that will eventually be sold to marketers. Most of the time the information that they give you in return is generic and useless.

Once you get a listing, do not be afraid to put it to the test. If the properties are not local, if they are not current, or if they do not contain accurate information, do not use the list. The chances of finding and purchasing an ideal foreclosed property with an outdated, unspecific free home foreclosure listing are very slim.

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...

Foreclosure Victims Helping Foreclosure Victims
A number of the homeowners that we talk to everyday are motivated by two main goals. The first, obviously, is to save their home from foreclosure, avoid potential scams, and get their financial lives back to normal. Teaching homeowners how to do each of these is the main purpose of our website, ... more...

Master The Mechanics Of Foreclosure - The Key To Being Effective In Pre-Foreclosure Investing
To confidently compete in the pre-foreclosure arena, every investor must master the mechanics of foreclosure. The events of foreclosure, the timeframes, the disposition of the proceeds of sale, and the effects of the sale ? these are all important landmarks in navigating through the foreclosure ... more...

Summary Of Vermont State Foreclosure Law
There are four different type of foreclosure are followed in Vermont. Strict foreclosure Power of sale foreclosure Judicial foreclosure Non-Judicial foreclosure What is the processing period for foreclosure in Vermont? Processing period is normally 210 days (Approximately 7 months) in Vermont. Is ... more...

Home Forclosure Help
9 tips for home foreclosure help Here outlined for you are nine things you can do if you want or need home foreclosure help. Home Foreclosure Help Tip #1. Make sure you have in place a Home Equity Line of Credit. For this home foreclosure help tip remember that if something comes up forcing you to ... more...