Guest Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 There are 3 houses is our neighborhood sitting empty, with the stickers on the door regarding foreclosure. Two of them have been empty a couple of years, one (the one we'd be most interested in) just a couple of months. Does anyone know how we can find out how we might try to purchase one of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Talk to the city and find out who has the lien on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Or a Real Estate Agent... that is what they do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 My agent, who is usually very helpful, isn't being responsive. The market in our area has blown up this spring and I think she has bigger fish to fry. I didn't think of calling the city. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bini Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 We are actively in the midst of purchasing a new home. HUD/Short Sales/Foreclosures require you contact and work with an agent. There should be a contact number posted somewhere.. Via an agent, you can access all MLS properties in your state and receive alerts when new ones that fit your criteria pop up. In some instances, you can see properties before they are even listed! We have an agent but we are not under contract with him. So we get the best of both worlds, we can inquire about HUD/SS/Foreclosures and also checkout For Sale By Owner properties. (But our agent will likely sell our home.) Now is a great time to buy! Homes are super cheap but prices are rising.. Come summer, the market will sky rocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Home and property ownership is a matter of public record. You should be able to go to the city courthouse and find out who owns the property at those addresses. (Which bank holds the lien, I mean.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Call a different agent.... unless you signed something saying if you bought in the next 6 months it had to be with them..... never sign anything like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Call a different agent.... unless you signed something saying if you bought in the next 6 months it had to be with them..... never sign anything like that.Maybe I'm naive on both following counts, but I have never heard of such a thing, and I seriously doubt it would be enforceable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennarator Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Maybe I'm naive on both following counts, but I have never heard of such a thing, and I seriously doubt it would be enforceable.Yep, they do that. It is legit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 We switched realtors because the lady was unethical and the first thing the new realtor asked was if we signed anything like that. I told her I wouldn't knowingly and if she tricked me into it I'd wait 6 months to buy a house just so she wouldn't get the sale. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Our realtor was enormously helpful in helping us find an investment property we could afford last year. It took several months, and I don't think she made much off of it. Yesterday she posted on Facebook that she was excited to be working with so many new clients. We've been a lot of work and not much profit, so I can understand that she would focus on people that are going to bring her a paycheck. We've been trying to buy a house from someone in our ward and that's falling through. Another long story. . . but she spent a lot of time walking me through some things and then it never worked out. In short, I'd feel really badly dropping her at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bini Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Yes, agents can be sneaky. If an agent refuses to work with you unless you (1) sign a contract right-off-the-bat or (2) charges to do a CMA on your home - those are red flags - get rid of the agent! Our agent has driven us all over, from South Jordan up to Fruit Heights and back - we've seen about 25 homes and he hasn't demanded we sign a contract nor has he charged us to conduct a CMA on our home. He continues to send me new listings that have just hit the market too.. There are so many agents out there, you can afford to be choosy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 And we're not in a hurry to move. . . we're just feeling a bit too "cozy" in our house, which we bought when we had 2 children. Now we have 5, and they keep getting bigger. :) We also want to stay in our ward and if possible, our neighborhood, and we don't have a lot of money to work with, so we are kind of a pain in the kiester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 (edited) In my county, you can get all that information online - no need to go to the courthouse. Most counties have their property appraiser's database on a website now. The property card has the name and contact info of the owner. Those that are repossessed by the bank will show the bank's name and contact info on the card. Basically, whoever is paying the property taxes on that property is going to be on that card. But usually, banks will not deal with individual callers. They only deal with realtors or put the house on auction. Edited April 10, 2013 by anatess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Even if you sign such an agreement, I bet* they can't enforce it. *I don't really bet any such thing. But I bet** if you took them to court over it, you would win. **I don't really bet any such thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just_A_Guy Posted April 11, 2013 Report Share Posted April 11, 2013 FWIW, property records usually go through the county recorder, not city hall or city court. And yes, if you're very lucky (e.g.: if you live in Utah County, Utah); it's all online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bytebear Posted April 11, 2013 Report Share Posted April 11, 2013 I used Zillow quite a bit when looking at houses. Was a great asset and it's free. I ended up buying a house that was unlived in for about 8 months. The bank did not budge on price, and they woudn't offer to do any repairs. it was bought as-is. It was worth it though. I had to replace a small broken window, and the main plumbing line needed a clean out but we had home owners insurance that covered most of the bills, so I highly recommend getting that. And don't buy at the top of your budget. You will need some money for fixing things up. The little things add up even when it's move in ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bini Posted April 11, 2013 Report Share Posted April 11, 2013 I used Zillow quite a bit when looking at houses. Was a great asset and it's free.Zillow is a terrible site. Most of those home are already sold and yet the agents keep them online to lure in new clients. There are better sites that will help you avoid scams of listed homes that don't exist (be it that they're already sold or were never on sale to begin with). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlJibbs Posted April 11, 2013 Report Share Posted April 11, 2013 Selling bank owned properties is what I do. Check with the County Tax department. If it has already been foreclosed on, it will say who the current owner is. It will not have a lien if it has been foreclosed already. As far as getting in contact with them, they will normally have an agent assigned. If there is no sign up, or you cannot find it on the web, then they are most likely not interested or ready to sell it yet. You do not need to have an agent to buy it. But honestly, you are not really going to save anything by not having an agent represent you. The Bank normally is not going to slash 3% if you do not have one. They simply pocket more money. On the flip side, they do not ask for more money if you do have an agent. They prefer that you do. It helps things go along smoothly. This is common in REO (Real Estate Owned) practices. I am more than happy to answer any questions you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2013 Report Share Posted April 11, 2013 Thanks so much, Earl. That's very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishcolleen Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 Just be careful buying a foreclosed home. They may (probably) have maintenance issues as the owners didn't have money for repairs let alone the mortgage. We had three foreclosures near us (same block- it was horrible) that required near 100k in repairs just to be approved for occupancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.