Where to find pre-foreclosure listings
Locating pre-foreclosure listings is not hard to do at all. It just takes a little leg work and some common sense. There are many homes in foreclosure these days.Whether you search the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) at your local Brokerage or contact the county and search their records, pre-foreclosure listings are available.
Where to find pre foreclosure properties
There are many places to find pre-foreclosure leads. Many pre-foreclosure homes will be listed with an agent already with homeowners desiring to sell. These homes may be listed as a short sale, desperate to sell or seller financing available. Simply contact your local real estate office.
Newspapers
Check your newspapers. Many sellers will advertise their homes as "no money down." Sellers in pre-foreclosure situations will also advertise their home as assumption possibilities.
Asking your friends and neighbours
Some sellers will just not want to face the thought of losing their homes and will do nothing at all. Start asking around to see if anyone knows someone who needs to sell his home and who has lost his job. You will be surprised how many homes are available.
Online websites
With all the foreclosures facing the nation, many websites have opened up which deal strictly with pre-foreclosure listings. Instead of contacting the courthouse for these leads, you can go through these companies. Simply do a search on the internet for "pre-foreclosure listings."
Banks
You can contact the loss and mitigation department of any large bank. They may be able to let you know of homes that will be available soon and when to call back.
How to write to pre foreclosure owners
A very easy way to purchase houses in foreclosure is by writing to them and asking. You can get a foreclosure list simply by contacting a title company and asking for a list of all homes facing foreclosure. The county has records also, but it is much easier this way. The title company will give you a report of homes which are in pre-foreclosure status in the area you specify. You of course will promise the title company to give them the title when you buy a home. This is a matter of courtesy. Once you get the list, you need to hand write a letter to everyone on your list. Simply state that you are interested in purchasing their home. Make sure you keep it very short and to the point. Make a typed envelope which looks official and mail them out. Make sure to include a toll free number, as some will be out of state. You can expect one out of 100 foreclosure owners to contact you, so be prepared to write a lot of letters. Source: Preforeclosure.com