(Almost) Everything you need to know to learn how to get started on buying foreclosures:

The safest deals

Bank-owned properties offer the safest deal for inexperienced foreclosure buyers on how to buy foreclosures. There's no risk, there are no taxes, no liens, no tenants to evict.

A lender that's eager to sell might be willing to offer attractive terms to buy a foreclosure.

The lender might offer to finance the property at a below-market rate or with a lower-than-usual down payment to buy a foreclosure. Because the bank already has done an appraisal, the buyer might not have to pay an appraisal fee. Lender deals typically include title insurance, which removes much of the risk that accompanies buying homes earlier in the foreclosure process is the best way to learn how to buy foreclosures.

Hidden foreclosures (A more advanced way on how to buy foreclosures)

Not all ways to learn how to buy foreclosures are previously owned homes. Some foreclosed homes are new. These homes are not as easy to identify and rarely appear on national lists. In some areas, the slow economy has left many builders of new midscale and upscale homes at the end of their construction-loan periods without finding buyers for their homes, this is the time to learn how to buy foreclosures.

In these cases, the banks that issued the construction loans take possession of the homes and attempt to sell them, using real-estate agents to handle the deals on how to buy foreclosures.

These, too, are ways to learn how to buy foreclosures They are "hidden" ways to learn how to buy foreclosures because no one associated with the sale of these properties will refer to them as foreclosed homes.

Most daring way to learn how to buy foreclosures:

More daring investors can find other points in the process to buy homes, like just before to learn how to buy foreclosures. The buyer finds a homeowner about to go into default to learn how to buy foreclosures. The homeowner doesn't want to lose all of the equity in the property.

Pre-foreclosure buys offer bargains but demand persistence. That's because creditors are often hounding owners at this stage and this is a tough way to learn how to buy foreclosures.

If the homeowner is contacted, the buyer could be in for a surprise. Homeowners in default might not have phones or electricity, and they might have a variety of personal and legal problems. This method is not for the novice to learn how to buy foreclosures.

Q:

What tips do you have for me as I start looking for foreclosures for sale in my area?

A:

Be aware that distressed foreclosures at deep discounts with potential are snapped up very fast. So my advice is to get your financing prequalified before you identify possible opportunities to buy foreclosures. You should know exactly how many will be available, not only for the bid price on the possible property, but also for the other costs that you may be faced with before you can live in the home. How long the property has been unoccupied, or under the threat of foreclosures, is important to know as this most likely will mean higher costs of essential repairs (This is very key to have an accurate amount for planning on buying foreclosures). If you intend to bid on foreclosures subject to a published Notice of Sale, you must have cash or a cashier's check ready (Very important with notice of sale foreclosures).

Q:

I am considering buying foreclosures. How do I buy foreclosures without needing a real estate agent and paying commissions?

A:

Do the easy part first, identifying suitable foreclosures. Use the tools available on the web, many will give free 7-14 day trials of all their tools and listings, here is a good example of a free trial site. Take advantage of free trial periods offered by the listings sites to test out the ease of use, range and freshness of property on offer. Remember that good deals go fast.

Once you have identified a small number of foreclosure homes, get the full sales values of other property in the neighbourhood - use zillow.com for free home valuations!

Then there is a bit of busy work for the foreclosures, this can be a challenging process when time may be against you. Here are some of the things you need to do. Inspect the property completely to assess the foreclosures or use a professional to assess the foreclosures for the cost of mandatory repairs. Conduct a title search to verify ownership, research existence of all liens, identify any potential problems (These are the things that can burn you with foreclosures if you aren't careful). Get the minimum bid price for the foreclosures from the trustee for the impending sale.Check with them if there is a redemption period for the previous owner of the foreclosures.

Q:

While learning how to buy foreclosures, I keep seeing the term "short sale", what does this mean?

A:

The property is in foreclosures process but the property owner still owns the real estate foreclosures in question. The lender agrees to accept that the foreclosures will sell for less that the total of the loan of the foreclosures. Note that the lender can require the buyer to make up the shortfall of the foreclosures.

Q:

What other costs could I face after purchasing foreclosures

A:

Learning how to buy foreclosures is learning how to buy a house "as is" and that may mean the cost of an evicting the current residence as well as repairs and some renovation. If REO, aka owned by bank, the bank may do some repairs after handling any eviction necessary with the foreclosures. Were you able to inspect the property thoroughly inside and out and determine any damage of the foreclosures? Did you note whether any of the usual appliances (like stoves and refridgerators) were in place and included in the deal of the foreclosures? Remember to cost in the interest on borrowed funds for the foreclosures while you wait for repairs to be completed, lost rents, all those costs associated with time delays.

Q:

This sounds extremely difficult/risky, is it worth it to learn how to buy foreclosures?

A:

If it was easy to learn how to buy foreclosures, everyone would do it. Yes, it is difficult at first and yes it can be a risk to buy foreclosures. However, if you take the proper precautions and find the right deals on foreclosures, you could easily pocket $30,000 to $50,000 on each of your foreclosures. Do just a couple of foreclosures a year and you could easily make a huge side income project. Do your homework and make sure you know everything there is to know.