Friday 27 June 2014

All About Bank Owned REO Properties

By Sherry Gross


It is common knowledge now that when property owners fail to service their mortgages, foreclosure proceedings are initiated and the bank repossesses the property. There are basically two types of foreclosure proceedings: judicial - where the courts are involved; and non-judicial where the courts are not involved in any way. Bank owned REO properties can arise from either of these proceedings depending on what the property owner does.

During foreclosure proceedings, the property owner has the legal right to reclaim the asset at whatever stage. Failure to do this leads to transfer of ownership to the bank. Any real estate property that is owned by a financial institution is commonly referred to as REO (Real Estate Owned) property, and it can be disposed of at the sole discretion of the bank.

Usually, banks hire real estate brokers to help them handle transactions involving repossessed assets. There are many property listings on the Internet where prospective buyers can check out these assets and express their interest. Real estate agents are the ones who handle the whole transaction.

Over the last five or so years, the number of REO's has increased significantly due to the housing crisis that occurred a few years ago. Many people defaulted on their mortgages forcing banks to repossess their homes and commercial real estate holdings. While some individuals were able to reclaim their assets, others did not have the financial muscle.

If you want to buy a home at a discounted rate, you may want to consider buying a REO property. Normally, their prices are up to 20 percent lower than prevailing market prices. However, you need to always remember that just like any other piece of real estate, prices vary from one neighborhood to another, one city to the next and from state to state. Therefore, you should shop around before you make a decision to buy.

If you think that there is a special procedure for buying a REO property, you should know that the process is the same that is followed when acquiring normal homes. Provided there is a willing buyer and and a willing seller, the transaction can be legally binding if there is a signed document that was obtained without duress.

Most banks usually sell their REO's on as is where is basis, so it is important that you inspect the building before making an offer. You can do this on your own, but you may want to consider hiring a professional housing inspector to do the job for you. This may cost you some money now, but it can save you thousands in the long run.

By now you should know that there is no fixed price when it comes to purchasing second hand goods. For this reason, you should always negotiate with the aim of obtaining a lower price. Seller usually quote higher prices deliberately knowing very well that the buyer will want a discount. Before you commence the negotiations, you may want to visit the property in person.




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