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What does buying your first house and bank owned property have in common. For most people when they hear about foreclosure, they are not thinking about the investment potential. What strikes my mind is the monumental opportunity some lucky investor will have by taking the time to structure a deal that makes it possible for the bank to get the property off their books, and for you the investor to make a hearty profit.

You should also be pre approved for a mortgage loan. Of course if you’re rich, then money is not a problem. but if not, then your just like most first time real estate investors. Foreclosure investing revolves around an investors ability to think outside the box to structure deals in such a way as to make the purchase profitable. A seasoned real estate investor will research all the available information on any property you are interested in.

Knowledge is definitely power! If the property makes sense for you, then you must act fast and make the purchase before other investors scoop it up. Buying a foreclosed property requires that you follow many steps. In most cases of foreclosure, the lender(usually a bank) has taken back ownership of the house.

The sheer temptation to snatch-up a deal like that is almost unbearable to pass up. The average price on bank owned property for sale is well below market value. There are some properties that have been selling as cheap as thirty to forty percent below market. Another advantage to buying foreclosed homes is that the banks are bent upon getting these foreclosed homes off their books. Work with the bank in coming up with the best deal possible. Sometimes a lender will waive portions of the closing costs. Some have even offered a deal on the down payment or interest rate.

As a real estate investor you will view many properties, hiring a professional home inspector will protect you from hidden problems that need repair adding extra expense to the property, another perk to hiring a home inspector and developing a working relationship with them is by walking with them and asking questions you will start to pick-up on how to spot potential problems for yourself which will help you narrow down your list to more profitable choices.

Don’t underestimate the cost of repairs. You should get estimates from a couple of well established contractors. Don’t forget that repairs on a home will take time. If your plan is to sell the house, factor in the time it will take to fix it up. Remember contractors are notorious for not staying on schedule. Try to find a reliable contractor that you like to work with, by using the same contractor on many different properties you will find they understand what your trying to do and the work will go much smoother.

Another thing you will want to consider is the condition of the property. It has been said that people have completely trashed their homes after they were served the eviction notice. If you are going to have to go through a ton of repairs, the property may not be a good deal after all, especially if you are purchasing for the sole purpose of reselling.

So bank owned property will frequently need some minor repairs, upgrades or improvements that the investor can make which will increase the selling price of the property. Another way the investor can increase their profit margin is by reducing the cost of acquiring the property. An alternative way to do this is to buy bank owned property.