Fixer Upper - Instant Savings

August 8, 2008

Saving Money - Buying a Fixer Upper

One of the benefits of foreclosure homes is the financial benefit. There is big money to be saved on a home that’s discounted because the previous owner defaulted on their mortgage payments. Something to consider is a fixer upper house

When a home is not in the best cosmetic condition, you can save even more money on it. If the repairs needed are merely cosmetic and related to mild neglect, you can put a bit of time and effort and really turn a huge profit. Not only are you saving money because of the foreclosure status but also you can save money because the house needs some painting, gardening and TLC.

Be careful the house isn’t going to need massive repairs when looking at your budgeting for repairs. Consider how much money it will cost you to get the house in either livable or saleable condition and add that money, the time required to do the repairs and the sale price to determine if you’re getting a good deal. Chances are that you can get a great deal!

Power of Sale - Beware

July 2, 2008

Cons of Buying A Power of Sale

When you decide to buy a power of sale home, there are some things you need to watch for. Quite often, a home that was repossessed by the mortgage lender can have a need for repairs.

If the individual or family that lost the home had financial problems for quite a while, it’s a very wise idea to have the home inspected before you buy. The family might have been suffering enough financial hardship that there could be problems in the home due to lack of proper maintenance.

Getting a Home Inspection

An inspection can reveal whether problems are major or minor and the inspection might be part of the requirements for your obtaining the mortgage as well. Don’t fret at cosmetic problems. The savings on the home purchase could far outweigh the costs of doing some painting and cleaning but you want to be careful about other issues such as:

• The roof
• The furnace
• Water damage
• Fire hazards

You can save a lot of money when buying a foreclosure home but do your due diligence so you aren’t purchasing a money pit.