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Get The Most Up To Date Title Information

A title search is always recommended for any real estate transaction. A title company will check the property for liens as well as verify that the deed to the home is correct. A title search is especially important when buying an REO property due to the unique transfer of ownership at foreclosure. There may be liens on the title that may not be uncovered until the closing process begins. Again, a real estate professional who is experienced in foreclosed homes can be a valuable resource in guiding you through this process.

Consider Hiring A Buyers Agent

You donât need your own agent to buy REO property, but it might save you some time and stress to have someone negotiating with banks on your behalf. A buyerâs agent will do just that. Plus, they have a fiduciary responsibility to advocate for your best interests. Even better, the seller typically pays the buyerâs agent, so thereâs no additional cost for you to hire one. Ideally, you should work with an agent who has experience dealing with REO properties.

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Government Agencies And Other Options

Some government agencies require you to retain the services of a real estate broker to make an offer to purchase. Others will let you submit offers on your own.

• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides a list of its foreclosure homes.
• The Federal National Mortgage Association lists foreclosure homes through its HomePath website.
• Department of the Treasury lists homes seized by the Internal Revenue Service.

Private-sector sources also are available to find foreclosure homes.

Bofa Faces Discrimination Complaint Over Reo Upkeep

Industry defends the bank, saying repetitive crime makes maintenance a struggle

An advocacy organization has Bank of America in its crosshairs as it revamps a housing discrimination complaint filed a year ago in relation to the bank’s property upkeep practices.

Yet, the amended complaint, which the National Fair Housing Alliance plans to refile with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is considered to be a distraction from the real issues impacting these neighborhoods, industry experts say.

In fact, the industry is more likely to blame repetitive acts of vandalism and crime for issues surrounding the homes in question.

The issue posed by the advocacy group is the result of an investigation into how big banks are maintaining and marketing REO properties in minority neighborhoods.

The NFHA investigated bank-owned homes in major U.S. cities nationwide and alleged disparate treatment of REO properties. The group claims banks maintain and market foreclosed properties in white communities in a superior manner when compared to the handling of REOs in minority neighborhoods.

In 2009, the National Fair Housing Alliance decided to look and see how banks were taking care of foreclosed properties, said NFHA President Shanna Smith.

Arturo Alvarado, executive director of Denver Metro Fair Housing Center, claims homes in communities of color are more likely to have 10 or more deficiencies.

“As soon as theyre repaired, theyre trashed again,” he noted.

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Determine What You Can Afford

Before you start looking at foreclosed homes, you will need to determine how much home you can comfortably afford. You will want to make sure the costs for your mortgage, property taxes and insurance are typically no more than 36% of your income before taxes and other deductions. Please visit our home loan guide to learn more.

If you decide to move forward with a purchase1, getting prequalified gives you the advantage of being better prepared to make an offer. Getting prequalified is a process in which a prospective borrower provides financial and other information, such as employment history and funds for a down payment, in order for a lender to determine how much loan the borrower may obtain for the purchase of a home. In addition, a prequalified status shows you are not just browsing, which in turn makes you more attractive to a seller.

The REO market offers buyers a unique opportunity to invest in a variety of properties in a diverse range of conditions and price ranges. Foreclosed homes can vary from a regular home purchase, and you will want to research all loan products available for this type of transaction, including traditional loan products or an FHA 203 Renovation Loan .

Bank of America has loan products that can help with the purchase of an REO property. Beginning the prequalification process is easy and you can get started at the Bank of America Home Loans website.

Differences Between A Typical Real Estate Transaction And The Purchase Of An Reo Property

Negotiating the purchase price of a foreclosed home may take a little longer than a typical real estate transaction because the process may require multiple levels of approval. First, the bank will have to approve the offer. In some cases, an investor may own the property and will have to provide approval as well.

Pricing for a foreclosed home is typically set at market value in an effort to move the property quickly. You will want to submit a fair and reasonable offer, as most banks will list properties at a fair price.

There are several considerations to keep in mind when purchasing an REO Property:

• Unknown property condition

• Given that the bank has not maintained or had first-hand knowledge of the foreclosed home prior to acquisition, there may be no record of property repairs or maintenance that would assess the true property condition. As a result, the bank is often unable to verify the condition of the property or complete a Sellers Disclosure.
• Buyers are allowed and encouraged to complete professional home inspections on the property.

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East Bay Family Calls For More Us Spending On Childhood Cancer

lying on fraudulent loan transfersaltering dates on property recordsa public document California Mortgage Bankers Associationaudit–Homeowner Bill of Rights$25 billion settlementpart of the settlementTroubles with mortgage databasewho testifiedowed Bank of America $136,841ReconTrusta trustcourt recordsfraudulently approvesfiled for bankruptcyAlliance of Californians for Community EmpowermentMurky paper trailsto $3,197.70higher amountAfter sending his check filed for bankruptcy

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the value of Joji Thomas’ house in San Ramon. He took out a $411,200 loan in 2009 in order to purchase the home.

Agustin Armendariz of CIR and Stephen Stock of NBC Bay Area contributed to this story. This story was edited by Richard C. Paddock and copy edited by Christine Lee and Nikki Frick. The independent, nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting is the countrys largest investigative reporting team. For more, visit . The reporters can be reached at and .

Foreclosure Listings Subscription Sites

RealtyTrac. Theres a free 7-day trial after that, its $49.95 a month, with discounts on multi-month packages. Members get access to RealtyTracs proprietary information, including auctions dates and locations, pre-foreclosure addresses, owner information, bank loan amounts and more.

Foreclosure.com. After the free 7-day trial, its $39.80 per month. Subscribers receive detailed information on the listed properties, tax roll data, files provided by the lender, local school districts and other listing details.

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Get A Home Inspection

A home inspection is a crucial step when buying an REO property. These homes are sold as-is, meaning you are responsible for any repairs needed.

The property youâre eyeing may be in pretty good shape. On the other hand, itâs common for foreclosed properties to be neglected or damaged by the former owners. A professional inspection will uncover any hidden issues and give you a sense of how much youâre likely to spend to make the home more livable after itâs purchased. It may turn out that an REO property is out of your budget once maintenance and repairs are factored in.

Also, the lender might have performed an inspection when the property became bank-owned. If so, you can review the report and decide if itâs comprehensive enough. However, if the property has been sitting vacant for a long time, you may want to have another inspection done. This typically costs between $300 and $500.

How To Buy A Bank

Buying a bank-owned home is similar to purchasing a house from a traditional owner, but with a few differences. Here are some tips:

• Before shopping, get preapproved for a mortgage to show you’re a qualified buyer, just as you would when shopping for any type of home.

• Find a real estate agent with experience helping clients buy REO properties.

• Work with your real estate agent to make an offer. Lenders generally price foreclosed homes at market value, so don’t expect deep discounts. After you make an offer, it may take longer to complete negotiations than with a traditional owner because multiple people at the lender may need to give approval.

• Expect your own mortgage lender to require a home appraisal to estimate the property’s market value.

• Get a home inspection to learn about the property’s condition and needed repairs. An inspection is always recommended when buying a home, and it’s critical when purchasing an REO property because records of maintenance and repair work may not be available. Most REO properties are sold “as is,” so you’ll want to consider the cost of repairs in your offer.

• Get a title search to check for any liens against the property that might not have been discovered at foreclosure.

• Consider a renovation mortgage if you’re thinking about buying a bank-owned fixer-upper. A renovation mortgage lets you get one home loan to combine the cost of improvements and the purchase price.

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How Do You Buy A Foreclosed Home

The two common ways of buying a foreclosed home are through a real estate agent or through a public auction.

There are many factors to consider when buying a foreclosed home compared to a traditional home purchase. REO properties are an affordable housing option, but there are also more things to watch for with this type of home purchase. Use this guide to better understand the steps involved in buying a foreclosed home and to increase your likelihood of success in finding one that is right for you.

Bank Of America Has Thousands Of Real

Bank of America has thousands of real-estate-owned homes for sale across the country. You may save money on a new home if you buy an REO home from Bank of America.

While you may decide to buy foreclosed homes because of the possibility of a lower purchase price, there are other benefits to buying REO property. The REO property typically doesn’t have liens on the title as it might if you bought a foreclosed home at auction. Another benefit with purchasing bank-owned homes is that you have the option to have the home inspected before you buy. To buy an real-estate-owned home from Bank of America, first go to its website and search for bank-owned properties in your desired state. You can also work with a real estate professional and ask them to help you find real estate owned properties in your area. Use Reply! to connect with a real estate professional in your area.

REO home conditions

When you buy an real-estate-owned home from Bank of America, it will be in “as-is” condition. The bank may maintain the home and do minor repairs. It may also be in poor condition. It’s important to have the home professionally inspected to reveal problems before you make an offer. Problems such as lack of cleanliness or an unmaintained yard may be easily remedied. Water damage, property damage or bad renovations may be more costly and difficult to repair.

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How To Buy A Foreclosed Home

It can be an exciting and sometimes overwhelming process to find and purchase a home. You want to ensure the home you purchase is right for you and that you have a seasoned real estate agent to help guide you through the process.

If you are house hunting, you may want to consider buying a foreclosed home, also called a real estate owned property. An REO property is owned by the lender as a result of the previous owner defaulting on the loan. This is also known as a foreclosure property or a bank-owned property.

San Diego Sues Bank Of America To Halt Foreclosures

3 Min Read

SAN DIEGO – San Diego’s city attorney said on Wednesday he filed a lawsuit against Bank of America Corp BAC.N and its Countrywide unit to prevent the mortgage lenders from foreclosing on homes in the city, which he aims to make a “foreclosure sanctuary.”

City Attorney Michael Aguirre plans to file similar lawsuits against Washington Mutual Inc WM.N, Wells Fargo & Co WFC.N and Wachovia Corp WB.N in an effort to make the lenders negotiate with mortgage borrowers facing foreclosure.

We would like to see San Diego become a foreclosure sanctuary, Aguirre said.

Housing markets across Southern California, including the city of San Diego and the county of the same name, are seeing steep increases in foreclosure rates because so many homes bought there earlier this decade involved subprime mortgages and other types of risky loans.

So far this year, 20,000 homes in San Diego County, with a population of 2.9 million, have been lost to foreclosure as borrowers fail to keep up with mortgage payments and some analysts forecast the number may rise to 40,000 by the end of the year.

We havent seen the lawsuit and cant comment, Bank of America spokeswoman Shirley Norton said.

In a statement provided by Norton, Bank of America said it had been reviewing in detail Countrywides operations since acquiring the lender earlier this month and the combined company would no longer sell subprime mortgages.

Writing by Jim Christie Editing by Braden Reddall

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Service Members To Receive Over $123 Million For Unlawful Foreclosures Under The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

The Justice Department announced today that under its settlements with five of the nations largest mortgage servicers, 952 service members and their co-borrowers are eligible to receive over $123 million for non-judicial foreclosures that violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act . The five mortgage servicers are JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. Wells Fargo Bank N.A. and Wells Fargo & Co. Citi Residential Lending Inc., Citibank, NA and CitiMortgage Inc. GMAC Mortgage, LLC, Ally Financial Inc. and Residential Capital LLC and BAC Home Loans Servicing LP formerly known as Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP .

In the first round of payments under the SCRA portion of the 2012 settlement known as the National Mortgage Settlement , 666 service members and their co-borrowers will receive over $88 million from JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi and GMAC Mortgage. The other 286 service members and their co-borrowers are receiving over $35 million from Bank of America through an earlier settlement. The non-judicial foreclosures at issue took place between Jan. 1, 2006, and Apr. 4, 2012.

The following chart shows the number of service members who will be compensated by each of the servicers for the non-judicial foreclosures:

Pros Of Reo Properties

• Lenders are motivated to sell: Banks donât want a bunch of properties sitting on their books. That means holders of REO properties are eager to sell and will work to offload a property quickly. That can mean a leg up on negotiations and potentially better terms for you.
• The price will likely be competitive: Because lenders are so motivated to sell, properties are usually priced lower than other homes on the market. That doesnât necessarily mean youâll get an REO property for cheap. Lenders still need to recoup their losses, after all. But it does mean that you probably donât have to worry about inflated prices in a hot housing market.

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Cons Of Reo Properties

• REO properties are sold as-is: Lenders with REO properties are attempting to minimize their losses. That means they wonât invest anything in fixing up a property before selling it. You have to agree to buy the property as-is, meaning there could be expensive repairs or hidden damage that youâll need to pay. Thatâs why getting an inspection is so important. You donât want to discover water damage or a termite infestation after the sale goes through.
• There could be other hidden costs: Aside from general repairs and upgrades that may be needed, there could be other costly issues. For instance, it could turn out that there is a lien against the property. You can buy title insurance to avoid this issue, but thatâs one more expense that can eat into your budget.

Buyers Who Are Interested In Purchasing These Repossessed Vehicles Can Simply Visit The

The process to acquire these repos is actually quite simple. Buyers can browse the current inventory and search for repo cars, boats, real estate, and more in their own zip code nationwide.

Once you have found the property you are interested in purchasing there will be a link to a B.of A. repossession agent locally that you can contact for additional questions and the procedure for submitting an offer. Currently, the majority of the Banks available inventory is real estate offerings, also known as REO properties. It is always advisable to research anything you are planning on buying so that there are no surprises down the road. A local professional real estate agent can help guide you in these matters.

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