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AgentsReal estate investors are able to buy lender owned REO homes in Southern California for fifty cents on the dollar or better and rent them out for a positive cash flow. Most banks will not provide financing on their REOs but it doesn’t hurt to ask - especially if the property has extensive damage and you are purchasing it as is. An REO can be financed through a number of methods including cash, hard money, conventional and FHA. Although speculative investing is blamed for many of the current economic problems, knowlegeable investors will ultimately end up being a large part of the the solution and help liquidate the bank owned inventory. It is best to eliminate most contingencies on offers made on REO purchases. Buying well researched and identified cash flow REO homes now will create a solid portfolio that will provide great cash flow and equity appreciation in the future. If an REO is HUD or VA owned, the offer will need to be on special forms. The agent representing you will have the original forms that your need. A vacant REO only depreciates in value and is a liability on a banks ledger sheet. Many REO buyers agents are not comfortable working with investors. It is important to find an agent that is familiar with investor transactions. As a short-term real estate investor, you need a very easy-to-use tool that will quickly calculate cash flow, profit, a budget, and the investment return for a potential flip. HomePath Mortgage Financing is available on Fannie Mae homes and there is no mortgage insurance. Fannie Mae wants to be sure that prospective REO buyers will be able to complete the sales transaction, including obtaining financing when needed. Pre qualification allows you to see how much house you can afford and the mortgage amount you may be able to qualify for before you make an offer on a home. It also helps you focus on homes in an affordable price range. Buyer's agent have a fiduciary responsibility to protect your interests in an REO purchase. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development's REO properties are a result of FHA paying a claim to a lending institution on a foreclosed property which was financed with FHA Insured Mortgage and the lender transferring ownership of the property to HUD. As rigid as REO properties or HUD homes may seem, the REO process is as much as part of foreclosures as the preforeclosure side of the business. While REO investors are underbidding on many foreclosure properties, Christopher Thornberg, a principal at Beacon Economics in Los Angeles, said that interest is coming from “vulture funds” with millions of dollars to spend on distress sales. Thornberg said Wall Street vulture funds are amassing war chests in preparation for a new cycle of opportunities in loans or bonds of struggling financial companies or homebuilders. In some communities code enforcement is looking to thin the herd of run down section 8 rentals by imposing heavy fines on their landlord owners. This is something to consider when looking into buying an REO homes as rentals. Many REO investors do not realize the large number of homes that have gone back to banks but remain unlisted will eventually hit the market and have an impact on price. An REO property allows you to gain access to the property for an inspection. Lenders have a responsibility to their shareholders and they lose money on non-producing assets. The REO option offers many more benefits and less stress than the foreclosure auction. When a bank takes back a property they then have the property listed as a salable asset on their books. |
