The Trustee Sale -- Foreclosure Auction

A foreclosure sale, foreclosure auction, or Trustee auction is the actual Foreclosure. In Tooele, this auction takes place a the Tooele County Courthouse, loacated at 74 South 100 East, Tooele, Utah. This is a public auction where anyone may bid on the property if they:

1. Provide $5,000 certified funds prior to bidding. An "official check" will not work.
2. Have the ability to pay off the entire purchase price by noon of the following day.
3. Are willing to take the risk of purchasing a properties without warranties express or implied. Houses for auction at the county courthouse may still have judgements tied to them.
4. Are willing to evict the current occupants. Many foreclosure properties still have residents needing eviction.

Purchasing a property at a Trustees Sale can be fairly risky. Some big investors purchase these distressed properties "site unseen." Many distressed properties are on the market before the auction but can not be sold in time. In these instances, investors can walk through them before the foreclosure auction, but often times they are not. When a distressed home has several loans against it, and the amount of the sale is not enough to satisfy all the liens the junior liens get shafted. Tooele Foreclosure Auction homes can often be purchased at a large discount when there isn't a lot of competition. Homes with second loans are prime candidates for Trustee auction deals.

• More Information on Tooele Trustee Sales and Foreclosure Auctions
• View Upcoming Tooele Utah Trustee Sales Now

Tooele Utah REO - Bank Owned Homes - Post Foreclosure homes

When nobody bids on a home at the public foreclosure auction, the property becomes becomes a Real Estate Owned (REO) or bank owned property. The large majority of the time Tooele REO homes will be listed with a Realtor and are found listed on the MLS. In the MLS notes the owner will usually be listed as "REO" or "Bank Owned." Banks don't like carrying homes and so usually will price it low to try and sell within three months. Tooele REO Homes are sold "as is."

• More information on Tooele REO Homes
• View Tooele REO Homes Now

Tooele HUD Homes

One of the most common phrases associated with foreclosure, is HUD Homes. Tooele HUD Homes are Bank owned homes that were secured by Government back loans. New HUD homes become available every Friday in Utah. HUD homes can usually be purchased below market value, but they can usually only be purchased by people intendinding to use the property as their personal residence. If a HUD home is on the market for several weeks, the bidding is then opened up to Investors. Once its open to real estate investors, its usually not the greatest deal. The fact is, HUD homes are the hardest foreclosed homes to purchase as an investor.

• More information about Tooele Utah HUD Homes
• View Tooele HUD Homes for Sale Now

Rehabbing and Flipping Tooele UT HUD Homes

HUD Homes and Foreclosure Houses are usually in pretty beat up condition and require some rehabbing. Not all Tooele foreclosures are fixer uppers. Many distressed properties are newer and in very good physical condition. For those with craftsman skills, rehabbing foreclosed homes is an excellent way to invest in real estate.

Five Tips for Buying a Foreclosure Property Below Market Value
By Jim Saccacio, RealtyTrac Chief Executive Officer

If you feel like the escalating costs of real estate have priced you out of the market, think again. It may be time to investigate the vast opportunities available in the foreclosures market.

For people willing to do a bit of homework, the foreclosure market offers some of the best opportunities available in real estate today. Experts point toward significant growth in available foreclosure properties, so there’s never been a better time to line up your resources and educate yourself about this previously hidden market. It’s not unusual to save from 10 to 30 percent of the market value on a foreclosure property, and certain properties offer savings of 50 percent or more! There really are bargains out there. You just have to know where to look.

Web-based services such as RealtyTrac give consumers access to foreclosure and pre-foreclosure information that was previously available only to professional real estate brokers and investors. Today, homebuyers can use these services to identify and research potential home purchases, as well as to find the tools and professional resources they need to help them close the deal. RealtyTrac, which provides all the foreclosure data for both MSN House and Home and Yahoo! Real Estate, has already compiled a list of over 550,000 foreclosure properties across the country.

The keys to a successful foreclosure property purchase are diligence and patience, along with taking an educated approach to investing in this market. RealtyTrac CEO Jim Saccacio offers five tips to help you close a deal on a foreclosure property:

1. Learn about the different types of properties and the foreclosure process.
Not all foreclosures are the same! You need to educate yourself on the difference between the three basic types of properties, including notice-of-default (NOD), notice of trustee sale (NTS), and real-estate-owned REO, as well as the positive and negative aspects of buying at each stage of the foreclosure cycle.

As a rule of thumb, the best savings can be made at the pre-foreclosure stage, where home owners can avoid a foreclosure and lenders can save the time and cost involved in going through the process. Another critical point in the process is immediately prior to the auction date, when all parties might be most open to a last-minute solution.

2. Secure financing early
It’s important for a buyer to be pre-qualified before engaging in discussions with a seller. This ensures that the buyer is in a financial position to purchase the property, and is in the strongest possible position to negotiate.

3. Engage a real estate agent as a “buyer’s representative”
There’s a distinct difference between a buyer’s and a seller’s representative. Buyer’s representatives have the home buyer’s interests at heart, and are charged with finding the right property and negotiating the best price for their clients. Picking the right real estate agent will make your life much easier. Ideally, select an agent who specializes in the foreclosures market and has specific experience in REO properties.

4. Do your homework
Purchasing foreclosure properties is somewhat more risky than buying traditional real estate properties. But, with that risk comes reward in the form of much higher potential savings. With the right examination and due diligence, buyers can significantly reduce the risks. As with any purchase, timing is everything! But, it makes sense to give any property under consideration a thorough examination, including determining its condition and value, finding out the amount in default and the remaining loan balance, and running a legal investing report to make sure the property is free of any financial liabilities. Of course, it never hurts to foster a positive relationship with the seller!

Stocks offer higher potential returns for investors than traditional savings programs, but are also riskier. Similarly, purchasing foreclosure properties is somewhat more risky than buying traditional real estate properties, but offer much higher potential savings. With the right examination and due diligence, buyers can significantly reduce the risks. It makes sense to give any property under consideration a thorough examination. Here are eight steps for doing a professional-level exam. CHART: Examination process steps

· Identify desirable neighborhoods – Identify specific neighborhoods where you’d like to live or own a home. This will limit your search to a manageable size for you and your real estate agent, and give your a sense of relative property values.

· Cast a wide net – There are a number of Web-based services that can put hundreds of thousands of foreclosure properties at your fingertips. Since the best savings are often found in pre-foreclosure properties, it’s important to check the percentage of pre-foreclosure (vs. REO) properties in any database before subscribing.

· Determine the property value –Look at the original purchase price, and recent comparable property sales to determine the current value of the property.

· Find out the amount in default and the remaining loan balance – In order to determine a reasonable offer price, you’ll need to know—at a minimum—how much money it will take just to satisfy the debt to the lender.

· Run a legal investing report – Before purchasing any foreclosure property, make sure it is free and clear of any bankruptcies, tax liens or other financial liabilities.

· Assess the condition of the property– If at all possible, visit the property, ask your realtor’s opinion, and review pest and structural reports to make sure that the property is in acceptable condition, or to determine how much of a rehab budget you’ll need to build in to your deal.

· Build a positive relationship with the seller – Before purchasing the property, try to make sure that you’re entering into a win-win situation with the seller, so that they’ll do what they can to make the process easier and leave the property in good condition

· Leverage your timing – Knowing when a property is going to be auctioned gives you an extra bargaining chip when negotiating with the seller or the lender.

5. Make a realistic offer
If you want to be taken seriously as a buyer, you must be realistic when preparing an offer. Lenders aren’t likely to give properties away, particularly in a real estate market where prices continue to rise. Additionally, homeowners in financial distress may be difficult to deal with, particularly early in the foreclosure process. An educated buyer—one who knows how much is owed on the property and what its market value is—can usually come up with a realistic offer; one that offers significant savings, while meeting the requirements of the lender.