Real Estate Auction Action - Buying A Home At Auction


Due in part to the popularity of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s home auction program, more potential homebuyers than ever are buying homes at auction. Homes for auction aren't limited to just HUD, however. Many government entities auction homes for payment of back taxes, and some homeowners even auction their homes on eBay.com!

Homebuyers considering buying a home at auction should take some steps in advance to help them with their bid price, and even whether to bid at all on a specific home. There will always be a degree of risk when buying a home this way, but with a little diligence, potential homebuyers could save a lot of money buying in this manner.

Before the auction, you should have your financing arranged, and have enough cash on hand or in your bank account to cover a deposit on your purchase. You need to check the features, location, condition, and ownership history first. Afterwards, be sure to learn what the property is worth by looking at sales of comparable properties in the same area. Compare homes with the same number of rooms is possible, but be sure to allow for price differences due to pools, decks, carpeting, window treatments, etc.

At the auction itself, resist the temptation to get into a personal bidding war, just "to beat out the other guy". Have a set price limit and stick to it. Other houses will come along, and you don't have to win the first auction that comes your way.

You should know that the price of a home at auction is typically the loan balance (if foreclosed), plus any back taxes owed, plus legal fees and other expenses in foreclosing the property. This will typically be the opening bid amount, and the price will go up from there. Even so, it's possible to get a great deal in an auctioned house, with a little research and planning first.

Also, know that you probably won't be able to get an inspection, and are buying the home "as is". If you can't do any needed repair work yourself, or can't hire it done within your budget, you may not end up getting such a bargain in the end.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.







Related News



SUSAN TOMPOR Auction-rate securities probed - Detroit Free Press

SUSAN TOMPOR Auction-rate securities probed
Detroit Free Press, United States -12 hours ago
Brokerages and other financial firms nationwide sold auction-rate securities to well-to-do investors, small companies and others as a higher-rate ...

Pollution auction set for Maryland - Carroll County Times (subscription)

Pollution auction set for Maryland
Carroll County Times (subscription), MD -3 hours ago
25 auction, the first of its kind in the nation, is part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an agreement among the 10 states to reduce greenhouse ...

India begins process to auction 3G airwaves - Sify

Sify

India begins process to auction 3G airwaves
Sify, India -11 hours ago
New Delhi: The Indian government is set to begin here Monday the process to e-auction radio frequencies for telecom operators to start third-generation (3G) ...
Telcom panel may discuss 3G e-auctionBusiness Standard
Bharti, Tata Comm come under DoT scannerHindu Business Line
all 11 news articles

Pakistani puts kidney up for online auction - Times of India

Pakistani puts kidney up for online auction
Times of India, India -1 hour ago
ISLAMABAD: Bizarre as it sounds, a Pakistani has put his kidney up for sale at a leading auction website of the country. In recent years, Pakistan has ...


Slice of Diana wedding cake sells for £1200 at UK auction 黛妃 ... - Taipei Times

Slice of Diana wedding cake sells for £1200 at UK auction 黛妃 ...
Taipei Times, Taiwan -3 hours ago
A piece of 27-year-old cake from the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana has been sold to an anonymous bidder at auction in Britain for ï¿¡1200 ...

Chef John Ash helps kick off Wine Auction Weekend this month - Lake County News

Chef John Ash helps kick off Wine Auction Weekend this month
Lake County News, CA -11 hours ago
LAKE COUNTY – This year's Lake County Wine Auction will be the centerpiece of a weekend filled with activities that celebrate great wine and food while ...
Clarke signs Wine Auction poster Sept. 11Lake County News
all 2 news articles

Auction-Rate Bailouts Bypass Some Investors - Wall Street Journal

Boston Globe

Auction-Rate Bailouts Bypass Some Investors
Wall Street Journal -Sep 3, 2008
By SHEFALI ANAND and JENNIFER LEVITZ Large Wall Street firms have announced plans to buy back billions of auction-rate securities from aggrieved investors. ...
Two charged with fraud in auction-rate caseLos Angeles Times
Credit Suisse Brokers Charged In Auction-Rate SchemesForbes
Former Brokers Indicted on Auction-Rate Securities Fraud ChargesWall Street Journal Blogs
TheStreet.com - Swissinfo
all 527 news articles

Auction scene brighter - NEWS.com.au

Auction scene brighter
NEWS.com.au, Australia -5 hours ago
Buyers yesterday seemed content to negotiate afterwards rather than bid at auction. Auctioneer Andrew Chisholm, of Buxton Real Estate agency's Bentleigh ...

Collectible cars offer nostalgia, quality - CTV.ca

CTV.ca

Collectible cars offer nostalgia, quality
CTV.ca, Canada -8 hours ago
That particular vehicle is the most expensive collectible car sold at auction in the past year. While the collector car market is massive, ...

DoT starts 3G auction process; pre-bid conference tomorrow - Press Trust of India

Times Now.tv

DoT starts 3G auction process; pre-bid conference tomorrow
Press Trust of India, India -9 hours ago
Raja had said there would be "no deviation" in the schedule for auction of spectrum and roll out of services. PTI.
3G auction process begins; pre-bid conference todayLivemint
Process to e-auctionGreaterKashmir.com (press release)
DoT to consider spectrum sharing todayFinancial Express
Press Trust of India
all 20 news articles