Foreclosure Investing Can Help Save Neighborhood Values
Some may call it benefiting from the misfortunes of others, while those with the resources claim they are only interested in foreclosure investing from a business point of view. Nationwide statistics show that the practice of buying and reselling foreclosed homes is basically on the same historical level as it has been for about the past 10 years.
Many more homes are sold back to the lenders than are sold to third parties through auction or outright sale prior to reaching auction. These numbers would indicate that foreclosure investing is not necessarily rising from a percentage standpoint, but in volume are higher than in previous years. There are numerous reasons a home ends up in foreclosure and in some cases, there are people with sufficient resources ready to pounce on the property when it hits the block.
However, from a strict financial point of view, foreclosure investing is a means of securing property below market value and turning a profit. In some ways this process also helps surrounding property owners in maintaining adjacent property values. Many times when foreclosed homes are returned to the lender, it may sit for months, and even years, slowly falling into disrepair. The result is depreciated value for that property as well as surrounding properties.
Purchased Properties Repaired And Back On Market
A person in the business of foreclosure investing may get a good deal on a property and be able to spend resources on repairs and fixing it up for resale. Once completed, the property is back on the market and since it has improved its appearance, the value may be higher than previously listed. This helps maintain the property values of adjacent homes and in some cases, entire neighborhoods.
It should be realized that someone interested in foreclosure investing is not going to buy a property and let it sit very long. They want to reap a return from that investment and the only they can do that is to get it ready for sale and put it back on the market at a reasonable cost while still making a return on the investment. While there may be a few land sharks swimming in the waters of foreclosure, many more are in it for the money and will have to produce a valid product in order to make money.
Yes, there are going to be people who will make money from foreclosure investing, but that is why they do it. However, it benefits others in the immediate neighborhood as well and should be looked on as an investment in the entire block, and not just one property.
