It’s unfortunate but foreclosed homes currently represent half of all of all the homes sold in the US. Before the bank forces foreclosure there is in a period called pre-foreclosure which can last anywhere from two to twelve weeks. Many of the real estate gurus have made a fortune on pre-foreclosures and consider it as one of the best, if not the best, way to invest in real estate.

Many houses that are ‘for sale by owner’ are houses that are in a period of pre-foreclosure. The lenders sometimes allow the homeowners to try to sell their home before foreclosing it. The banks are not in the real estate business themselves and would rather the owners sell the home instead of (the lenders) having to foreclose it.

Here are some of the reasons many real estate professionals prefer purchasing a pre-foreclosed properties rather then waiting until they reach foreclosure:

- Pre-foreclosed houses are often cheaper considering as it’s being sold by a home owner that is in a hurry to sell to avoid facing foreclosure and the bad credit that goes along with it.

- Since you won’t be at an auction, you will be given more time to talk to the home owner about any questions you may have concerning the house.

- There is usually less competition for a pre-foreclosed home than a auctioned foreclosed home. You won’t have to worry about placing the highest bid.

- More time to consider your finances before making the decision to purchase a home.

- Auctions can be either overwhelming or lead to egotistical or emotional decisions.

- You can bring an inspector along with you to inspect a pre-foreclosed home.

- You don’t need as much cash up front like you would at an auction. You can pay a down payment for as low as a few hundred dollars!

Always check to make sure that the pre-foreclosed home you’re interested in has no liens or judgements against it. You should also bring along someone to inspect the home for you so you’ll know of any problems. The risks in purchasing a pre-foreclosed home are similar to purchasing a home the traditional way, only a lot less expensive.