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REO Cash Flow - Call (888) 319-3789If you establish a relationship with an REO listing agent who controls inventory you must be ready to close escrow quickly to establish yourself with that agent. In an REO situation, the bank will handle eviction of the defaulted prior owner, if necessary, and may do some repairs. FHA financing is available for REO homes but generally will require the property to be in decent condition. With the current downturn and unemployment challenges many investors are looking to create and replace income with cash flow REO's. It is important that REO buyers have a realistic idea of what repairs will cost on the houses they offer on. It is best that an REO investor understand a smaller slice of territory very well than have a vague understanding of a larger area. Investor sshould exercise caution and avoid overestimating the value of an REO property. REO vs Short Sale. A home owner in foreclosure may be working on a short sale, loan mod and other options simultaneously to delay their foreclosure sale date. An REO property belongs to the bank and is available for purchase the day it is listed. An REO investor must take care to properly evaluate the condition of a listing and compare that with the standard of the active, pending and sold comparable homes in the area. Many REO investors seeking cash flow buy and fix a property based on overly optimistic market rent and incur long holding times before reducing the rent low enough to attract a qualified tenant. Fannie Mae does not warrant or guarantee any work that may have been done on an REO property, whether as part of its efforts to sell the home or pursuant to conditions in the purchase contract Some REO listing agents are so busy that they hire assistants to field calls. Many do not give out their private cell phone number, which can make communication difficult. Many prefer to use email. The bank does not want to sit on its inventory. Since it did not receive its minimum bid from an investor or home buyer during the foreclosure sale at the courthouse, the bank is likely to price that REO home for less, just to get rid of it. REO properties have properly changed hands. All liens against the property have been addressed. Back taxes have been paid. And the title is clear. In some cases, the bank may have done necessary repairs already. The bank wants to recover as much money as they can on an REO, and will try to sell close to market value in many cases. In their haste to get the cheapest houses, many investors end up with undesirable REOs that need profit killing repairs. In search of a rental portfolio in a down market, many savvy buyers will enlist he services of and REO expert who knows the area, listing agents and inventory well. That way they can make multiple purchases and pick up the right inventory. The REO expert will be compensated with a wholesaling fee. The current REO market in southern California has shown a recent drop in inventory and that has created a price increase. Banks cannot legally sell real estate directly to the public, so they enlist the services of a real estate broker to list the home for sale. Real estate brokers in turn with the REO manager within the bank to negotiate through an offer. There are some downsides to REOs. While REOs are sometimes touted as real bargains, the lenders know very well what they're worth and will drive a hard bargain to ensure they are getting as much money as possible from the sale. |
