Phoenix Urban Living News. Real Estate In Phoenix Arizona

The Dangers Of Buying An Arizona Foreclosure Property

Many real estate investors are grabbing up bargains at real estate foreclosure sales. It is true that you can currently get some fantastic bargains, but some of these may be too good to be true. There is a great deal of danger in buying an Arizona foreclosure at this time, no matter how good the deal sounds. The following tips should help you negotiate your way through the potential minefield of buying a foreclosure in the state of Arizona.

We’ll begin with the reasons why buying a foreclosed property in Arizona is a tempting proposition. Arizona, along with California and a handful of other states on the West and East coasts, has the highest numbers of homes in foreclosure in the nation. This is because during the boom years in the real estate market, these were the most desirable states to live and invest in. Properties were being bought and sold in record numbers and prices escalated to unsustainable levels. When the bubble burst, these states fell the hardest.

Because there are so many homes available on the foreclosure market in Arizona, they are being offered very cheaply by the lending institutions, whose main interest is in getting the money they loaned back as fast as possible. The dangers for potential buyers begin with this fast turnaround time the banks are looking for.

When a property has finally gone through the whole foreclosure process, the bank will want to unload it fast. Interested buyers are going to have to make their offers equally fast, usually within 24 hours. Those who have the full asking price or more will be given first consideration. Those who need financing are more likely to have their offers rejected. If you have to get financing for your purchase, you will need to be persevering, because you probably will not get the first house you make an offer on.

If your bid does win, you may still be in for a disappointing shock. It is important that you remember that these homes are sold on an “As IS” basis. Since you will have had so little time to inspect the home, you may have overlooked some fatal flaws in the construction of maintenance of the dwelling. You still have the opportunity to have your deposit refunded within a certain grace period, but the time and money you have spent in the course of buying and inspecting the house is gone forever.

Even during your initial house inspection, you are likely to have found that a lot of these foreclosure houses are in a shocking state of disrepair. Sometimes angry owners or renters will have deliberately soiled and damaged the property. Sometimes properties that have not been lived in will have been visited by thieves who will have taken everything they could find. Never place a bid on a place you haven’t seen first.

If you are planning on getting financing for your Arizona foreclosure, the home must be in a safe condition. This means that there can be no exposed wiring, the air conditioning must have a working thermostat, etc. There are many such details that the appraiser will look for. Since you will be making your offer so quickly, you may overlook these details and be sorely disappointed when you get turned down for a loan.

These are some of the dangers of buying Arizona foreclosure. Your best option is to get the advice and assistance of a qualified real estate adviser and not attempt to do it on your own.