Mortgage rates survived the summer of 2014 still low and stable! Real estate investors want to know: How long will that last? Forecasters are predicting a rise in rates – as they have been doing for over a year. Almost none of the forecasters are willing to commit to a timeframe, but most see the rise as inevitable, and probably sooner rather than later. What are some of the seemingly contradictory factors that have interest rates jogging in place? Upward forces: Both the improving economy and the Fed indicate a rate increase is coming. Downward pressure: Unstable world events keep Read more…

Many promising real estate investment opportunities aren’t listed or advertised for sale, anywhere. Somewhere a homeowner is missing or under-paying their mortgage payments and doesn’t know WHAT to do about the dunning letters the lender is sending as part of the pre-foreclosure process. As a real estate investor, you want to find this homeowner while she/he can still make their own decision to sell, avoiding a foreclosure, before the lender takes control of the property. Watch for a future post describing the step-by-step pre-foreclosure and foreclosure process. Why are many homeowners who are slipping into a growing hole of overdue Read more…

If you are observing an auctioneer pattering a foreclosure sale property to a group of poker-faced bidders, at some point you may realize that the auction has ended – but who bought the property? Everyone is expressionlessly ticking off a clipboard list, updating a tablet or laptop, or muttering into a mobile phone … even the auctioneer gives few clues as to what has become of this property. So who are the buyers of foreclosure auction properties? There is a very good chance that no one bought the property, even if there were bids. The foreclosing lender typically sets a Read more…