Miami, Florida is famous for many things but certainly the most double-sided has to be foreclosed properties. With easily more than 12,000 properties currently undergoing some stage of foreclosure, Miami has become a hot spot for retirees who were unable to afford living there before as well as for many other people.

Whether at a beach, an orchard or simply a happening urban setting, Miami is seeing plenty of action in the foreclosures, pre-foreclosures, REOs and auctions department. Foreclosed properties auctions jumped to over 2,500 this quarter from 2007, with foreclosures themselves increased by 35%. What this means is a lot more properties in Miami with proportionally more good and bad seeds to choose from.

Largely because previous owners were unable to meet mortgage payments, and were probably also unable to undertake maintenance work on their own homes, it is necessary to hire an experienced real estate agent who can help you find a good deal and work through any complications. Remember, if you are not from Miami but want a house there, foreclosure laws and ordinances are probably different in some key respects to the ones in your city or state. It would be a good idea to look them over once before getting into the buying.

Foreclosed properties in Miami represent, for many people, a chance at that dream home or life they could never have afforded otherwise. It is important to keep both the potential benefits and drawbacks in mind, however, in order to realize that dream as closely as possible.