Introduction
Apart from new house allotments, HUD or US Department of Housing and Development sells foreclosed properties as well. Recently, there have been increased buying activities around the HUD foreclosures. The key attractions include consumer confidence in HUD properties, a large number of options to choose from, and huge discounts.

What are HUD foreclosures?
Foreclosure is a legal process in which a mortgage lender, HUD here, acquires the right to attach a property (use as collateral to the loan) in the event of a borrower defaults on principal and/or interest repayments.

Tips for buying a HUD foreclosed house
?Preliminary Research. It is very important to undertake a first round of short listing of the available HUD properties, suiting to your needs and preferences. Therefore, a thorough scan of the HUD Foreclosure Listings becomes the starting point.
?Manual Inspection. It is always advisable to personally visit the site to get the first hand look and feel of the property on sale. This can bring to light any issues related to the physical condition of the property.
?Reclamation Clause. At times, the legal terms of the HUD foreclosure proceedings carry the clause that the defaulter can reclaim the foreclosed property after repaying the auction amount (including interest) to its buyer.
?Expert Advice. The proceedings for buying foreclosed homes are much more complex than a conventional property purchase. In addition, different states in the US follow a different set of foreclosure laws and regulations. Therefore, hiring a professional service provider in the regard is of utmost importance.

Benefits of buying the HUD foreclosure houses
?Discounts. Discounts often remain the single most important factor in the decision to buy a foreclosed property. Such deals always carry the potential of further bargain, as the seller's interest is often limited to recovering its due.
?Maintenance. If you have been prudent enough to do a thorough appraisal of the condition of the purchased property, you are more likely to save on the account of post-acquisition repair and maintenance costs.
?Payoffs. HUD foreclosures, bought and held for speculative purposes, promise decent payoffs on resale, within a small span of time.