The subprime crisis in the US has caused a big loss to the housing industry. It has even wiped out companies like Bear Sterns which has risky bets on mortgage securities. With job loss data on the higher side it is almost certain that the foreclosure rates are bound to go up. Today in United States, foreclosed homes are available more than before. With banks and lending institutions charging a higher interest rate homeowners are no longer able to cope up with the mounting inflationary pressures. Now let us understand why there is a spike in foreclosed homes in the US. From May 2007, the foreclosure rates in the United States have spiked up by 48%. This is an issue which is bothering lawmakers at Washington and the Federal Reserve alike.

Bank Repossessions rates have gone up by 158% from the previous year. With the economic scenario gloomy and oil prices at an all time high, the scenario is not going to change in the near future. Default notices to homeowners are up 39% from the previous year. It is no wonder that today you will find foreclosed homes at every street that you move. Areas where the rich and famous had their houses are also no exception with boxing champ Evander Hollyfield's house also facing foreclosure. Auction notices are also up by 13% from the previous year. As we know that Foreclosure is a procedure that helps lenders to recover their outstanding dues from home owners. There can be three different kinds of foreclosure sales. One is pre-foreclosure, another is buying at public auction and the other is buying bank-owned properties.

There are five different steps for buying foreclosed homes. The first step is to find the right property, the second step is to get the financing, the third step is to contact the agent, next the owner needs to be contacted and finally close off by making the offer. There can be different owners for different properties. While some are directly sold by the owner, some are sold by trustees while others are owned by the banks. Getting knowledge of a foreclosed property is easy. There are different websites which give listings of foreclosed properties across the country. Good agents can also give information on good foreclosed property.

Buying foreclosed homes requires a good amount of negotiation with the owner because there may be liabilities attached to the property apart from the outstanding loan. It is always possible that there may be outstanding tax or utility bills pending which needs to be cleared. The property rates may vary depending upon the state in which the property is being sold. While some states like New York will still command a higher price because of closeness to the business district other places in Mid West may sell property cheap. Depending upon your requirements you may choose the right property. With real estate prices bottoming out the time is right to buy a property now. The gloomy market has many Opportunities for people ready to invest.