Stop Foreclosure Sale
By Jayme Hanson
There are many ways to get started in real estate investing. The popular method right now to stop foreclosure sales is for investors to invest in foreclosures. Investing in foreclosures allows you to buy quality properties for pennies on the dollar. With the recent real estate crisis, there are many on the market to choose from.

If you are going to invest in you will need a plan and will want to stay focused on your goal. Without some type of plan, you will get side tracked by every "really great" deal you come across. List what you want to accomplish and how you are going to achieve the goals you've established.

The first thing you'll need to decide before you start investing in foreclosures, is decide what you are going to do with the property. Are you going to refurbish it, and resell it or are you going to keep the property and use it as a rental. When you know if you want resell or keep the property when you're buying it then you know what types of properties to look at.

Your plan will include what types of houses or properties in which you are going to invest. It should also include whether you are going to help stop foreclosure sale, purchase at auction or pre-foreclosure. You will also need to decide if you want to invest in commercial real estate or single family homes. Single family and multi-family homes are great for someone interested in being a landlord.  If you don't want to be a landlord then don't buy properties with the intention of renting them out.

Research the market in the

General Growth gets offer of $3.93B investment - Houston Chronicle: Business
Two major investors in General Growth Properties are joining Brookfield Asset Management in offering to inject a combined $6.5 billion in fresh funds into the shopping mall operator to help it emerge from bankruptcy protection. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8YH6OqbfzK_CGK9PNgb6eVucmPs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8YH6OqbfzK_CGK9PNgb6eVucmPs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8YH6OqbfzK_CGK9PNgb6eVucmPs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8YH6OqbfzK_CGK9PNgb6eVucmPs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/houstonchronicle/business/~4/sA3EM9EhjKs" height="1" width="1"/>
Strategic defaults on homes on the rise - SFGate: Top Stories
Strategic defaults on homes on the rise
Real estate transactions - Houston Chronicle: Business
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fc-k_q5M0Ik_R54_q7mbNdAG1v8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fc-k_q5M0Ik_R54_q7mbNdAG1v8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fc-k_q5M0Ik_R54_q7mbNdAG1v8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fc-k_q5M0Ik_R54_q7mbNdAG1v8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/houstonchronicle/business/~4/q33mdYYOxS4" height="1" width="1"/>
Short sales put families back in Sunray Meadows - Steamboat Pilot
Short sales are proving to be the mechanism that is putting young families into condominiums in place of speculators at Sunray Meadows on Village Drive. During the overheated real estate run-up of 2007, speculators bought as many as four of the modest condominiums at a time, as the price increased to as high as $485,000 for a 1,060-square-foot two-bedroom unit with a one-car garage.
Working to win people&#8217;s homes back - Boston Globe: Opinion
Working to win people&#8217;s homes back
Pending U.S. home sales fall 7.6 pct. in January - Houston Chronicle: Business
The number of buyers who agreed to purchase a home fell sharply in January, a sign that demand for housing is sinking this winter as stormy weather slammed Eastern states. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/80JPuug-QUSchPYewWMMjP5Mw5c/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/80JPuug-QUSchPYewWMMjP5Mw5c/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/80JPuug-QUSchPYewWMMjP5Mw5c/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/80JPuug-QUSchPYewWMMjP5Mw5c/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/houstonchronicle/business/~4/wxiinnOdRB8" height="1" width="1"/>
Wells Fargo becomes East Palo Alto's largest landlord - San Jose Mercury News: Peninsula
Wells Fargo became East Palo Alto's largest landlord on Tuesday, assuming ownership of about 1,800 rental housing units after no one bid on any of the properties at a foreclosure auction.
The Art of the Possible - American Prospect
Eight meaningful things Obama could do right now -- without getting caught in congressional gridlock.
Best way to ditch underwater house - Chicago Tribune: Real Estate
Best way to ditch underwater house
Fixing the homeowner default trap - Boston Globe: Opinion
Fixing the homeowner default trap
When Shelter's Full, Church Basement Beckons - WCCO: Local News
At 6 p.m., a bus lurches to a stop at the St. Paul Cathedral. Seven families spill out, leftovers who didn't fit into the homeless shelters that night.<br />
RV lifestyle can lead to freedom - Chicago Tribune: Business
RV lifestyle can lead to freedom
In the Region | New Jersey: In New Jersey, No Consensus on Foreclosure Problem - NY Times: Real Estate
Some see the state as relatively unscathed at this point, with the situation about to improve; others see worsening conditions that may turn downright severe.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=7ebaaa76e13f9466ee86105d0ec53bbf&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=7ebaaa76e13f9466ee86105d0ec53bbf&p=1"/></a> <!-- foo -->
Mortgages: Another Foreclosure Alternative - NY Times: Real Estate
But with short sales beyond the reach of some homeowners, another foreclosure alternative is emerging: ?deeds in lieu of foreclosure.?<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=cae42518a6020aa68cd0042081af541e&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=cae42518a6020aa68cd0042081af541e&p=1"/></a> <!-- foo -->
Lenders back off on forced evictions - LA Times: Business
Lenders back off on forced evictions
Republicans slam Obama loan help effort - Seattle Times: Business &amp; Technology
Republicans are taking aim at the Obama administration's struggling mortgage assistance program. They argue the effort is making the economic crisis worse and say many homeowners would be better off as renters.
New U.S. home sales hit record low in January - Houston Chronicle: Top Headlines
New U.S. home sales hit record low in January
New U.S. home sales hit record low in January - Houston Chronicle: Business
New U.S. home sales hit record low in January
Minneapolis system losing the fight against lax landlords - Star Tribune: Local
Most affected by the situation are families like those of Rosie Lee who live in housing that some property owners are either unwilling or unable to keep in good shape.
Minneapolis system losing the fight against lax landlords - Star Tribune: Business
Most affected by the situation are families like those of Rosie Lee who live in housing that some property owners are either unwilling or unable to keep in good shape.
Calpers' Role Draws Scrutiny - Wall St. Journal: US
Investments by Calpers in deals that included converting low-rent properties to market-rent apartments are drawing scrutiny.
For this man, a need this urgent could not go unmet - Star Tribune: Local
Investments by Calpers in deals that included converting low-rent properties to market-rent apartments are drawing scrutiny.
Ohio man bulldozes $350K home to avoid foreclosure - Houston Chronicle: Nation
Terry Hoskins says he has struggled with the RiverHills Bank over his home in Moscow for years and had problems with the Internal Revenue Service.
Spiros Zorbalas update: Are notorious properties getting cleaned up? - News &amp; Features
<p>At first Anna couldn't see where the vermin were coming from. It was just the second day in her new apartment at 1820 Stevens Ave. when she spotted the first cockroach scurrying across the floor of her ramshackle one-bedroom spread. The Minneapolis Community and Technical College student opened t...
Ohio man bulldozes $350K home to avoid foreclosure - Houston Chronicle: Nation
Terry Hoskins says he has struggled with the RiverHills Bank over his home in Moscow for years and had problems with the Internal Revenue Service. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yDvROPX2V_TiXl7kjakHw1hyMHA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yDvROPX2V_TiXl7kjakHw1hyMHA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yDvROPX2V_TiXl7kjakHw1hyMHA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yDvROPX2V_TiXl7kjakHw1hyMHA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/houstonchronicle/nation/~4/qQhkRgPa48c" height="1" width="1"/>

area that you want to invest in.  Research the neighborhood prior to any purchase and only buy like type of homes for that neighborhood.  Don't buy the biggest or the smallest home in the area because it will take longer to recoup your initial investment.

Cash flow is also an important part of your plan. Usually when you are investing in real estate you will want to generate cash flow as soon as possible. When you are investing in real estate, the lenders will be examining the property values, the market and your credit risk. A good, solid business plan can sometimes be more persuasive than just walking in and asking for a loan.

Put together a team to help you invest in foreclosures. The first member of your team should be a qualified real estate agent. This is the person who can tell you the market trends for the neighborhood. You will also want an inspector or contractor who can tell you what types of repair the property needs. A good working relationship with a lender will help stop a foreclosure sale and provide you with a nice property.