Can't get the list your looking for?   There are literally dozens of ways to find foreclosures - from picking them up at the auction after the banks take them back, approaching the Banks with REO's on their books, chasing down leads from pay sites, and many others.  

At some point in time, you may determine it is best to have the deals coming to you, instead of you doing all the work.  With that, you may want to try getting set up on a MLS alert system.  

To do this, contact your local realtor and ask them if you can be emailed anytime they receive new foreclosures.  

Most realtors will tell you, "sure - I can put you on a list!", but they don't even know what to look for half the time.  This is when you, the investor, will need to help them by teaching them how to actually weed out all the waste and send you just the properties that meet the right criteria.

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One of my favorite Noobs wrote a recent article on real estate of all things.  It is not your typical riff on the likes of marketing and sane thought, but it is a start.  Nice one Seth. 

Click to read his article ' How to buy a house '

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Although there may be 100's if not 1000's of real estate bloggers writing about real estate, most are either not relevant, rarely updated, have a horrible user interface, or are just plain boring.  That is why we have once and for all decided to help you weed through this mud to find the cream of the crop.

Not all of the blogs in our list meet every criteria listed, but they all have something that makes them stand out above the rest.  Some of the criteria our team has used to determine which blogs really make the cut are:

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As far as I am concerned, most people have no idea when to start preparing for the coming influx of buyers and sellers that will most surely affect us, the investor.  It's easy to sit and wait for the market turn to pass you up and then finally get onboard when the train has hit full steam.  But why not be ready to get on before it even leaves the station?

Of all the indicators out there that could show as a tell-tell sign of the economic recovery, the employment report would be your canary in the cave so to speak in letting you know where the market is headed.  Currently, the U.S. is losing thousands of jobs each month and the unemployment rate is still at 9.7%.  Until we see a real turn in this trend, we are not yet in recovery or growth.

Try visiting http://stats.bls.gov and see for yourself the latest news on the unemployment situation in the U.S.  This list is updated on the first Friday of every month.  You will be able to get the employment statistics for the previous months job decrease or increase.

Without work, there is less money that is stimulating the economy and if the companies are not hiring, you can rest assured that there is not enough demand to out-way the current production - hence, no need to hire more workers.  In fact, once you see a company shed jobs and there is an increase in revenue, this company will usually be streamlining production and become leaner and meaner well before it will start to grow.  It may be months or years before confidence levels will prompt a company to start hiring again, especially if profits are substantial with its current workforce.

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Ever wonder why people cut corners on the most important things?  I own a property management company that deals with the very issue of making important decisions for clients and tenants alike.   It never ceases to amaze me at how many times I had to explain to a homeowner that a house does not always rent on the first day it is listed.  Take it from me - you have to spend money to make money and renting out your house is no
exception. 

For example, let's say you decide to go with Noobsville Property Management Company.  They say that you have to put some sod in your front yard so it looks like you have grass.  "Oh no I don't!  The last renter didn't have a problem with the lawn!  Matter of fact, they stayed in the house for two years and it looks like this."  You walk off shaking your head, thinking this new owner has some real issues parting with their money even when it may get their home rented faster. 

Another example is when you tell the owner that they are going to have some out of pocket expenses for marketing and they instantly think that the management company is responsible for paying all of the marketing fees out of their pocket.  Ha. What if you have to pay a $200 finder's fee to the agent that brought you renters?  Who pays that cost - the owner does. 

Ultimately, who bears the burden?  The owner.  Keep that in mind the next time you're out buying houses. 

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