Donna LeValley
Buying a foreclosed home these days is tricky, especially in the most expensive cities. This is due to the many ups and downs in the U.S. property market over the past decade, from a COVID-driven real estate boom, to rising interest rates and persistent inflation. Let’s take a closer look.
Finding a foreclosed home
There are opportunities in the uncertainty. Periods of high inflation and rising living costs can lead to more foreclosures, short sales and lenders reclaiming from buyers who can’t meet their repayments.
This unfortunately means hardship for some. Conversely, a foreclosed home is potentially an investment for a willing buyer.
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It should be noted that while foreclosure activity across the United States dropped in 2024, it increased by 6% in the first six months of 2025, as per real estate data firm, ATTOM.
There may also be more people in the buying market now with many Americans working remotely. For those seeking the cheapest places to live, foreclosed homes represent an opportunity to purchase a property for a lower price than you'll find elsewhere.
Let’s get into some numbers.
Foreclosure figures across the U.S.
According to ATTOM, the states that saw the greatest increases in foreclosure activity in the first half of 2025 included Alaska (up 55%), Rhode Island (up 51%), Wyoming (up 46%); Utah (up 46%) and Colorado (up 41%).
It's perhaps also worth noting that the five states on the same list a year ago were New Jersey, Illinois, Florida, Maryland and Ohio.
Wherever you’re buying, it’s important to weigh up some of the pros and cons, and whether you can buy cheap to sell above the market value.
The benefits and drawbacks of buying a foreclosure home
In today's competitive and high-priced real estate market, a foreclosed home might seem appealing.
There are several questions to consider first.
Benefits
Lower costs: The biggest advantage of choosing a foreclosed home is a lower sale price.
Financing flexibility: Similar to a regular home, you can pursue the usual types of mortgage financing when it comes time to buy a foreclosed home. These sales also have a normal closing period.
Bargaining power: Because banks and lenders want to sell foreclosed homes as quickly as possible, they often make concessions such as lowering the price, paying the real estate agent’s commission, shortening the escrow length, reducing closing costs and the down payment.
Condition and title knowledge: The title will be clear, and you can get the usual inspections.
Drawbacks
Additional liens: With a foreclosed home it’s more important than usual to buy title insurance. Even if the bank or lender owns the property, this isn’t a guarantee that the title is clear of liens.
Liens apply to a property and not the person who owes the debt, so buying a house with a lien against it will mean you now owe the debt.
However, a lien might also be a bargaining chip, potentially allowing you to negotiate a much lower sale price.
You have to wait for the owners to move out: In judicial foreclosure, the former owner is generally evicted as part of the court judgment. But in nonjudicial foreclosure, the lender or purchaser of the home might have to get a separate Notice to Quit or file eviction proceedings.
Right of redemption: Each state has different foreclosure laws and in some cases the original owners have months to buy back the home uncontested.
This right exists up to the point of sale in all states and even for a period after auction in some states. In these areas, the previous homeowner can legally remain in the property during the right-of-redemption period.
You're buying the home as is: While plenty of foreclosed homes are in good condition, some homeowners struggling with their finances may have delayed making necessary repairs.
Properties that have been abandoned may have leaks, problems with mold and vandalism. It’s important to have some money set aside to make these repairs.
Find free foreclosure listings near you
Seeking foreclosure homes near you? Foreclosure laws vary by state. Check with your county, town or city. They may have local foreclosure websites or other means of listing local foreclosures and REO properties.
There’s also a wide range of online resources for finding foreclosures, including most larger banks. Here are a few:
Equator.com. Equator offers free listings of homes in foreclosure, alongside short sales, open-market listings and properties available through the Hubzu auction process. Select the "buy" menu, then click on "foreclosure homes."
HomePath.com. Owned by the Federal National Mortgage Association (known as Fannie Mae), HomePath.com offers free listings of thousands of homes in foreclosure being sold by Fannie Mae.
HomeSteps.com. This site is owned by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (also called Freddie Mac). It lists homes in foreclosure that Freddie Mac is selling to investors or potential home buyers.
Zillow Foreclosure Center. The popular website used by home sellers and buyers alike has its own search site for foreclosure listings. You can fashion your own method of searching, filtering by cost or location.
Realtor.com Foreclosures. Focus your search using a zip code and/or city. And while we're on the subject of realtors, check with local real estate companies and their agents directly to search for foreclosed homes. Many offices have realtors who specialize in this area.
Bank of America-owned properties and foreclosures. This site allows users to search for real estate-owned or bank-owned foreclosed properties, by zip code or other methods.
Unlock more listings with these paid foreclosure sites
RealtyTrac. After a 30-day trial for $1.00, it’s $49.60 a month, with discounts on multi-month packages. Members get access to RealtyTrac’s proprietary information, including auction dates and locations, pre-foreclosure addresses, owner information, bank loan amounts and more.
Foreclosure.com. After the free 7-day trial, it’s $39.80 per month. Subscribers receive detailed information on the listed properties, tax roll data, files provided by the lender, local school districts and other listing details.
Explore government sites for foreclosed properties
HUD.gov. Potential investors and other home buyers can find one to four-unit residential properties that the Department of Housing and Urban Development acquired from foreclosure actions on FHA-insured mortgages.
USDA-RD/FSA Properties. The United State Department of Agriculture-Rural Development and the USDA-Farm Service Agency list properties on this website. Here, you’ll find a small number of single and multi-family homes, farms and ranches. Buyers should contact the local USDA-RD office for more information on the property and how to buy it.
IRS Seizures. This Internal Revenue Service website is a portal for finding homes and other property seized by the tax agency for nonpayment of federal taxes.
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