How to Buy a House at an Auction

There will always be a home seller or a home buyer. If you are the buyer, purchasing a home from an auction might be your best shot for a great deal. However, you should make some preparations to maximize your chance of getting the property you want at a discounted price.



RESEARCH: Knowing what you are buying will equip you with the best judgments on how to deal with the owners, how much your highest bid will be and your expectations regarding the house itself. Try to get some information about the house. It is much easier to get information on a foreclosed house that is being sold by the owners. If it is being auctioned by the bank or the government, public information may be limited. If you are just looking for a house to buy at an auction, check the title company for information or the county recorder. Also, houses being auctioned are advertised through auction websites. Auction catalogues could also be a good source of information on the reserve price, the starting bid and the maximum price of the house being auctioned.



COMPARE: If a house is foreclosed in a certain area, chances are there are other houses being sold in the same area. The prices of such other properties may be good estimates of the property's actual value. When comparing, assure that you are putting similar properties in comparison. Get down to the specifics- how large is the property, what is the lot area, what are the amenities, what is the estimated cost of repairs and others. For more reliable predictors, compare the property being auctioned with properties lying within 3 miles.



FINANCING: When buying at an auction, it is not always necessary that you are buying with your own money. You could also get financing from money lenders and mortgagors. However, there is a danger to this- you have to pay the interest of their money on top of the total amount of money you are borrowing. That might hurt your finances a bit. Nonetheless, you must be ready to put some money down as a deposit if you win the auctioned house.



PRICING: Once you consider bidding on a particular property, start setting your price limit. Remember that the reason you are at an auction is to save some money while getting the property you want. If you cannot achieve this then it is senseless to buy from an auction. Try not to join a bidding war if it occurs. This will increase the price unreasonably with you on the losing end.



WALK AWAY: To every house that is being auctioned, there will only be one person who will win it over the others. Thus your chances of winning the auction is a lot lower than you might expect so be prepared to walk away.