Читать книгу Foreclosure Investing For Dummies - Ralph R. Roberts - Страница 23

The more you know about the homeowners and their situation, the better able you are to assist them in extricating themselves from their current predicament. Unfortunately, homeowners who are facing foreclosure often feel isolated, ashamed, resentful, and defensive. They may not be very forthcoming about the details that landed them in their current situation, and they may see you as merely an opportunist who’s trying to sell their property out from under them.

In a way, they’re right. You do want the property, and you want to make a profit. But that doesn’t change the fact that the homeowners are trapped and need to explore their options. Your job at this stage is to convince the homeowners that they’ll see better results working with you than with someone who’s not quite on the level. In Chapter 9, I show you how to approach distressed homeowners and explain their options.

When you meet with homeowners, listen at least twice as much as you talk, and try to gather the information like the following that can enable you to provide more valuable guidance and assistance:

 The total amount owed on the first mortgage and all other liens on the property, including any back taxes owed

 The current monthly payment on the house and on any other outstanding loans

 The names and contact information for all lienholders (lenders, contractors, and others who have a claim on the property)

 The amount of time before the property goes up for auction

 The value of any possessions the homeowners have that can be liquidated

 A list of any family members who may be able to help

 A clear idea of what the homeowners see as their options, such as selling the house, moving to a rental unit, relocating, or scaling down to a smaller house

This brief list can start you on your information-gathering mission, but as you talk with the homeowners, other issues and opportunities often present themselves. Create a thorough record of your discussions with the homeowners so that you can begin to paint a portrait of them in your mind. The more information you have, the more creative you can be in developing viable solutions. See Chapter 9 for additional details.