Palm Beach County, Fla., has been hit hard with a wave of foreclosures, registering nearly 2,500 active foreclosures on its books in April 2009, according to our most recent statistics.

It’s naturally had a significant negative impact on several neighborhoods, which are already struggling to maintain the highest possible property values because of the massive collective dip in home prices that has gripped the entire South Florida region.

As if the growing foreclosure situation and declining home values weren’t enough to handle, vandals and squatters who are often drawn to vacant homes are exacerbating the situation. Indeed, broken windows and the like have forced the county commissioners to take matters into their own hands.

Here’s a snip from Barbara Alterman, head of the county’s planning, zoning and building department, according to a Palm Beach Post article:

“There is a lot of vandalism going on. It is maintaining the neighborhood by allowing them to board up when there is vandalism. It is helping the neighborhood by keeping vandals out.”

Boarded up and shuttered homes are certainly not going to help banks move their inventories any quicker — it’s not the most eye-catching/appealing marketing tactic. These properties also won’t help raise the values of the inhabited homes on the block.

However, it will help preserve the homes until new owners move in, and perhaps more important for you, it could help you get into a very nice home at a price that you can afford. In short, it’s not an ideal solution, but one that you could use to your advantage if you are in the market for a real steal.

To check out the latest foreclosure and other distressed real estate listings in the Palm Beach County, Fla., area visit Foreclosure.com today right here.