It doesn’t matter where you want to settle and grow roots or invest in real estate — foreclosures are scattered throughout the United States and ripe for the picking. Finding the one that is right for you, however, is the true challenge.

Just because a property is termed a “foreclosure” doesn’t mean it’s the best deal available. On the contrary, there are some bank-owned listings out there right now that should not be considered deals because, when compared to the rest of the inventory out on the market, they simply don’t stack up.

So what makes a great real estate deal?

That important question is one that we answer in detail in our May 2009 edition of “Investment Exchange,” which we have dubbed “Prospecting for Great Deals.” Remember that “Investment Exchange” is a FREE resource that Foreclosure.com provides its site visitors.

To check out “Prospecting for Great Deals” today be sure to click here.

It sounds tired and cliché, but the tried and true adage of “location, location, location” still rings true today. Indeed, if you’re going to get into the foreclosure game, you’ve got to do your homework and buy smart.

Of course, a killer location is meaningless in terms of profit margin if you overpay. So you have to price it right and find a below-market deal, as well as finance your purchase on the cheap if and when possible.

How exactly do you do that? We tell you all about it and more in “Prospecting for Great Deals” right here.

Now more than ever, achieving the the American Dream at half the cost is a very real possibility. There has never been an easier, more exciting and lower risk time to buy. But these conditions can’t last forever … the time to act is NOW!

To sign up to receive our educational real estate newsletter automatically each month via email at no cost click here.

The two-year anniversary of what is now your premiere resource for distressed real estate information and education, Foreclosure.com’s “Investment Exchange” newsletter, is almost here.

We’ve come a long way since our debut, which is the reason we want to reset and touch on things that you may have missed along our journey in our April 2009 edition.

Regardless of what we cover each month, whether it’s short sales or tax lien certificates or some other interesting investing method, our primary goal is to always provide you with the tools and resources you need to achieve your real estate goals, whatever those may be.

And what the all often boils down to is how to find the best real estate deals in your area. So that’s exactly what we wanted to touch on in “Investment Exchange Two-Year Review.” We’re going back to the basics!

To check out Investment Exchange Two-Year Review today be sure to click here.

Remember that “Investment Exchange” is a FREE resource that Foreclosure.com provides its site visitors. Sign up to receive the educational real estate newsletter each month at no cost right here.

We’ve all heard great things about investing in foreclosures, whether it’s watching real estate flippers do work their magic on television or listening to how that “friend of a friend” is making money hand-over-fist rehabbing homes.

Chances are you’ve even wondered what it might be like to try it yourself, but never did anything about it because you didn’t know where to begin.

Well, we’ve got good news: Foreclosure.com and Williams & Williams have joined forces to show you step-by-step how to navigate and profit from the foreclosure process in an upcoming Webinar presentation.

“Outsmart Experts at Foreclosure Auctions and Win!” is a LIVE 60-minute Webinar training session that is set for Thursday, February 26 at 9 p.m. ET. To participate in — and register for — the FREE online instructional session CLICK HERE.

Elsa Lewis — Williams & Williams Senior Vice President of National Sales/REO — will explain in amazing detail the simple steps required to find, participate, bid and cash-in on the best real estate deals available in your area for the best possible prices.

Here are just some of the topics that Elsa will cover:

• Understanding the true value of real estate by conducting due diligence before bidding
• Complete knowledge of the auction process from A to Z
• How to obtain financing and spend next to nothing on a great home
• Where to find an auction near you
• Understanding auction language and bidding with confidence

This training course will increase your confidence in the auction process, providing you with tips, skills and knowledge to purchase discounted homes that are priced well below your budget. Knowledge is critical to outwit and outsmart the competition — become a master of the foreclosure mind game today and laugh all the way to

Register for “Outsmart Experts at Foreclosure Auctions and Win!” before it’s too late — it won’t cost you a single cent! Spots are limited and filling up FAST! CLICK HERE.

Webinars are LIVE educational sessions that let participants see, hear and interact with real estate experts right from their personal computer screens. In fact, Webinars are driven in part by visitor feedback and questions that are posed during the sessions. For more information and course offerings click here.

“The Garden State” is taking a $40 million step to help its distressed homeowners, enacting two bills that are designed to help assist those who are facing foreclosure.

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine today signed the legislation into law, which earmarks $25 million for a program that allows cash-strapped homeowners to refinance their first mortgages, as well as another $15 million to help those who have already lost their homes to default remain in them as tenants in “rent-to-own”-type situations.

Here is what Corzine had to say about the initiatives (via Newsday.com):

“[this is] the single worst economic challenge this country has faced in the last 150 years, except the Depression. … We are proactively putting in place actions on housing stabilization that are unequaled across the country as far as I could see.”

In addition, the state will introduce a mediation program that provides those feeling the foreclosure pinch with access to counselors and lawyers to help them avoid foreclosure situations at no cost.

For more information on these foreclosure programs in New Jersey, as well as to seek assistance or determine if you are eligible, click here.

Check out the best real estate investment training around that ensures you cash in on hot foreclosure deals with easy-to-understand instruction from Tara-Nicholle Nelson in a one-of-a-kind 90-minute Webinar educational session.

“Simple Steps to SMART Foreclosure Buying” is a LIVE Webinar presentation that is set for Wednesday, October 1 at 4 p.m. ET. To catch — and register for — the instructional session CLICK HERE.

In this special session, Tara — Founder & CEO of REThinkRealEstate.com, as well as a successful real estate broker, attorney, author and columnist — breaks down the foreclosure buying process into the essential steps you can understand to get the property — and the profits or discounts — you want each and every time.

Here are just some of the topics that Tara will cover:

• Insider secrets for drama-free foreclosure buying, including online tools for making your life easier during the process
• Mortgage “a-ha’s” — the new rules of the mortgage market and the biggest obstacle to buying a foreclosure made SIMPLE
• Three shortcuts to smart online foreclosure house-hunting, including the 10 favorite sites of real estate insiders and how to use them to find and analyze a smoking deal
• Buyer beware! The five most costly mistakes foreclosure buyers make and how to avoid them
• Doing deals with the bank — insights and secrets to get your offers accepted and your deals closed

Simplify and demystify the often intimidating prospect of buying foreclosures and flipping them for enormous mountains of money — the time is NOW!

Hurry before it’s too late … the market is ripe to find downright unbelievable home bargains. And Tara is ready to take you by the hand and show you step-by-step that the foreclosure foreclosure process as easy as 1,2,3!

Join us LIVE for the “Simple Steps to SMART Foreclosure Buying” LIVE Webinar presentation on Wednesday, October 1 at 4 p.m. ET. CLICK HERE.

Webinars are LIVE educational sessions that let participants see, hear and interact with real estate experts right from their personal computer screens. In fact, Webinars are driven in part by visitor feedback and questions that are posed during the sessions. For more information and course offerings click here.