It’s no secret: Foreclosed homes for sale often offer buyers and investors tremendous value. On the flip side, distressed real estate can be a tricky, and costly, investment if you fail to dot all your “i’s” and cross all your “t’s.”

Get an in-depth look into what it takes to find, finance and buy the home of your dreams for half-price with help and direction from Foreclosure.com Director of Education, Linda Yates.

Linda is going to show you how to land a “money-maker” and avoid a “money pit” in this complimentary Webinar presentation. She’s going to outline the first six steps of the 12-step process behind finding a money foreclosure, while steering clear of any potential “red flags” or “pitfalls” that can turn your dream into a nightmare

Register for “How to find dream foreclosures in your area (Part 1 of 2)” before it’s too late. Click here. This FREE educational session is available to watch LIVE online during an information-packed presentation scheduled for Thursday, June 10, at 4 p.m. ET.

Here are the first six steps that she will cover in-depth:

• Getting your credit in order
• Deciding whether to rent or own
• Shopping for mortgages
• Searching neighborhoods
• Finding the right agent
• House hunting

The market is ripe for the picking right now — foreclosure inventory is piling up just about everywhere. With the right approach and knowledge, it will be simple for you to differentiate the good deals from the bad.

Register for “How to find dream foreclosures in your area (Part 1 of 2)” right now — it’s FREE! 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.

Real estate auction sales have climbed 10 percent year-over-year since 2000, according to CNNMoney.com report, and the numbers continue to rise (14 percent in the first quarter of 2010) as the housing inventory keeps piling up.

It’s a billion dollar business … $17 billion in 2007 alone, to be precise. And that figure, too, will likely rise soon if it hasn’t already.

That’s because auctioneers are holding two or more auctions per day throughout the nation to keep pace. REDC, which is among the biggest companies in the real estate auction space, is on pace to exceed 520 such sales in 2010 — a 50 percent increase compared to just last year.

What’s the reason for the staggering across-the-board increases?

Les Christie explains:

“The biggest auction advantage is speed, of course: From first marketing to closing can be less than 10 weeks … There is such a huge volume of REOs on the market — 92,000 homes were seized in April alone — that banks are anxious to turn the properties over quickly. Rather than waiting for the local housing market, they turn to auctioneers.”

To check out the homes for sale at upcoming foreclosure auctions near you click here (REDC) and here (RealtyBid).

“Historic” is actually how CNBC describes the current mortgage interest rate situation, which is at 4.87 percent on a 30-year fixed loan.

That’s the lowest it’s been in 30 years.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s, puts it into perspective:

“It’s the best time in our generation to buy. It may be the best time in any generation. Mortgage rates are so low and with homes prices down and lots of inventory, you couldn’t pick a better time to buy or refinance.”

The report indicates that the debt crisis in Europe is responsible for the great rates. Nervous investors are “flocking” to the “security of US Treasurys.”

How long will these once-in-a-lifetime rates last? Unsurprisingly, not long … about one or two months.

In fact, Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, predicts that interest rates will climb back up to 5.5 percent “by the end of June if not sooner.”

To start your home search today click here. Foreclosure.com has the best real estate deals in your area — save up to 50 percent or more!

Remember, too, that Foreclosure.com also offers a host of mortgage resources such as calculators right here.

One of the most daunting aspects of getting involved in distressed real estate is the misconception that you have to go it alone.

On the contrary, enlisting help from local professionals who have experience and “on the ground” knowledge can make your house hunt as profitable and painless as possible.

It just makes perfect sense … and cents.

Fortunately, there is a lot of help out there to see you through your distressed property purchases from start to finish.

And Foreclosure.com is the place to start.

In addition to free access to the best, as well as the most current and accurate distressed property listings in the United States, we also provide you with all the education and resources you need to get going.

These resources include community experts to help you pinpoint the best houses in your area. They also include reliable agents who can handle all aspects of your distressed property purchase.

To find a qualified agent in your area today, and to search our nationwide broker network, click here.

In addition, the May 2010 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available. Dubbed “Find an agent,” it’s all about helping you find the right agent so that you can snatch up that perfect property … before someone else does.

All you have to do is find some properties you think you might like and then pick up the phone or fire off an email to your local community expert.

It’s that simple. Just check out “Find an agent” today to learn more.

To find a qualified agent in your area today, and to search our nationwide broker network, click here.

The overwhelming amount of distressed real estate has dragged down home prices virtually nationwide and will continue to do so as long as homeowners continue to struggle meeting their monthly mortgage obligations, according to Moody’s Economy.com.

From the report (via DSNews.com):

“We expect that house prices will continue to decline because the pipeline of distressed mortgages is substantial and because the price discounts for distress sales weaken all house prices.”

This is music to the ears for buyers and investors. And it’s a major reason the best foreclosure-related opportunities fly off the market.

Getting in on the action now, before the prices begin their gradual climb up, is an incredibly smart decision now and in the future.

It’s more than likely instant equity!

There are also a ton of options from which to choose — there is something for everyone out there if you dig deep enough.

Moody’s predicts a “rebound” by 2012, meaning that in two years these buyer-friendly conditions and amazing deals could be history. And there’s no telling if the getting, from a buyers/investors perspective, will ever get this good anytime soon.

Act fast before it’s too and help yourself … and a homeowner!