If you ever dreamed of investing in a short sale, foreclosure, tax lien or any other type of distressed real estate situation, preparation is the key to success. And the sooner you get up to speed on whatever money-making plan you intend to hatch, the better it will be for your bottom line (savings or profit).

Even in this market climate, in which inventory is high and prices are at rock bottom, you can’t afford to be caught unaware.

It’s all about staying on top of what’s new and what’s changing in the real estate investment arena. That way, when that perfect property lands in your lap — the one that could be your forever home or your next big investment windfall — you’ll be ready to take action and scoop it up before someone else does.

The October 2011 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which shows you how to get your real estate investment career rolling right now.

New Year’s Eve is right around the corner and you know what that means: Real estate resolutions. Seize the opportunity to get rich with distressed real estate right now before the thousands of well-intentioned “resolutioners” crowd the competition pool come January 2012.

To read this month’s free educational newsletter from Foreclosure.com CLICK HERE.

Home prices today in your area are likely the cheapest they have been in years. Mortgage rates, too, are hovering around all-time lows. Meanwhile, the cost to rent is around the same it has been and will likely grow year-after- year.

In fact, since 1986 it’s never been this cheap to own a house as compared to the cost of renting.

Mark Zandi with Moody’s Analytics explains the long-term benefits of owning rather than renting:

“I think the arithmetic is such that if you plan to live in your home five or more years, then you should really consider buying a single-family home in most parts of the country at this point in time. Prices have fallen so far, that single-family housing now is very, very attractive; very affordable [...] and it’s now even attractive relative to renting.”

Several buyers are still waiting for the market to hit “bottom.” Those folks might miss the boat entirely … especially if they are in financial positions and personal situations to invest in a home right now.

The fact that not more people are “jumping in” has many housing experts “puzzled,” thinking that a monumental shift in buyer behavior is underway. One theory is that younger professionals are opting to spend their money renting condominiums and apartments in expensive cities — where “homes” are virtually obsolete — until their futures are more certain.

Whatever the case may be, the fact of the matter is that there are incredible real estate deals available throughout the nation. And most of them can be found on Foreclosure.com right here.

Many would-be investors never get off the ground because they focus on the obstacles instead of on the solutions for overcoming those obstacles.

For example, a popular myth that keeps people from investing is that it’s hard to get the money needed to buy their first foreclosure.

This simply isn’t true!

There are plenty of ways to get your hands on the money necessary to finance your distressed property deals.

All it takes is a little persistence and creative thinking.

The April 2010 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which focuses on exploring the opportunities for financing that you may have never before considered.

Seize your opportunity to get started in distressed property investment!

There has never been a better time than right now to buy your first property and make a nice profit while you’re at it. Stop making excuses and start gaining control of your financial future.

To read this month’s free educational newsletter from Foreclosure.com CLICK HERE.

We hope that 2010 was chock full of happiness, health and the start of a prosperous real estate investment career.

Now it’s time to decide if you want to relax and enjoy your success or take your business up a notch in the New Year and beyond.

The December 2010 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which focuses on helping you assess you situation, as well as the bevvy of fantastic investment opportunities hiding right in your backyard.

It has literally never been easier to take advantage of the world’s simplest business principle of buying low and selling high.

Grab the last great buys of 2010 and start hunting down the deals for 2011. Hang onto those properties until the next market upswing and you’ll be looking forward to some tidy profits to fatten your bank account.

To learn everything you need to know about “Repeat or Relax” click here.

You’ve gotten the ball rolling, so keep it rolling. Let’s finish the year off with a bang and start 2011 off with a KA-BLAM!

To read this month’s free educational newsletter from Foreclosure.com CLICK HERE.

Buying Fannie Mae-owned homes just got easier.

The largest mortgage buyer/backer in the nation recently rolled out HomePath Online Offers, which gives real estate agents the power to submit bids on behalf of clients who are interested in buying foreclosed — also known as Real Estate-Owned (REO) — homes.

Buyers/investors in Orlando, Fla., San Diego, Calif., and Detroit, Mich., will be the first to test out the new program.

Jim Tiegen, Vice President of Fannie Mae’s REO regional offices, had this to say to DSNews.com about the innovation:

“HomePath Online Offers provides increased transparency and efficiency in the submission process for our real estate partners and prospective buyers. This online pilot is a critical step toward ensuring that all buyers have the same experience making offers and purchasing homes.”

To view foreclosed homes for sale from Fannie Mae you need to visit HomePath.com. For more information about how to submit offers online for properties you can watch an informational webinar about the process right here.

Distressed property is often an amazing investment, but before you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, you’ve got to close the deal.

Getting everything all wrapped up is often trickier with foreclosures and short sales than with more conventional real estate transactions. It takes time to get the inspections and approvals necessary to be able to purchase a property for less than it’s actually worth.

Here’s the good news: With a little planning and advanced preparation, you can get to the finish line that much more quickly.

The October 2010 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which is focused on getting you up to speed on closing your real estate deals smoothly and on time.

To learn everything you need to know about “Close the deal” click here.

It’s the last hurdle between you and your great deal, so make sure you give this important step all the attention it merits.

To read this month’s free educational newsletter from Foreclosure.com CLICK HERE.

Michael Murphy at MarketWatch.com lays out the compelling, and concise, case (bullets have been shortened):

1. Desperate sellers. Not the homeowners, of course. It’s the banks that financed the mortgages that are desperate…. That gives the few buyers out there big leverage.
2. Little competition. … those investors willing to be patient and do the work will reap big rewards down the road.
3. Low financing rates. … getting 4-to-1 to 32-to-1 leverage at a low fixed rate of interest is like having someone give you money … rates for 30-year fixed mortgages are an incredible 4.5%. That’s the lowest in 39 years….

To drive his point home, Murphy correctly points out that the real estate summer sales season is almost over. Most house hunters prefer to get settled before school starts and certainly before the holiday season begins to heat up.

Indeed, the time between Labor Day (Sept. 6, 2010) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2011) is the perfect time to “seriously consider making a low-ball bid on a distressed situation.”

Get a headstart today with a seven-day trial to search Foreclosure.com for the best deals in you’re area — it’s FREE! Click here.

There’s a glimmer of hope for the “Sunshine State” housing market, which is among the five “hardest hit” in the nation.

It was hit so hard, in fact, that investors near and far are now snatching up cheap deals left and right with cold hard cash.

Miami Herald reports today that a staggering 60 percent of South Florida purchases have gone to foreign buyers, pushing pending home sales in July up more than 40 percent in Miami-Dade county alone when compared to the year prior (2009).

Jack H. Levine, chairman of the board of the Miami Realtors, is “encouraged” with the latest numbers.

Here’s a snip:

“We are encouraged by the statistics for pending home sales in the South Florida real estate market even after the expiration of the homebuyer tax credit. While the number of pending sales has dropped slightly month-over-month, they are still significantly higher than they were a year ago.”

Unsurprisingly, more than half of the sales involve short sales or bank-owned foreclosures. These are typically deeply discounted — anywhere from 30 to 60 percent less than market value — because banks are eager to balance their books as quickly as possible.

That’s the reason cash is king right now.

But even if you don’t have $100,000 sitting in the bank, it doesn’t mean that you still can’t find an awesome deal. The foreclosure pool in South Florida is deep, but as you can see, the best deals are skimmed off the top early and often.

You need to act fast!

A great way to stay on top of the latest and greatest foreclosure listings hitting the market is to subscribe to our free email alerts. To the hottest deals in your area delivered to your inbox click here.

Buyer beware!

It’s perhaps the most important nugget of advice as it relates to investing in and/or buying foreclosed homes.

What you see isn’t always what you get, especially when distressed properties hit the auction block. Whether it’s a structural problem that costs thousands to fix or an encumbrance on the title that is virtually not fixable, foreclosures are inherently risky investments.

The Strand family, which purchased a deed at a foreclosure auction earlier this year for $96,000 cash, found out the hard way.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

“Apparently, unbeknownst to us, Wachovia sold us a worthless second mortgage that was part of a piggyback loan made to the” previous owners. Both loans were originated, signed and recorded on the same date. Rather than foreclose on both loans at the same time, Wachovia chose to foreclose, market and sell the worthless junior lien, purporting it to be the real property, which is what we purchased.”

That’s right, $96,000 on essentially, a worthless note. The first mortgage, which was worth about $298,000, was later reclaimed by the lender after it failed to sell at a separate auction.

The good news is that the Strand family and the lender “negotiated a confidential settlement.”

Nonetheless, the lesson is clear: Do your homework! Sure, there are loads of great deals hitting the auction block every day, but there are also a fair share of land mines that have the power to blow up your bank account.

To be safe rather than sorry, the report offers up these helpful tips for bargain hunters:

• Engage a real estate attorney and/or a professional investor.
• Hire a title company to make sure there are no liens.
• Observe some auctions before bidding.
• Research the property history at the county recorder’s office or subscription websites like RealtyTrac and ForeclosureRadar.
• Be prepared to pay cash.
• Understand that the property has no guarantees on title or condition.
• Consider buying a bank-owned property instead.

For more detailed information about buying foreclosed homes at auction we recommend that you also check out “Outsmart Experts at Foreclosure Auctions and Win!”

Good luck!