To rent or to own, that is the question.

In theory, buying is always better than renting because at some point you will own your house outright whereas renters are perpetually filling the pockets of others.

In reality, it can be tough to make the leap from renter to owner.

That’s because there is a lot on the line — there are several unknown factors that can and often do influence these types of decisions:

Do you have a big enough down payment? Will you qualify for a mortgage? Can you afford maintenance? For how long do you plan to hang on to the property?

The Feb. 2010 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which details everything you need to know about “Rent vs. Own.”

Our goal is to get you thinking about this important decision sooner rather than later. The housing market is still extremely buyer friendly right now — interest rates are still low, limited-time government incentives are still available until April 30, 2010 and chances are good that prices in your area have never been better.

On the flip side, buying a home or investment property is still one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. So you still need to consider all the pros and cons before jumping in head first.

So check out “Rent vs. Own” today so you can decide whether or not a home purchase or lease is in your best interests.

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

“Former NFL player turned multi-millionaire “flipper” to reveal successful marketing and business systems during free online seminar”

Boca Raton, Fla. — Foreclosure.com is proud to announce that real estate investing expert, Than Merrill, is back by popular demand to conduct an online training seminar, during which he will reveal his proven “turnkey” real estate system that unlocks the secrets to flipping riches.

‘Make $20,000 While You Sleep’ will be held live online on Feb. 10, 2010, from 9 p.m. to about 10:30 p.m. ET. To register for free and/or find out more information visit:

http://www.foreclosure.com/education/webinars/make-20k-while-you-sleep.html

Than — one of the most successful real estate investors in the nation, as well as the star of A&E’s hit television show, “Flip This House” — is going to show first-time homebuyers and experienced investors alike how to find amazing house deals for 65 cents on the dollar or less during a free real estate training Webinar.

“Than is the best when it comes to recognizing great deals and using automation to facilitate getting them done fast,” said Linda Yates, Director of Education, Foreclosure.com. “Now is the time to get off the fence and invest in a buyers market no matter where you live — it’s now or never!”

Read the rest of this entry »

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to buy yourself a house or investment property then it’s never too soon to start getting all your ducks in a row.

Before you even start searching Foreclosure.com for the best real estate deals in your area, it’s critical that you first assess, address and possibly even correct your current financial situation.

Buying a home is a big deal … even if it’s considered the steal of the century.

The Jan. 2010 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which details everything you need to know about “Getting Your House in Order” to figure out what kind of property you can (or can’t) afford.

That mean’s you need to sit down, crunch the numbers and get your credit in top form. This “housekeeping” ensures that when you spot your dream home, you’re able to move fast without fear that the deal will fall through because you missed a few payments on your JC Penny credit card four years ago.

The market is still ripe for the picking. You have a lot of choices, especially when it comes to the distressed property market. There are lots of great properties in areas all over the country, so there has literally never been a better time to buy.

But you must be smart about it — the last thing you want is to get in over your head … that’s what caused the housing market we’re experiencing now

So check out “Getting Your House in Order” today so you can make a home purchase as soon (and as painless) as possible.

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

This year Santa delivered a flat screen television. While speaking with a colleague about the purchase of electronics, we couldn’t but help reflect on how a few years ago the same type of television would have cost almost double.

I realized the same now holds true with houses.

When the economy was “juiced” and the height of the market was upon us, items such as homes, cars and electronics were priced at their premiums. Now if you know where to look and you do your homework you can find some pretty awesome deals. The key is knowing what exactly it is you want. Then you need to do your homework and opportunities will present themselves.

We are getting ready to launch our “Investment Exchange” newsletter for 2010. We decided to focus on the different steps to finding that nugget of gold as a personal residence or investment property. Every day we are getting new properties on the site and as I watch my personal alert notification of the latest deals in the areas of the country I am interested in investing in I get pretty excited.

The prices are right — 2010 is going to be a great year. Just do your research and use the money you save to hang a nice flat screen in your living room!

We’re just three weeks in and the Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program has experienced overwhelming interest within the education sector.

Colleges and universities across the nation — Columbia University, Tulane University and Michigan State University to name just a few — have been actively promoting the scholarship with hopes that one of their own will not only win the top prize ($5,000), but ultimately help “solve the foreclosure crisis.”

Thousands of applications have been pouring in with well-written essays that provide unique/creative solutions to a complex problem. We called for innovative ideas and the students have answered en masse!

With three months remaining in the Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program (Deadline = Dec. 31, 2009) there is still ample time for students to get involved in the foreclosure discussion and submit their applications.

We look forward to hearing your ideas!

For more information about this student opportunity please visit our scholarship page (www.foreclosure.com/scholarship) right here.