http://southerninvestor.com wade@southerninvestor.com Rent or flip: Your guide to investing in residential real estate. en-us http://www.southerninvestor.com/real_estate_articles/loan_fraud.html There has been a lot of negative press and misinformation lately about double-closings. Many people have been indicted recently under what the press has labeled "Property Flipping Scams." Misinformed lenders, real estate agents and title companies will tell you that double-closings are now illegal. In fact, they are nothing of the sort. http://southerninvestor.com/real_estate_articles/qf_double_closing.html A quick explanation of double closings. http://southerninvestor.com/real_estate_articles/rental_not_forever.html When is it time for an investor to sell a rental property? http://www.southerninvestor.com/real_estate_articles/case_study_preforeclosure_search.html Yesterday morning, I went to my database and pulled up the public notice links for my particular state. I had an investor who is ready to buy, and I needed a hot new deal. From the public notices for the county of my choice, I copied and printed the foreclosure notices, and then went through highlighting the addresses. Sometimes both the legal and street addresses are given. Sometimes, just the legal address. http://www.southerninvestor.com/real_estate_articles/new_investor.htm A few years back I attended one of those seminars given by a self-proclaimed real estate investment guru. It cost a lot of money and taught little while it tried to sell me on their next seminar. I was excited about investing in real estate but also frustrated and lost. Maybe you've had a similar experience. http://www.southerninvestor.com/members/public_auction.html At the end of the pre-foreclosure period, homes that have not had their loan reinstated or that have not been sold to third-parties are put on public auction. There are good buys to be found through auctions, but many properties will not sell this way and will actually be bought back by the lender to become an REO. The reason for this is that often there is not enough equity in the home. The bank bids on the home to avoid losing too much money. http://www.southerninvestor.com/members/preforeclosure.html Foreclosure is the legal process by which an owner is deprived of his interest in a property due to default on loan. When the mortgagor/owner of the property fails to comply to the terms of a loan and defaults on payments, the mortgagee/lender will file a Lis Pendens (Notice of Default). http://www.southerninvestor.com/real_estate_articles/fico.html If you're working with a buyer or tenant who claims to know his own score, or you've checked out your own on the internet, this article is for you. Everything may not be as it seems.