Posted by Jim IL on November 10, 2000 at 15:50:40:
Eric,
Not being familiar with your states foreclosure system this may be wrong, but check it out and see.
In my area when a home is in “pre-foreclosure” there is a Sheriff’s auction date set.
The sheriff publishes a list of the homes to be sold and on what date.
This list usually has homes being sold as fast as the next week and as far off as many months.
From this list you will see the property address and a court file number.
You can take that file number and pull the actual file from the court clerk and obtain information.
Then, you can mail the home owners a letter telling them that you exist and are here to help.
You can also get a copy of the Lis Pendens files recently in the recorder of deeds office, and get the same info.
I know that some states have either Sheriff’s sales or Trustee sales and some have both.
Goto your county courthouse or whereever these files are kept and look around.
This will get you a list of “Pre-foreclosures.”
I can tell you frankly that I have not had much luck in buying homes this way.
For me, most of the sellers who did call were too far behind for me to help, and the rest just did not call at all, hoping for that last minute foreclosure miracle.
Denial was the biggest issue I faced with these sellers.
Good luck to you,
Jim IL