Where’s the Foreclosure Help for Real Estate Investors?

Owner occupants are not the only ones facing foreclosure. Investors are losing multiple properties as a result of defaults in their mortgages. In fact, 1/3 of foreclosure properties are owned by distressed investors according to Housing Predictor. Finding a mortgage modification or debt forgiveness is difficult for investors because most banks are not willing to cooperate.  All the government programs have been focused on helping residential owner occupied borrowers and excluding investors.

A study by Housing Predictor shows that investor owned properties are being foreclosed upon faster than owner occupied properties. The study revealed that 4 in 10 investors who lost their property to foreclosure owned on average at least three properties that ended up in foreclosure. Figures could increase as more investors throw in the towel realizing that they are not going to see property values rebound on their investment properties. There are no immediate plans for any foreclosure programs to help investors so investors are on their own to solve their own financial problems. This could really have a huge impact on the economy this year with more than 3 million foreclosures expected in 2010.

What can investors do? Lease, lease option and other creative owner financing stratgies are all alternative options to letting your investment property go to foreclosure. You may also want to look into selling the property by fractionalizing it if you own investment property in a vacation destination, and there are no homeowner rules or state laws preventing you from doing so. Fractional real estate can be sold for more money because several buyers by a share of the property divide their weeks up and also share in the property taxes, insurance and maintenance of the property.

Sometimes, though it is just better to cut your losses and move on as painful as that may be. But on the flip side there are some very good investment opportunities to purchase distressed properties right now, so there is opportunity for future profits.