People who have decided to buy a foreclosure are excited with the idea of buying a house at a very low price. Cheap foreclosures have been a hit in the real estate market and almost everybody wants a piece of it. However, while it is true that foreclosure homes are generally underpriced and at rates that can only be construed as entirely favorable to home buyers, there is still a number of things that the latter should be aware of to protect their money.

Eviction Issues
It would do the buyer good to know, at the outset, that there are instances that the foreclosure he/she is interested in might still have an occupant even while he/she is bidding for it. The occupant could be the owner, a renter, a relative of the owner or renter, or even a squatter who has decided to occupy the space without authority or permission from the owner. This happens especially when the present occupant is not yet ready to move out.

Generally, as a buyer, you will be responsible for evicting these people. But you cannot just enter the property and demand for them to leave for; there are eviction laws that need to be followed. If you are unfamiliar with them, you should hire a lawyer to handle the issue. Sometimes, existing occupants or tenants of foreclosure homes will try to retaliate if you try to demand for them to leave. Other buyers resolve the issue by just bribing or paying the occupants to leave the property.

Property Condition
Foreclosures are sold 'as is', which means that you are responsible for any repairs that the property might need once the title is transferred to you. One of the reasons why foreclosure homes are under valued is because sellers consider the additional investments that the new homeowner would have to make in order to restore the property to a fine and habitable condition.

However, there are instances when previous owners who are unable to contain their anger and disappointment over the fact of losing their homes trash the place and try to make damage anywhere they can. It could also be that the previous homeowner has been in such deep financial trouble that he no longer was able to maintain the place and do the necessary repairs while in the foreclosure process.

Of course, the level-headed solution is to always do a property inspection. Never ever buy a property that you have neither inspected nor visited, because you can be surprised by its true and actual condition.