Mary in Frisco,

Great question! When a bank forecloses on a home, they can either re list the home with the current lisng agent or they may list it with someone contracted to take their listings. Either way, any real estate agent, myself included, can help you! I am currently helping clients buy foreclosures either on the Roddy list, at the courts steps, or bank owned and listed properties. Give me a call and I will get the info you need! The bank pays my fee's so it is of no cost to you if you use me.

Nicole Arenas, Realtor
214-991-9507

Many times when they sit vacant it is because the homeowner filed bankruptcy, which prevents the foreclosure from moving forward for a time, and thus you get the year or two vacant home. Or, it can also be an estate problem holding it up

Wow, loaded question. I have seen homes be vacant as much as 2 years before they go on the market. In fact my buyer purchased it! It kind of depends on how many properties the institution holds. Sometimes you can find one on their web site, but my experence is once it hits there, it's in MLS also. It could also be up for prior to being put on the market. Before it goes on the market, generally an agent does a BPO, pricing opinion, the home is winterized and inspected etc.

If you have a specific address let me know and I will do some research for you.

Best of luck
Helen

Sometimes fairly quickly...30 days or so....other times it sits for a year or more.

We can always contact the lender on your behalf if you want to make an unsolicited offer on a particular home.