Hi Selena,

My name is Matt Tenczar and I have been selling Real Estate in Blossom Valley and Almaden for over 17 years. Foreclosed homes or REO’s can be a great investment if you know all the pitfalls. Having helped many buyers in purchasing foreclosed homes I can help you avoid all of these and get you the property that you desire.

As many have said here choosing an agent to help you with the biggest investment you will ever make is very important and personal decision. It is a good thing to sit down on the phone or in person and talk with a couple of agents to see who you would work with the best. I would be happy to talk with you any time.

To see what some of my past clients have said about me go to:
http://www.qualityservice.org/
Type in my name Matt Tenczar and you will see an independent rating of who I am as a realtor

You can also contact me by calling
408-997-7934 or by email tenczarteam@earthlink.net

Thanks,

Matt Tenczar
Alain Pinel Realtors
Families Helping Families Move!

Hi Selena,
I bought a foreclosure in Los Gatos recently (REO). My realtor was Jim Morelan. He helped us get a really good deal and we closed in 32 days. Jim wears many hats. He's an architect and a builder, too.

Hi Selena,
I have extensive experience in the bank owned /short sale purchasing process. I also have a FREE search on my web site for bank owned properties. Just email me with your needs and wants and I will set up a free search for you.
Sincerely,
Allyson Alessandrini
408-705-6578
allyson@homesbyallyson.com

Hello Selena,

Many of the agents here have given you great advice. It is worth it to work with an agent to help you, especially if you are dealing with foreclosures. You can pick the best agent for you by getting referrals from friends and family, and/or using this site. Select a few to interview. You should choose them not only experience as an agent, but in the area as well. The agent you choose should be ethical, be a good communicator, that you get along with, that you trust, have a strong knowledge of real estate and foreclosures, etc...

Good Luck!

Trisha Motter
Realtor

Selena -

There are about 100 or so homes (of about 250 total) in Blossom Valley (95136) alone in some state of the foreclosure process. Some are bank owned. Almaden Valley has less. I always ask clients that are asking about foreclosures whether or not they specifically want foreclosure or do they simply want a deal? There are a lot of details to talk about on finding the right home for the right price.

In my experience, finding the home you like with a motivated seller is the best way to find a "deal". Sometimes banks are motivated, sometimes they are not. I can tell you that a private seller will typically close on a house faster than a bank. I can also say that because the "short sales", foreclosures, and bank owned properties are any where from 20-50% of the homes listed, many of us work with these homes without being titled a "specialist".

If you are going to focus on foreclosures properties, and do not have experience with this process, I would highly recommend interviewing agents and finding the best fit for you. Going it alone and negotiating with the bank's agent is a risky situation for you as a buyer.

There are several of us on TRULIA that handle the Blossom Valley area and are open to questions and helping in any way. Ultimately, if you are ready to buy, hire an agent that will work for you and find the best home for the best price.

Good luck!
CJ

Hi Selena, Let me know how I can assist you. I can get you all the information on the properties of your interest and we can meet to preview them. Visit my website and send me an email or call me.

Hi Selena,

Upfront, I'll caution that foreclosures are not always the best avenue. There are sometimes issues with property condition, lack of seller disclosures regarding important issues affecting property desirability and the like. Additionally, foreclosure purchase contracts can take longer to close. If you go the foreclosure route, you should be flexible and aware of these issues.

I find that working with motivated sellers that are on the edge of foreclosure are most willing to put a deal together quickly -- that will close. Currently there are many homes in Blossom Valley that are not under foreclosure proceedings but are attractively priced with motivated sellers and would prove to be excellent buys.

Best of luck with your search! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Patrick
(408) 410-9139

Hi Selena,
It is absolutely in your best interest to work with an agent to represent you in any home purchase. I know of someone who tried to purchase a foreclosure, without an agent, and ended up losing his deposit because he did not understand the entire process.
I do a large amount of my business in Almaden & Blossom Valley, and I live in Almaden. I would also encourage you to consider short sales as well as REO's, since banks are starting to realize that they need to negotiate now to avoid taking the property into their REO portfolio.
When looking for a home, it is best to work with an agent who understands your needs and objectives. is this a purchase as your primary residence, or just an investment property? The better I know my clients, the better I can counsel them and guide them to find the right property.
As for finding a reputable agent, I encourage you to review this website - http://www.qualityservice.org/search.aspx
I am Quality Service Certified, and my clients are independently polled after each transaction to determine their satisfaction as well as my performance. This is a great way to have a snapshot of how your prospective agent will perform for you.
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ping me.
Happy house hunting,
Linda Baker

Hello Selena,

It is best to work with a Realtor when buying a home. There are some attractive foreclosed properties on the market in the Blossom valley and Almaden areas that you may want to consider. However please keep in mind when you're limiting yourself to the foreclosed properties you will not have the luxury to choose the specifics of the home you're looking for. Additionally you need to be knowledgeable about the process of purchasing REOs (bank owned) properties. I'll be happy to sit with you and discuss this in detail, no obligation, just an information exchange session. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience.

Regards,
Ali Moein
Realtor
(408)439-5748