You dont if you work direct with a real estate agent. Any websites are marketing tools generate money, why not work with an agent who has specifications and tailor your search for you FREE.

Lynn911
~ National Featured Realtor and Consultant, Lecturer regarding Credit Repair, Mortgage Loan Officer

Lindsey,
Many public search sites as well as MLS sites have ways for you to tag that you want to search for foreclosed homes. You will find some on hrrp://wwwbidselect.com as well as a registered HUD agent to show you the HUD owned homes. You will see some other foreclosures here but only a HUD agent can show you the HUD owned homes.
If you are interested in purchasing a foreclosed home do have your financing lined up before you even start looking, You will need your pre approval letter with the offer.
Good Luck
Margaret

No need to pay. Just get a local real estate agent to do the research for you, and go see the homes with them.

Don't pay RealtyTrac. They are telling you the status of homes in the foreclosure process. But, just because a home is going to foreclosure or has been foreclosed upon does not make the property available for sale. To search for homes being offered for sale, you need MLS access. If you're working with a buyer's agent, that is the best option. If you are in the early stages, and just looking, then try realtor.com - it is all homes for sale in the MLS, and includes pre-/post-foreclosures, traditional sales, homes owned by relocation companies,etc. etc.

I am providing a link to a blog about the various types of sales in the marketplace today. Although there will be some regional differences, in general, the experiences are the same throughout the country. Follow the links (in blue) to find out more about the various types of transactions.

Best of luck in your home buying process.

Lindsey,

It's because those lists are created by outside companies and systems that do all the gathering of the informatoin so that it's readily available all at one source. Now, if you have a Realtor they can search the MLS for foreclosures and will most likely do that for free as long as you are a client. On my website, I allow my clients free access to search ALL foreclosures in TX.

If you want to get lists of "pre-foreclosures" that's usually where it's worth the money because they break down all the information to make it easy to read. Those are also great ways to find deals as well.

Hope that helps.
God Bless,
Josh