How do you buy a house for less?

Answer 1

• You can buy a house from an estate. By that time the house is often in poor repair and needs a lot of upgrades, and, the heirs may accept a low cash offer to avoid the work needed to clean it out and market it through a real estate agent.
• You can buy a foreclosed property but again, be prepared to put in a lot of elbow grease. Foreclosed properties are often in bad shape.
• You can check at your local tax assessor's office for properties that have been taken for non-payment of property taxes. They may have a list and a schedule when an auction will be held.

In all cases, you should be prepared ahead of time by hiring an attorney to represent you in any purchase and to have the title examined for any property you plan to bid on. The attorney may be able to negotiate the cost on your behalf.