Housing and Urban Development (HUD) properties present unique opportunities for homebuyers. By purchasing a previously foreclosed home, you might save money on the sale and mortgage. But is a HUD home the right choice for you? Here are some of the key benefits to buying a HUD home:
HUD wants to recoup the cost of the foreclosure as soon as possible. This translates into lower sale prices. While each property goes through an appraisal process to determine its value, the purchase price is usually under the market average for comparable homes.
HUD homes are sold through auction. The auction process gives special priority to residential buyers by granting them a 30-day period to bid on the home. After that, the auction will open up to investors as well. This head start can help you get a great deal on a home without worrying about an investor taking it at the last second.
Closing costs are a major expense when buying and selling a home. As an incentive to homebuyers, HUD spends a certain percentage of the home's purchase price to help cover closing costs. This can save a homebuyer thousands of dollars compared to buying a traditional home.
With financing, buying a HUD home is like a traditional home purchase. You can choose from many loan options and mortgage providers. In certain circumstances, buying a HUD home means getting a loan with a smaller down payment. HUD wants to sell the property as soon as possible, so they offer options for low down payments to encourage new buyers.
If you're considering a HUD home, keep these benefits in mind. While it might not be the right choice for every situation, for many homebuyers, the incentives and special perks can greatly outweigh possible drawbacks.
You don’t need to do this alone. I am bilingual in English and Spanish, and I have been in the industry for over 20 years, after earning my degree in Business Management and successive studies in Human Resources and Technology. Never content to let my education lapse, I also received a certification in Negotiation Skills from Pepperdine University and attended courses at Stanford University. A leader in the field, I am a member of the Santa Clara Board of Realtors and served as a professional standards ombudsman for 8 years. I completed a term as the President of the National Hispanic Organization of Real Estate’s Santa Clara chapter in 2016, now serving as this organization’s National Vice President. I pursued additional in-depth training to achieve professional designations as an ABR (Accredited Buyer’s Representative), CRS (Certified Professional Specialist), and SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist), GREEN certification, and RCS-D (Divorce Real Estate Specialist). Far from being a meaningless alphabet soup, this demonstrates how proactive I am in pursuing the latest knowledge so that I completely prepared to satisfy all my sellers' and buyers' unique needs. I am committed to Excellence!