Using Arizona foreclosure property listings to find the best deals is a process that includes sifting through many old or useless listings of properties. Finding a good foreclosure website is key to making the most of the listings you find. Look for a website that offers advanced search options to narrow your options quickly and easily.

Break your search down by either location or property type when searching a list of foreclosures in Arizona. If you know where you want to relocate or invest in property, start your search within that specific area. Once you’ve removed the foreclosure properties that aren’t in the area, you’ll have less to sift through. If you’re open to several areas, but need a specific property type, keep your area search field open and specify the property type. Keep your foreclosure property search easy by:

1. Making a list of your needs, wants and options that aren’t important during your search through foreclosure listings in Arizona.

2. Narrow down your options either by location or property type first when looking for foreclosures in Arizona.

3. Contact the listed sellers, and view several foreclosures in Arizona to compare the properties.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start your Arizona foreclosures search online

Find a few different foreclosure websites to use in your search. Look for search options or websites that offer free trial memberships to make sure they list all the foreclosure information you need to narrow down your search. Look for listings that include property values, sales data, loan information, local property comparisons, mapping features, photographs and e-mail notification of future foreclosures.

I recommend: Get a subscription to Default Research. They boast turn around times of only a few days from the time the default is recorded at the county court office and the time it is listed in their database. Try Foreclosure.com free of charge for a seven-day trial period, and search through thousands of Arizona foreclosure properties.

Narrow your property search using Arizona foreclosure listings

Once you've found a few good websites you are comfortable using, you'll want to search for the type of Arizona foreclosure property listing that interest you. Begin your search in a specific area, or search several areas in Arizona to find a specific property type.

I recommend: Search the Bank of America listings for Arizona foreclosures to find all the defaulted properties the bank owns in the state. Contact the Arizona Real Estate Investors Association for help in searching for commercial properties.

Use foreclosure listings in Arizona to make an informed decision

Once you've found interesting foreclosure listings, you have to move quickly to secure a good purchase price. If the property is a pre-foreclosure, you'll deal directly with the owner. Be careful when contacting him since sometimes owners don't know the property is on a pre-foreclosure list. If you play your cards right, you may get a great property at an even better price. When properties have already foreclosed, contact the bank or Realtor to view the property and negotiate a price.

I recommend: Get help from a professional. Hire a Realtor that you find through the Arizona Association of Realtors to help you sift through the foreclosures. Do a complete records search including a title and lien search on any property you consider buying. Hire AccuSearch to make sure there are no second or third mortgages to pay off.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Drive through the area of Arizona where you're looking to buy property. If you see a 'for sale' sign that includes 'foreclosure, bank owned or REO' write the Realtor's name down and give him a call. Some Realtors specialize in foreclosure property listings in Arizona and may offer many more options than you would normally get by working through listings on your own.
• •  The worse the housing market is, the larger the Arizona foreclosure listing will be. If you're open to different areas or even a different state, find a housing market in a major slump and you'll find a jackpot of foreclosures.

Arizona foreclosure listings keep you informed of residential and business properties that are available to the public at prices below market value. Studies show that foreclosure properties in Arizona and the rest of the nation sell for an average of 22 percent less than typical home sales. Whether you’re in the market for a Southwestern-style home in Scottsdale, a commercial property in Phoenix or a Tucson investment property that you can turn around and sell for profit, you have several options for finding foreclosure property listings in Arizona.

Foreclosure properties in Arizona come into being when homeowners or business owners miss their mortgage payments and default on their loans. Arizona foreclosure properties are sometimes referred to as Arizona distressed properties.

There are three stages in the foreclosure process for an Arizona foreclosure property:

1. Stage 1 — Pre-foreclosure: Homeowners who have missed at least one mortgage payment are considered to be in pre-foreclosure. Savings of 20-40 percent below market value are common with pre-foreclosure properties in Arizona.
2. Stage 2 — Foreclosure auction: Arizona foreclosures are sold at auction by lenders to the highest bidders. Savings of 35-50 percent off market value can be achieved when buying at auction.
3. Stage 3 — Real Estate Owned (REO): When there are no bidders at the auction or the lending bank is the highest bidder, properties become bank-owned foreclosures. In Arizona, savings are usually reduced when buying property from the bank.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find foreclosure property listings in Arizona

Providers of foreclosure listings in Arizona allow you to view listings by county, city or ZIP code so you can find properties in your area. Note that most Arizona foreclosure listings can only be accessed once you register and pay a monthly fee.

I recommend: Some of the largest providers of foreclosure listings in Arizona include RealtyTrac, RealtyStore.com, ForeclosureDataBank.com, Foreclosure.com and ForeclosureS.com, where you’ll find thousands of properties listed.

Find pre-foreclosure listings in Arizona

Homeowners in pre-foreclosure are often motivated to sell their residences at bargain prices in order to avoid foreclosure. By accessing pre-foreclosure listings, you can find information on such homeowners.

I recommend: Search for Arizona distressed properties in the Flagstaff, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Prescott Valley, Tempe and Tucson areas at FindMeDistressedHomes.com, which specializes in pre-foreclosure listings.

Find listings for Arizona foreclosures at auction

An auction for an Arizona foreclosure property is typically held at the county courthouse. Buyers must be present and usually must bring a deposit in the form of a cashier's check.

I recommend: Check the auction calendar listings for upcoming sales on Arizona foreclosure properties and sign up to receive email notifications of auctions taking place in Arizona at the Real Estate Disposition Corporation. The Arizona real estate auctions listed at GovernmentAuctions.org often include foreclosures, but you’ll need to register to view them.

Find listings for government-owned and bank-owned foreclosures in Arizona

If you're in the market for government-owned or bank-owned foreclosures in Arizona, look for listings that specialize in these types of properties.

I recommend: The largest inventory of government-owned and bank-owned foreclosures in Arizona can be accessed at HUDForeclosed.com. Search for properties owned by the government, asset managers or banks at All Foreclosure Information.

Find listings for Arizona commercial foreclosure properties

Business foreclosures in Arizona occur when business owners default on a commercial mortgage loan. In Arizona, commercial foreclosure properties can be categorized as business properties - such as office buildings or retail spaces - agricultural properties or industrial properties.

I recommend: Search the business foreclosure listings in Arizona at Foreclosure Listings. Other providers of commercial foreclosure listings in Arizona include ForeclosureFreeSearch.com.

Find free foreclosure listings

Few providers of foreclosure listings in Arizona offer free foreclosure lists, however, you can find free trials or very low-cost trials.

I recommend: ForeclosureFreeSearch.com offers a free seven-day trial. For a seven-day trial, you’ll pay $1 at HUDForeclosed.com, $1.95 at RealtyStore.com and $3.95 at ForeclosureDeals.

Use online learning tools to get the most from Arizona foreclosure listings

Take advantage of online tutorials, webinars and other educational resources offered by providers of Arizona foreclosure listings.

I recommend: Check out the resources in the learning center at RealtyTrac or the Foreclosure.com webinar series for educational sessions on buying foreclosure properties in Arizona.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look for providers of foreclosure listings in Arizona that offer neighborhood reports and sale comparisons.
• •  Some providers of foreclosure listings in Arizona also offer loan and downpayment programs via their websites.
• •  Arizona commercial foreclosure properties offer some of the biggest savings off market value.

Arizona foreclosures provide investors the perfect opportunity to buying a property at much less than market value. Finding the newest foreclosure listings in your area is the key to getting a great deal. Do your homework and check listings frequently to find a newly-listed foreclosure property in a specific location that meets your criteria list.

Making the most of Arizona foreclosure listings is easier when you find deals on businesses or homes in pre-foreclosure status. Look for an Arizona foreclosure property listing through the county clerk's office in the area in which you'd prefer to live or be headquartered and check with local real estate agents, banks and national foreclosure listings that include commercial properties and homes in pre-foreclosure. To make the most of Arizona foreclosure listings, you should:

1. Look for pre-foreclosures in Arizona first to catch those properties that everyone doesn't know about yet.

2. Work through lists of bank or government owned foreclosed property in Arizona for deals you may not expect. While they tend to be the higher priced foreclosure listings, you may be able to find a property at a good price.

3. Visit foreclosure properties in Arizona before you get too excited about it so you can get a true picture of what the property has to offer.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Search online for Arizona foreclosure listings

Find a good online foreclosure listing website by first looking at what the company offers. The better foreclosure listings will include property values, sales data, loan information, local property comparisons, mapping features, photographs and e-mail notification of future foreclosures in the area in which you are interested in investing.

I recommend: Get email alerts from Foreclosures.com, and sign up for a free trial membership so you can see complete lists of foreclosures in Arizona. Find foreclosure homes in Tempe and other cities using the free search feature provided by the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service.

Get Arizona foreclosure properties listings first

Find out about foreclosure listings before everyone else by keeping tabs on listings at your local courthouse. Look for auction listings of homes in foreclosure, or better yet, find listings for homes in pre-foreclosure. The earlier you find a property in the foreclosure process the better deal you'll get. You'll be that much farther ahead when the time comes to resell it or to rent it or however you wish to handle the property management in your business.

I recommend: Search Homes.com for foreclosure auction listings in the Phoenix area, or choose to search auctions in many other cities in Arizona. Search foreclosure listings with The Walbot Group which specializes in foreclosed homes in Arizona.

Find listings for bank-owned foreclosures in Arizona

Bank, government-owned and real estate owned (REO) foreclosures may not save you as much, but if you find the right listings, you can buy bank-owned homes in Arizona at great prices; the same applies to bank-owned foreclosed businesses.

I recommend: Search through all types of Arizona foreclosures, including government-owned foreclosures listed at AZHUD.Com, or look through the Bank Foreclosures Sale listings for bank-owned foreclosures state wide.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Property owners who need to sell quickly because they're behind on their mortgage payments are more willing to settle for less. Find these properties through foreclosure listings in Arizona or pre-foreclosure information.
• •  When you find foreclosure property listings in Arizona you like, take a drive and check out the neighborhood, keeping your eyes and ears open for red flags like loud noises from neighboring highways or factories, pets running loose in the area, the condition of the exterior of the home and yard.

When it comes to reading through Arizona foreclosure listings, it's important to learn about some of the key terms associated with a transfer of property through foreclosure. These terms differ slightly from state to state and also have slightly different meanings depending on the state laws. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with some of these terms so that you can be an informed buyer when purchasing a property through foreclosure. Here are those terms, along with some quality links to provide additional information.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Arizona deed of trust

In Arizona law, the deed of trust refers to the document that transfers the legal title of the property to the lender pending full repayment by the borrower. The deed also specifies that the lender may foreclose if the borrower defaults. When searching Arizona foreclosure listings, it's important to know the primary lender and to make sure the deed of trust was properly filed.

I recommend: Visit Foreclosure for more information on how the deed of trust affects foreclosure listings in Arizona.

Deficiency judgment

In Arizona, a deficiency judgment refers to a judgment made on a borrower who has defaulted and been foreclosed on if the sale of the home is less than the previous mortgage that the defaulted borrower was carrying. When dealing with Arizona foreclosure listings, it's imperative to know whether there are any deficiency judgments on banked-owned property.

I recommend: My Home Rescue Site provides information in a question-and-answer format. Scroll down to find information on deficiency judgments.

Arizona notice of trustee's sale

In Arizona, a notice of trustee's sale refers to a document that is recorded in the county recorder's office stating that a lender is planning to sell a property. Arizona foreclosure listings will often detail when the trustee sale or auction will take place based on the time line of the filing.

I recommend: Foreclosure Counseling explains how the foreclosure process works in Arizona, including further details on a notice of trustee's sale, which must be executed before a foreclosure property is listed for sale.

Power of sale foreclosure, or non-judicial foreclosure

A power of sale foreclosure, or non-judicial foreclosure as it's sometime referred to, occurs when the mortgage contains a clause that allows the lender to sell the property if the borrower defaults without a court order. Arizona foreclosure listings will detail if a foreclosure is going through the power of sale process.

I recommend: Visit Foreclosure Law to learn more about sale foreclosure practices in Arizona.

Judgment of foreclosure

A judgment of foreclosure is an order handed down by the court to a plaintiff (the lender) against the borrower so that it can recover all debts and associated costs (amount of the mortgage and related fees). When dealing with foreclosure listings, the process of obtaining a judicial foreclosure is different from a power of sale foreclosure.

I recommend: Visit Foreclosure University for further information on Arizona statues relating to a judgment of foreclosure.

Trustee sale date

The trustee sale date refers to the date that a foreclosed property will be auctioned off. When dealing with foreclosure listings in Arizona it's important to know that date because the borrower in default may cure his debts, sell to another party or obtain another mortgage by the trustee sale date, negating the foreclosure.

I recommend: Visit Phoenix Market Trends for more information on trustee sale dates and their importance within Arizona real estate law.

Arizona foreclosure listings and pre-listings

Arizona foreclosure listings and pre-listings give homebuyers and investors access to properties on the market that are good values.

I recommend: Read about the effect of Arizona foreclosure listings at Street Directory.