Iowa foreclosures are great options for buying a house at much less than market value. You need to find the best foreclosure listings in your area, the key being that you get to it before anyone else does. Spend some time doing your homework and checking the listings frequently if you want to find a property in a specific location or one that meets your criteria list.

Find even better deals with homes in pre-foreclosure status. Look for listings through county clerk's offices, local real estate agents, bank or on an Iowa foreclosure list that has properties in or near foreclosure.

1. Sift through bank or government owned listings 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.

2. Look for Iowa foreclosure listings at the courthouse before they list nationally.

3. Don’t get too excited about a property until you’re able to actually see it.

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

Get home foreclosure listings in Iowa 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.

I recommend: Start by looking for foreclosure listings at the earliest source possible, the County Clerk's Office, then access pre-foreclosure listings online at Preforeclosure.com.

Search online for Iowa foreclosure homes

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 where you are interested in buying property.

I recommend: Search the free database of foreclosure listings from RealtyTrac, or sign up for a free 7-day trial membership that will give you access to in-depth foreclosure information and daily email alerts. Get up-to-date foreclosure listings from ForeclosureDeals.com including foreclosures, pre-foreclosures and government-owned HUD homes.

Find listings for bank or government-owned Iowa real estate foreclosures

Bank, government-owned and real estate owned (REO) foreclosures may not save you as much, but if you find the right listing, you can get a property in the ideal location for a lot less than one that isn't in foreclosure. Iowa listings that include all types of properties are the ideal place to compare foreclosures.

I recommend: Search through all types of Iowa foreclosure property, including government-owned foreclosures listed at USAHUD.Com, or look through the US HUD official foreclosure listings for Iowa at Best Assets.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Compare the foreclosures you find with neighborhood reports from the listings website or a local real estate agent so you know if you're really getting a good deal or not.
• •  Property owners who need to sell quickly because they're behind on their mortgage payments are more willing to settle for less.
• •  When you find an Iowa property foreclosure you like, take a drive and check out the neighborhood, keep 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.