Banks are willing to negotiate foreclosures because they are losing money on the property when it sits vacant. Banks can negotiate directly with buyers without the assistance of a real estate agent. Because they own the property, banks can set the price for any value they deem acceptable.

Once the par market value is established, the starting asking price is then determined by calculating how much work needs to be done to bring the subject property up to par. As a rule of thumb, most foreclosures go on the market initially at par value minus repair costs, give or a take a couple of bucks.

If the home is priced too low, many buyers will probably make offers over the asking price. In a foreclosure, as in any home sale, the asking price is simply the starting place for negotiations. The first offer to buy: The offer is slightly under the asking price because there are no other offers on the table.

Bank owned homes—aka foreclosures can be a great deal, but buying one isn’t without risk, so make sure you know what you’re getting into. Bank owned homes are still flooding our nation’s real estate market. Bank owned homes can take a long time to close. Just because it’s bank owned doesn’t mean it’s a deal.

A bank-owned or real estate owned (REO) property is one that has reverted to the mortgage lender after the home fails to sell in a foreclosure auction. Once the bank owns the property, it will handle eviction (if necessary), pay off tax liens and may do some repairs.

Depending on the state and type of foreclosure, you may have from 111 days to 12 months or more before your home is foreclosed. In nonjudicial states such as California, where foreclosure occurs without the courts, defaulting mortgage borrowers usually have 111 days until foreclosure.