HUDforeclosed - OUR TOP CHOICE!

The market leader in Government-owned foreclosures, HUDforeclosed actually includes much more than just HUD homes — it lists Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac foreclosures, FSBO properties and pre-foreclosures, tax liens and tax deeds, and all sorts of bargain listings.

This site is easy to navigate, it has an excellent, friendly customer-support team, and makes the whole sign-up and cancellation procedure a breeze.

While HUDforeclosed is not as strong on research information as their nearest competitor (RealtyStore), their database does have well over 800,000 listings — largest we've seen. The site also has foreclosure research (foreclosure laws and market conditions for each area), comps and valuation information.

What we like best about this site:

• Market leader in Government-owned foreclosures
• Valuation data straight from Zillow, with fluctuations in price and comparable sales.
• Easy-to-follow, 12-chapter interactive tutorial and tons of other educational materials
• Member property alerts keep members informed of deals in their area in real-time
• A Finance section helps members secure loans
• Comprehensive information on every listing — including owner's contact data.

RATING: 5 STARS

RealtyStore - A CLOSE SECOND

This site is truly impressive in terms of its listings and the amount of information it provides. We particularly liked that, on top of all its detailed information about each listing, the site also provides information on the community, comparable sales, price fluctuation and a foreclosure index that helps track trends in any given area.

We would have liked to see more photos of properties — however we understand that all foreclosure-listing sites are generally not as strong on photos as mainstream, MLS-listings real estate sites.

RealtyStore does have video tutorials, information on foreclosure laws and a network of pre-screened real-estate professionals who specialize in assisting foreclosure investors.

What we like best about this site:

• Nationwide leader in Tax sales (tax deeds, tax liens, redeemable deeds, etc.)
• REO-Dept database allows you to reach the person in charge of REO's at any bank!
• Neighborhood information: population density, household income, tax info, etc.
• A network of realtors specializing in foreclosures
• Each listing has core property data (price, type, bed/bath, sq. ft., year built, etc.)
  including the most important of all: the owner's contact information

RATING: 4.5 STARS

RealtyTrac - GOOD VALUE

This site offers an outstanding value for investors familiar with the foreclosure market. The site has a database of over 600,000 listings, and each listing comes with key data such as date it was posted on the site, foreclosure status and property address.

Users had mixed feelings about RealtyTrac's rollover plans, which rebill up to 3-months in advance (this can be avoided by selecting the per month billing instead.) Users also reported mixed experiences with their customer support.

The navigation of the site is pretty easy considering the wealth of information the site has to offer. The educational materials on foreclosures are comprehensive.

We found that this site runs better on Internet Explorer than on Firefox.

What we like best about this site:

• A database of over 600,000 listings
• Tons of free educational materials on foreclosures
• Database includes REO's, FSBO's, resales, new homes and auction homes
• A wide range of property valuation, transfer and title reports
• A daily-alert feature keeps you up-to-date on foreclosures in your area

RATING: 4 STARS