Is it possible to contact the bank directly for foreclosures? How do I do that? Has it worked for anyone?

It is possible to contact a bank directly for foreclosures. In the past, this was one of the only ways to find foreclosures. They are rarely advertised, and it can be very difficult to dig up foreclosure listings in real estate magazines or newspapers. Today, however, most foreclosure homebuyers and investors use online foreclosure listings services to find bank foreclosures.

Listings services contact banks, government agencies, lenders, local governments and other sources to find foreclosure listings available locally. This provides buyers with a range of listings that they could never gather by contacting lenders on their own. Since foreclosure listings sites are updated so often, they are the best way to see what's currently available from banks.

However, it can still be useful to contact local banks that you might buy a foreclosure from, even just for the sake of getting extra information or to view a property that interests you. The best way to contact the bank directly for foreclosures is to simply visit the bank and speak to a manager.

Most banks don't have one person in charge of handling the local foreclosure property information. However, the manager may direct you to a regional source or contact person who can get you listings of local foreclosures under the bank's control. Banks do have departments that handle their foreclosures, but you may have to contact them by phone or email.

These bank sources can be reliable sources of information, but they're not dependable. You may get incomplete listings or have to wait a long time to receive the information you request. This is another reason why foreclosure listing websites are so popular. They make it easy to find what you want within seconds, and you can check them every day for updates.

Contacting a bank about bank foreclosure sales can be helpful for gathering information about specific sales, but to get listings, the best source to consult is a foreclosure listings service.