PADRE ISLAND HOUSING REPORT – NOVEMBER 2024

Corpus Christi Association of Realtors has posted the Padre Island Corpus Christi Housing Report for November 2024.

Our active listing median prices have softened the past month to $485,000 which is actually a 20.1% increase from where it was compared to last November at this time! CCAR shows us the data that has risen for active listings t0 33.6% with a total of 322 properties this past month compared to November 2023 while inventory also rose to 11.5 compared to 7.3 last year at this time.

Days on the market stayed steady this past month with an average of 86 days and the highest categories for sales with 30.4% of all the sales being priced between $300,000 – $399,999. The market is still softening a bit as we head into the last month of 2024 with properties available across many pricing areas. Padre Island’s newest development Whitecap NPI is open for sales of their lots in Phase 1, Contact Coastline Properties Agent Ms. Amber Spicak at their office for all pre-sales. amber@coastline-properties.com

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose by 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in November versus the prior month, following four consecutive months of 0.2 percent increases. Over the past 12 months, the all-items index has increased by 2.7 percent before seasonal adjustment.

Cheri Sperling is the owner of Coastline Properties with a dedicated team of agents specializing in residential listings, sales, and property management in the Padre Island Corpus Christi real estate market. Coastline’s team is the most knowledgeable real estate office on Padre Island. No pressure style, patience, and an intimate understanding of the local market. They go to work for you!

 

Padre Island Corpus Christi November 2024 Data (Click Pic below for Larger Image)

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PADRE ISLAND HOUSING REPORT – SEPTEMBER 2024

Corpus Christi Association of Realtors has posted the Padre Island Corpus Christi Housing Report for September 2024.

Our active listing median prices have dipped the past month to $487,000 which is actually a 25.2% increase from where it was compared to last September at this time! CCAR shows us the data that has risen for active listings t0 36.6% with a total of 321 properties this past month compared to September 2023 while inventory also rose to 11.9 compared to 6.6 last year at this time.

Days on the market for sale increased this past month with an average of 143 days and the highest categories for sales with 22.2% of all the sales being priced between $300,000 – $399,000 and $750,000 – $999,999. The market is still softening a bit as we head into the holidays with properties available across many pricing areas. Padre Island’s newest development Whitecap NPI is open for sales of their lots in Phase 1, Contact Coastline Properties Agent Ms. Amber Spicak at their office for all pre-sales. amber@coastline-properties.com

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.7% between September 2023 and September 2024, down from an annual increase of 1.7% in the 12 months to August 2024. Excluding energy and unprocessed food, the CPI went up by 2.4% in the 12 months to September 2024. The current federal funds rate is 4.75% to 5.00%. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) set this target range at its September 17–18, 2024 meeting. This was a 50 basis point decrease, or 0.50 percentage point, from the previous rate.

Cheri Sperling is the owner of Coastline Properties with a dedicated team of agents specializing in residential listings, sales, and property management in the Padre Island Corpus Christi real estate market. Coastline’s team is the most knowledgeable real estate office on Padre Island. No pressure style, patience, and an intimate understanding of the local market. They go to work for you!

 

Padre Island Corpus Christi August 2024 Data (Click Pic below for Larger Image)

padre-island-corpus-christi-housing-report-september-2024

PADRE ISLAND HOUSING REPORT – JULY 2024

Corpus Christi Association of Realtors has posted the Padre Island Corpus Christi Housing Report for July 2024.

Our active listing median prices have risen the past month to $427,500 which is actually a 0.6% increase from where it was compared to last July at this time! CCAR shows us the data that has risen for active listings t0 42.7% with a total of 324 properties this past month compared to July 2023 while inventory also rose to 11.2 compared to 5.7 last year at this time.

Days on the market for sale increased this past month with an average of 110 days and the highest categories for sales with 23.3% of all the sales being priced between $500,000 – $749,999. The market continues to stay stable so far into 2024 with properties available across many pricing areas. Padre Island’s newest development Whitecap NPI is open for sales of their lots in Phase 1, Contact Coastline Properties Agent Ms. Amber Spicak at their office for all pre-sales. amber@coastline-properties.com

The median estimate (year-over-year, not seasonally adjusted) for the consumer price index (CPI) for the month of July 2024 is 3.0%. If 3.0% is the actual year-over-year increase in the CPI, it will match the number from the previous month.

Cheri Sperling is the owner of Coastline Properties with a dedicated team of agents specializing in residential listings, sales, and property management in the Padre Island Corpus Christi real estate market. Coastline’s team is the most knowledgeable real estate office on Padre Island. No pressure style, patience, and an intimate understanding of the local market. They go to work for you!

 

Padre Island Corpus Christi July 2024 Data (Click Pic below for Larger Image)

padre-island-corpus-christi-housing-report-July-2024

PADRE ISLAND CORPUS CHRISTI HOUSING REPORT MAY 2024

Corpus Christi Association of Realtors has posted the Padre Island Corpus Christi Housing Report for May 2024.

Our active listing median prices have risen the past month to $495,000 which is actually a 8.7% increase from where it was compared to last May at this time! CCAR shows us the data that has risen for active listings by 63.8% with a total of 308 properties this past month compared to May 2023 while inventory also rose to 10.5 compared to 4.3 last year at this time.

Days on the market for sale rose this past month with an average of 92 days and the highest categories for sales with 47.4% of all the sales being priced between $500,000 – $749,999. The market is very stable so far into 2024 with properties available across many pricing areas. Padre Island’s newest development Whitecap NPI is open for sales of their lots in Phase 1, Contact Coastline Properties Agent Ms. Amber Spicak at their office for all pre-sales. amber@coastline-properties.com

Previous monthly figures for 2024 have seen 0.3% to 0.4% for both monthly and core inflation. Core inflation excludes food and energy price changes. For May’s figures now casts from the Cleveland Federal Reserve estimate that headline monthly inflation will be 0.08% and core inflation 0.3%.

Cheri Sperling is the owner of Coastline Properties with a dedicated team of agents specializing in residential listings, sales, and property management in the Padre Island Corpus Christi real estate market. Coastline’s team is the most knowledgeable real estate office on Padre Island. No pressure style, patience, and an intimate understanding of the local market. They go to work for you!

 

Padre Island Corpus Christi May 2024 Data (Click Pic below for Larger Image)

padre-island-corpus-christi-housing-report-may-2024

Corpus Christi’s Long-Term Water Needs

Addressing Corpus Christi’s Long-Term Water Needs

By Drew Molly, P.E., Chief Operating Officer of CCW

We all need water to survive, and communities are no different. Without water, communities are not able to
grow and thrive, let alone survive, so its importance to all of us cannot be overstated.
As a coastal community, Corpus Christi has a long, rich history, but none of this would have been possible
without the availability of fresh water. For years, communities in the Coastal Bend have relied on rivers and
manmade reservoirs to meet all of their water needs. However, as more people and businesses have found
their way to our region, this has put greater demands on all public services, including the availability of water.
Only relying on Mother Nature to consistently provide enough rainwater for Corpus Christi to prosper and
grow is no longer a viable solution. This is especially the case when considering the prolonged drought in our
Nueces River Watershed, and the direct impact it has on the reservoir levels of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke
Canyon.

Unfortunately, both the near- and long-term outlooks for getting enough rainfall to address the ongoing water
shortage are not promising. This is why many communities in South Texas are looking at ways to secure
reliable, drought-proof sources of water. Corpus Christi is leading this effort by proceeding with plans to build
a seawater desalination plant along the Inner Harbor that, when operational, will supply up to 30 million
gallons of clean water daily.

Adding this amount of new water to the current system is significant, as CCW (Corpus Christi Water) is
responsible for supplying water to more than 500,000 people in seven counties in the Coastal Bend. The city’s
existing sources of water – the Nueces, Lavaca Navidad and Colorado rivers and related reservoirs – will
remain important, but the addition of a high-capacity desalination plant that consistently generates millions of
gallons of clean, drinkable water will positively counteract the impacts that droughts are having on the system.
It should also be emphasized that the Inner Harbor Seawater Desalination Treatment Plant will be a much
needed second water treatment plant. The entire region depends on one water treatment plant, which was
constructed in 1954 and had one additional treatment module added in 1981. While this facility continues to
operate well, it is time for the Region to add a second facility that provides a completely new and drought-
proof water supply.

The stakes are high, but much thought and research has gone into the process, which is nearly 20 years in the
making. Besides adding much-needed water to the local supply, the new desalination plant will be fully
integrated into the city’s existing infrastructure and regional system, as well as lead to improvements in the
local power grid and create an estimated 3,500 construction-related jobs.
This is all being done in a fiscally responsible, sustainable way that ensures we have a resilient water supply for
years to come. Great care is also being taken to be environmentally responsible. In short, we are utilizing
science and data to make sure the project is safe for sea life and will have minimal impact on our existing
waterways.

Bottom line, seawater desalination is a sustainable and responsible solution that not only helps us meet the
city’s current and future demands for water, but it also provides a reliable, cost-effective and drought-proof

source of water for years to come using technology that is currently being used worldwide by many other
communities. To learn more about this important project, visit www.desal.cctexas.com.

NORTH PADRE ISLAND HOUSING REPORT – FEBRUARY 2024

Corpus Christi Association of Realtors has posted the North Padre Island Housing Report for February 2024.

Our active listing median prices have dipped the past month to $403,700 this past month which is an 1.6% decrease from where it was compared to last Febuary at this time! CCAR shows us the data that is increasing for active listings by 82.3% with a total of 257 properties this past month while inventory Has risen at 8.6 compared to 2.8 last year at this time.

Days on the market for sale increased this past month with an average of 86 days and the highest categories for sales with 40.0% of all the sales being priced between $300,000 – $399,999. The market is still staying solid so far into 2024 with properties available across many pricing areas. North Padre Island’s newest development Whitecap NPI is open for sales of their lots in Phase 1, Contact Coastline Properties Agent Ms. Amber Spicak at their office for all pre-sales. amber@coastline-properties.com

We learned this morning that inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index was 0.4 percent in February and 3.2 percent over the past year. Core inflation, which leaves out volatile food and energy prices in order to better parse inflation’s underlying trend, was also 0.4 percent over the month and 3.8 percent over the last year.

Cheri Sperling is the owner of Coastline Properties with a dedicated team of agents specializing in residential listings, sales, and property management in the Padre Island real estate market. Coastline’s team is the most knowledgeable real estate office on Padre Island. No pressure style, patience, and an intimate understanding of the local market. They go to work for you!

 

North Padre Island Febraury 2024 Data (Click Pic below for Larger Image)

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NORTH PADRE ISLAND HOUSING REPORT – AUGUST 2023

Corpus Christi Association of Realtors has posted the North Padre Island Housing Report for August 2023.

Our active listing median prices fell the past month to $389,000 this past month which is a 2.3% decrease from where it was compared to last August at this time! CCAR shows us the data that is rising for active listings by 41.8% with a total of 217 properties this past month while inventory Has risen at 5.6 compared to 2.8 last year during the month of August.

Days on the market for sale are increasing from last month with an average of 59 days and the highest categories for sales with 26.8% of all the sales being priced between $300,000 – $399,999 and $500,000 – $749,999. The market is moving forward nicely this summer with properties available across many pricing areas. North Padre Island’s newest development Whitecap NPI is set up to start sales of their lots in Phase 1, Contact Coastline Properties Agent Ms. Amber Spicak at their office for all pre-sales. amber@coastline-properties.com

Headline Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 0.6 percent in August and 3.7 percent over the previous year. Both of these rates were higher than recent figures on inflation, and the main driver of the increase was the rise in retail gasoline prices in August. fuel provided 34 basis points, or slightly more than half, of the overall monthly CPI, which increased by 10.6 percent over the course of the month (the price of fuel has decreased by 3.3 percent over the last year).

Cheri Sperling is the owner of Coastline Properties with a dedicated team of agents specializing in residential listings, sales, and property management in the Padre Island real estate market. Coastline’s team is the most knowledgeable real estate office on Padre Island. No pressure style, patience, and an intimate understanding of the local market. They go to work for you!

 

North Padre Island August 2023 Data (Click Pic below for Larger Image)

north-padre-island-housing-report-august-2023

PADRE ISLAND HOUSING REPORT FEBRUARY 2023

Corpus Christi Association of Realtors has posted the Padre Island Housing Report for February 2023. Our active listing median prices have risen the past month to $410,250 this past month which is 6.3& above where it was compared to last February at this time!
CCAR continues to show us the data that shows active listings rising 26.3 % with a total of 144 properties this past month while inventory Has stayed steady at 2.8 compared to 1.0 last year during the month of February.

Days on the market for sale are climbing a bit from last month an average of 80 days on the market and the highest category for sales with 37.5% of all the sales being priced between $300,000 – $399,999. The market is keeping pace as we move into Spring. The Consumer Price Index declined from 6.4% to 6% in the last 12 months ending in February, continuing an eight-month trend of declining annual inflation. The FED meets next week to decide whether they will move the rate again to continue to fight inflation this year. The Spring Housing market is underway, and we are anticipating a very busy season.

Cheri Sperling is the owner of Coastline Properties with a dedicated team of agents specializing in residential listings, sales, and property management in the Padre Island real estate market. Coastline’s team is the most knowledgeable real estate office on Padre Island. No pressure style, patience, and an intimate understanding of the local market. They go to work for you!

 

Padre Island February 2023 Data (Click Pic below for Larger Image)

padre-island-housing-report-february-2023

PADRE ISLAND HOUSING REPORT – DECEMBER 2022

Corpus Christi Association of Realtors has posted the Padre Island Housing Report for December 2022. Our active listing median prices have slightly dipped to $353,250 this past month which is a fall of 3.8% compared to last December at this time!
CCAR continues to show us the data that shows active listings rising 36 % with a total of 136 properties this past month while inventory Has a slight decline to 2.6 compared to 1.7 last year during the month of December.

Days on the market for sale have slightly fallen to an average of 50 days on the market and the highest category for sales with 32.3% of all the sales was priced between $300,000 – $399,999. The market is holding steady which is normal after the Holidays. CPI Data has shown inflation is still lowering, and the fed still seems committed to getting inflation down to 2% and continue to signal more rate hikes to come.

Coastline Properties has been weathering the conditions of different markets since 1995. Prices are falling as more properties enter the market.A survey by Homes USA shows that new home prices have decreased recently.

The adjustment occurs in the midst of a market slump brought on by increased mortgage rates and the earlier increase in prices. Builders are therefore providing greater incentives to purchasers in an effort to enhance sales as inventory rises and new homes take longer to sell.

Real estate company HomesUSA, based in Dallas, analyzes data from multiple listing services and three-month averages for sales, pricing, active listings, and other metrics. This previous week saw a low in mortgage application volume as high mortgage rates continued to harm the housing market.

In 2021, new homes weren’t being added to the MLS since they were selling so quickly. The demand for homes was at its highest and most intense from spring 2020 through spring 2022. The patterns we are currently observing indicate that the local slowdown in new house sales might not just be a seasonal blip. Construction is being curtailed by builders as the market weakens. The houses you can currently see were started when the market was different. You can observe the results of those who entered into contracts only to have to cancel them when interest rates increased.

Soon, the spring housing market will begin, and we’ll probably want to know what to anticipate. The home market in 2023 might feel more like a nobody’s market after several years of a clear sellers’ market. More buyer advantages and slower home sales are something we anticipate. On the economic front, supply chain problems have started to get better and should keep getting better in the coming year. As interest rates and inflation reduce disposable income, we can anticipate the following five to six months to be sluggish. But the flooring and home improvement sectors will experience tremendous growth over the next five to six years.

Cheri Sperling is the owner of Coastline Properties with a dedicated team of agents specializing in residential listings, sales, and property management in the Padre Island real estate market. Coastline’s team is the most knowledgeable real estate office on Padre Island. No pressure style, patience, and an intimate understanding of the local market. They go to work for you!

 

Padre Island December 2022 Data (Click Pic below for Larger Image)

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BBB Tip: How to avoid purchasing fake tickets to events

As another Texas summer with record-breaking heat ends and the beginning of the Fall
season approaches, many people will be looking to get out and enjoy themselves at various
events across the state. Residents may be planning on watching their favorite sports team
compete this season or attending a concert featuring a famous musician. With the prices of
tickets to major events increasing and the ever-present threat of con artists capitalizing on
marketplace trends, BBB recommends consumers exercise caution when searching for and
purchasing tickets to their next event.

While most people know to be careful when purchasing tickets off a third-party website or
reseller, recent reports to BBB Scam Tracker show a concerning trend of scammers
disguising themselves as reputable ticket sellers when interacting with the victim. These
schemes often leverage the credibility of companies such as Ticketmaster to convince
victims to provide payment for tickets that are either fake, for the wrong event or priced
significantly higher than the going rate. Some may also advertise discounted tickets for
high-priced seats or sections, which turns out to be false once the tickets are received, or
the purchaser arrives at the venue.

In many worst-case scenarios, a consumer who is provided a fake ticket plans an entire
weekend around the event, including travel costs and a hotel room, only to be turned away
at the entrance. Victims may also find that the credit or debit card used to pay for the
tickets has a series of charges they do not recognize, resulting in them having to cancel the
card and dispute those transactions with their bank to varying degrees of success.
To help prevent fraudulent sellers from interrupting your event plans, Better Business
Bureau provides the following tips:

 Purchase directly from the venue whenever possible. Many consumers
automatically go to a secondary resale market to purchase tickets for an upcoming
event before first checking with the venue. Going directly to the venue may not only
save money but is also a way to ensure that a purchase is for a valid ticket. Venues
also often include what secondary resale organization they are listing their tickets on,
giving consumers an additional layer of protection from purchasing fake tickets.

 Consider your source. There is a significant difference between purchasing a ticket
from a professional ticket broker and a ticket scalper. While dealing with the latter
may result in obtaining valid tickets, the risk of encountering a scammer is
significantly greater. Always exercise caution when purchasing from sources that are
not members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) or Better Business
Bureau.

 Research the seller/broker. Brokers who are members of NATB offer a 200%
purchase guarantee on tickets, protecting consumers that use their services.
Visit NATB.org to confirm you are interacting with a NATB-member resale company.

 Check for website encryption. It is good practice to always check for the lock
symbol in the website address, indicating a secured system is enabled on the site.
BBB strongly recommends against giving any banking information to websites that
are not secured.

 Know the refund policy. Only purchase tickets from a ticket reseller that clearly
details the purchase terms. Avoid sellers who do not disclose where the seats are located or where purchasers can pick up tickets. If the deal seems “too good to be
true,” trust your instincts and thoroughly investigate the seller before purchasing
tickets.

 Use protected payment options. Debit or gift cards, mobile banking apps and
cash transactions are risky due to difficulties recovering money if the tickets are
fake. BBB recommends using credit cards for all online purchases due to the
additional protections they offer consumers to obtain a refund.

 Verify tickets. If you doubt the authenticity of a purchased ticket, present it to the
“Will Call” or customer service center of the event venue. They will inform you if it is
legitimate or explain how a legitimate ticket for their venue should look.

If you have been a victim of a fake ticket scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Information
provided could prevent another person from falling victim.
For more information about ticket scams, visit BBB.org.

BE PREPARED: FORECLOSURE AUCTIONS

Despite forbearance programs set in place to relieve mortgage tensions during the COVID-19 Pandemic, it’s a commonality that all US economic recessions have in common: An eventual spike in home foreclosures.

But what about those in the fortunate opposing position? A “good deal” is hard to ignore! So if you find yourself interested in raising your paddle, below are some tips and tricks to what foreclosure auctions are all about.

1. Bring the funds with you. This must be in the form of cash or a cashier’s check.

No personal checks, pre-approval letter, or nana’s famous carrot cake. These won’t cut it.

Because you pay directly on the spot upon winning, you don’t want to overpay as it will take approximately 30 days to get that refund. Instead, if you’re coming with a cashier’s check, come with multiple denominations so that you can add them together to create the appropriate amount. Also, have them made out to you so you can deposit the leftover checks back into your bank account. If you win, you simply sign them over.

If, however, you are in an online auction, you have a bit longer to come up with the funds.

*Some companies charge a percentage of the final sales price as a buyer’s fee. Be sure to ask about this, or read the fine print.

2. Do your research: Foreclosures are sold “AS IS, WHERE IS, NO PROMISE OF ANYTHING.”

There is no guarantee of a clear title, functioning plumbing, electrical, structural issues, etc. You must do your due diligence to make sure you know what you may be purchasing. Liens on properties are public record and can be found online or at the local courthouse. Do not skip this step!

3. Opening bid does not necessarily mean you can get the property at that price.

This number is normally set by the foreclosing lender, and it is usually the assessed loan amount owed to the lender. Sometimes, the opening bid is simply an estimated minimum by law that includes only taxes delinquent on the date of judgment, or a number that the creditor believes will spark interest. This minimum bid can be just a tool to get the bidding ball rolling  – but if the bids do not reach the creditor’s bottom line, then the property will not sell and will go back to the creditor to do with it what they choose.

4. Purchasing an occupied foreclosure.

If the owner does not vacate the property after the foreclosure sale, as the new owner, YOU must give them a formal notice to move out. If they do not, you have the right to bring on an eviction lawsuit. If the person occupying the property is a tenant of the former owner, a different form of action must be taken. There are certain laws that actually protect these types of tenants. It all comes back to doing your research before you purchase so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

5. If you’re the one bidding, you’re the one buying.

There is an exception: By signing a Power of Attorney, you may appoint a representative to bid on your behalf. Sometimes, auction companies may offer live remote bidding by telephone through an auction representative or have live Internet bidding capabilities. There are options if you are unable to attend an auction.

6. If the auction begins at 10 am, be there at 9:30 am.

Auctions in Texas are the first Tuesday of every month, on the south side of the County Courthouse. The auction may only last 10 minutes total, so be timely, or you may miss the whole thing!

With that said, Texas law requires a three-hour window from the time given on the auction notice and when the auction actually takes place.

If foreclosures are something that interests you, final words of advice would be: Save your money, do your research, and don’t be late. Happy bidding!

Rapidly Diminishing REO Foreclosure Sales

The number of foreclosed home sales has been rapidly falling and could essentially vanish by next year. Those who specialize in foreclosure sales should therefore look towards other line of business.

  • In August, foreclosed sales comprised only 6 percent of all home sales transactions, down from double-digit figures last year and from near 30 percent few years further back.
    In addition to fewer distressed properties on the market currently, there is very little in the pipeline. The number of foreclosure starts is essentially back-to-normal with only 0.4 percent of mortgages undergoing that process. Moreover, mortgages originated in the past four years are one of the best performing with very little defaults.
  • We should nonetheless be mindful that the overall count of seriously delinquent mortgages and those homes in some stage of foreclosure process are still above historical normal because some states have been very slow to process the required paper work. For example, some homeowners who have not been paying mortgages for 2 or 3 years are still living in the home in Florida and New Jersey. But the broad figure on seriously delinquent borrowers has been sliced in half over the past three years.
    The bottom line there is that foreclosed sales could be in the 1 to 3 percent next year – essentially back the normal market conditions. Fewer distressed properties will also help with the overall appraisal process of not using bad comparable.
  • REALTOR business tip. From time-to-time there will be a homebuyer who takes a very long time to decide. After viewing 30 homes, they will ask for few more, and on and on. One way to help on the decision, according to psychology studies on human behavior, is to provide extreme alternatives that the consumer will certainly not buy. For example, showing a home that is outside of the buyer’s price criteria or a foreclosed home can help speed the decision. Since foreclosed homes are on the decline, one has to use other alternative extreme comparisons.
  • A similar decision process applies in politics. Research shows undecided voters wanting to gravitate towards the middle for no other reason than not wanting to be extreme. Therefore a portrayal of political opponent as an extremist will help get votes for your candidate. That is why negative political advertisements, though nasty and unpleasant to view, is said to work in helping undecided voters make up their mind.

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Source:  National Association of Realtors

THE TRUTH ABOUT FORECLOSURE AUCTIONS

foreclosures

Foreclosures: There’s something about them that makes ears perk up. A “good deal” is hard to ignore…but what are the foreclosure auctions all about? Here are some tips and tricks if you ever find yourself with a paddle in your hand, bidding on your very own foreclosure.

1. Bring the funds with you. This must be in the form of cash or a cashier’s check

No personal checks, pre-approval letter, or your mom’s famous coffee cake. These simply won’t cut it.

Because you pay directly on the spot upon winning, you don’t want to overpay as it will take approximately 30 days to get that refund. Instead, if you’re coming with a cashier’s check, come with multiple denominations so that you can add them together to create the appropriate amount. Also, have them made out to you so you can deposit the left over checks back into your bank account. If you win, you simply sign them over.

If, however, you are in an auction online, you have a bit longer to come up with the funds.

*Some companies charge a percentage of the final sales price as a buyer’s fee. Be sure to ask about this, or read the fine print.

2. Do your research: Foreclosures are sold “AS IS, WHERE IS, NO PROMISE OF ANYTHING.”

There is no guarantee of a clear title, functioning plumbing, electrical, structural issues, etc. You must do your due diligence to make sure you know what you may be purchasing. Liens on properties are public record and can be found online or at the local courthouse.

3. Opening bid does not necessarily mean you can get the property at that price.

This number is normally set by the foreclosing lender, and is usually the estimated loan amount owed to the lender. Sometimes, the opening bid is simply an estimated minimum by law that includes only taxes delinquent on the date of judgment, or a number that the creditor believes will spark interest. This minimum bid can be just a tool to get the bidding ball rolling  – but if the bids do not reach the creditors bottom line, then the property will not sell and will go back to the creditor to do with it what they choose.

4. Purchasing an occupied foreclosure.

If the homeowner does not vacate the property after the foreclosure sale, you as the new owner, must give them a formal notice to move out. If they do not, you have the right to bring on an eviction lawsuit. If the person occupying the property is a tenant of the former owner, a different form of action must be taken. There are certain laws that actually protect these types of tenants. It all comes back to doing your research before you purchase so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

5. If you’re the one bidding, you’re the one buying.

There is an exception: By signing a Power of Attorney, you may appoint a representative to bid for you. Sometimes, auction companies may offer live remote bidding by telephone through an auction representative or has live Internet bidding capabilities. There are options if you are unable to attend an auction.

6. If the auction begins at 10, be there before 10., the first Tuesday of every month, at the county courthouse.

Auctions in Texas are the first Tuesday of every month, on the south side of the County Courthouse. The auction may only last 10 minutes total, so be timely, or you may miss the whole thing!

With that said, Texas law requires a three hour window from the time given on the auction notice and when the auction actually happens.

 

If Corpus Christi foreclosures are something that interest you, final words of advice would be: Save your money, do your research, and don’t be late! Happy bidding!