Is it a bad idea to buy a house with squatters ?

[Autumn Kim]

I recently started to look at houses in Philadelphia and I noticed that there are many cheap houses with squatters.

Is the process to evict them hard? How long and how much does it take to get rid of them?

If there is anyone who has experience with dealing with squatters, can you give me some advice?

[Melanie P.]

It depends on your appetite and financial ability to carry out the post-purchase fight. There are legal and extra legal ways to get rid of the squatters. 

Are they advertised as having squatters? What sort of discount (dollars and percent) are you getting for the squatter properties?

To me this sounds like an incredible opportunity with tremendous negotiating potential. It's essential to get all the information you can about the squatter: did they ever have a contract with the owner, how long have they been there, how many are there, has anyone told authorities, do they have access to any utilities you'll have to pay for, etc. Once you get as many details as you can on the squatters feel free to PM me for ideas on how to get rid of them.