Bid strategies?

[Jennifer Talcott]

Hi.  New here.

We've put two offers in.  We were outbid on the first one and I expect to be outbid on the second one too.

The problem is, Tampa's a hot market, and these REO's are being snapped up by either occupant-owners or investors who don't need to make a profit.

I'm a realtor and my husband has a construction background, so we know about how much the properties will cost to rehab, and how much they should sell for.  We put in the highest bid we can and still make a decent profit, but so far nothing.

What kind of strategies do you all use to get your offers accepted?

I have access to a pre-foreclosure list and plan to start working it next week.  Any other ideas?