Newbie intro question — foreclosure on MLS for over 200 days?

[Auralee Smith]

Hey there everyone,

I’m Auralee, a complete newbie, haven't done any deals yet and am just beginning to check out MLS listings to get a feel for them. I’m still trying to pin down a niche. Full disclosure, I've been unemployed for a while, but recently found a job and am slated to start in a couple of weeks. I'm a teacher so the job isn't high paying, and I have no savings. Gosh, that's hard to write. But that's why I'm going into REI. This working for money thing just isn't working out.

I saw a listing for a foreclosure for very little money, but think there must be some catch to it. It’s been listed for over 200 days. I’m hoping someone can point me in the direction of what may be going on with the property and what to look out for. How do I check if there are liens, or anything else happening with it?

Thanks so much for your help!

[Michael Dumler]

@Auralee Smith liens are a matter of public record, you would need to search the county clerk's office website. Each county has a different system setup but it all should be somewhat straight forward. You'll need the address of the property to access records, in which you should see a section for liens. If that fails, you can always call the clerk's office to guide you through and help out.