Everyone is looking for a foreclosure “deal” these days – and there’s lots to choose from these days, but be careful… just because a property is in foreclosure, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a “deal”. In fact, nowadays, it takes more time to sift through the leads to find the really good opportunities within the foreclosure market.

The more potential foreclosure properties you have to sift through, the higher your chances are for finding a deal.

The top 5 ways to finding foreclosures are:

1. Bandit Signs
Bandit signs are plain white or yellow corrugated signs with metal stands that stick into the ground. You can find preprinted signs or you can buy plain signs and handwrite your message on the signs. Place them on corners of busy intersections or in neighborhoods in which you want to purchase a foreclosure home.

2. Foreclosure Listing Services
There is no shortage of foreclosure listing services available on the Internet. Make sure to do some homework before subscribing, however as the quality of each service can vary greatly. Find out where they get their information, how frequently the data is added, and when/if they clean out or update existing data so that you’re not wasting time or money on old leads or false information.

3. Realtors®
Realtors® often have access to foreclosure deals well before the homeowner has even started the formal foreclosure process with the bank. When selecting an agent to work with, make sure that he/she knows the foreclosure process, how to negotiate with the banks,

4. Courthouse
If you’re feeling ambitious, consider going down to the courthouse and looking up the foreclosure records. You will be able to access all of the lien information, assessed value, etc. The attorney handling the case on behalf of the bank will be listed as well. You will be looking for “Notices of Default” or the “Lis Pendens” records. If it’s your first time going to the courthouse, ask the clerks or the employees that are working there to point you in the right direction and use their knowledge to learn more about the foreclosure process.

5. Loss Mitigation Specialists
You may or may not have hear of a loss mitigation specialist. A loss mitigation specialist’s goal is to help the homeowner stay in the home and work out their situation with the bank. Many times, they are able to work with the bank on behalf of the homeowner. However, there are also many instances where the seller’s situation doesn’t allow him/her to work anything out with the bank (i.e. divorce, job loss, illness, etc.). Often, these same sellers find themselves facing foreclosure several months later or are simply unable to work something out with the lender, thus need someone to come in and buy the home outright or negotiate a short sale with the bank.

These are the 5 easiest ways that you can find foreclosure deals. If you are truly looking to get your hands on a great deal for yourself, or if you are an investor looking to make a business out of foreclosures and short sales, it’s important to use as many of these techniques – and more – to find motivated foreclosure sellers.