How to Get Real Estate Owned Listings From Countrywide

REO properties offer value to home buyers.

Countrywide Funding was once the largest mortgage lender in the United States. In 2008, the company experienced financial difficulty and was acquired by Bank of America. The combined company boasts one of the largest inventories of real-estate owned (REO) properties available to home buyers, with thousands of properties available from coast to coast. Getting Countrywide real-estate owned listings doesn't require the payment of a fee or special subscriptions. The information is available to anyone with Internet access.

Instructions

1. Access Bank of America's "Find a Bank-Owned Property" page from Bank of America's home page by selecting "Mortgage" under "Products and Services" and then selecting "Real Estate Center."

2. Enter your search criteria into the form. Start your search at a high level, such as city or state to ensure that you don't miss properties that might meet your needs. Enter more specific search criteria after the initial properties are displayed.

3. Click "View More Details" to see comprehensive information about a property. Click the "Driving Directions" tab on the detailed information page to identify the location of the property.

4. Click "Request More Information" to contact the real estate agent responsible for the listing you are interested in. You'll be asked to complete a short form that will be emailed to the agent. Write down the agent's phone number in case he doesn't reply.

5. Click "Back to Results" from any property detail screen to return to your primary search. Click "Modify Search" from the list of properties to change the search criteria.

Tips & Warnings

• Registering on the site will allow you to save searches and establish criteria for automatic notification as new properties become available. Click "Registration" under "Tools and Resources" to begin the registration process. Provide the information requested. Once registered, save searches for future visits.

• All Countrywide and Bank of America real-estate owned listings are listed with licensed real-estate agents, so the listings may also appear on other real-estate related websites.

• Buying REO properties can be complicated. Consult with an attorney and a real-estate specialist for additional assistance.

Resources

• Bank of America: Home Page