I've been on the market for a home for the last 3 months. It's been tough, and haven't had any luck. My agent only uses MLS as her only source to viewing property. After a little research I found that there are many ways to buying property. For example, Preforeclosure, Foreclosure, auctions, REOs, MLS. I was quite surprised. Every time we view a property on MLS it's snatched up within a few days.

So my question is, can someone point me at the right direction to a free website where I can view some homes outside MLS. Maybe some strategies to buying a home at an auction? I appreciate the help.

Wow, I'd heard the housing market was picking up a bit, but not like that...where are you looking?

Redfin.com is a good place to look at properties, but I think it only uses MLS listings. Maybe Zillow.com...

Find a different agent who has access to different resources. Also, educate yourself as to the pros & cons of buying distressed property.

I would use RedFin most of the time to search. It's not a matter of things going off the market too fast, it's just that you might not be ready to offer a high enough price with just a glance of the target property. It happens to me as well. Being a deal hunter on BargainShare, I got use to sit back and think and calculate. Most of the cases? People just bring in briefcases of case and natch the place.

She's probably dealing exclusively with the mls because that is where she is guaranteed a commission (unless you are paying her commission? In that case either make your wishes known to her to expand her horizons or terminate her contract because she needs a broader base.) You may have to be a bit proactive and search zillow, craigslist (seriously) and your local FSBO websites. She also may not be very fluent with all the nuances of a short sale or foreclosure. And, I'm not sure I'd encourage you to go that route if your market is that hot. If the workout desk is crammed and you are not a cash customer, you may not be very successful in the foreclosure market. And, if your market is that hot, short-sales will probably be few and far between.

I don't know what the length of time contract to close is in your area, but you have until the end of November to qualify for the $8K if you are a first time buyer and meet the income guidelines.

The big question in my mind is whether or not prices fall (more than $8K) and markets tank in December, or whether the action continues?

Wmspringer my market never went below a neutral market and is back to a (weak) seller's market with under 5 months supply. (A seller's market is under 5 months supply, a buyer's market is over 7 months supply. A true neutral market is exactly a six month supply of houses, but most people use the term to describe a 5-7 month supply.) Closed sales were up in April (15%) and pending were up in June (29%) over 2008 figures. Newer figures will be out next week but I expect them to be even higher. We're a cheap market and entry level housing is very attainable. The $8K is just a bonus.

I'm in Southern Cali, L.A. area and the areas I'm looking at are definitely hot. I agree, people are bring suit cases of cash and snatching properties left and right. Let me give you an example of how certain areas are on fire. There was a REO home in Downey, CA, (on MLS) and the asking price was $285K, it was below it's estimate value. Good condition, with minor work. Knowing this, we placed a bid of $317K! And we still didn't get the dam house. Someone else placed a higher offer.

As you mentioned AMS, I think the 8K might cause properties to fall below 8K. Another thing, most of these buyers have money saved. You need @ least 10K in cash if your serious about buying a home. So it leaves me wondering, how much longer and this market rebound last? If easy financing is not around, I just don't see this being sustained.

I found this site: http://www.emailforeclosures.com

Realtytrac looks good but charges too much!