Hundreds of thousands of homes in the US are now labeled as “zombie” foreclosures. That's when the owner of a foreclosed home leaves only to find out years later that he or she still legally owns the home and is on the hook for property taxes and other fees. Such cases occur in more than a third of foreclosures, industry figures show.
Although it's hard to quantify exactly how many homes fall into the category, real estate information company RealtyTrac says that, in the first three months of the year, roughly 302,000 homes qualified as “zombie” properties because the owner has moved out, but the bank has not yet taken possession.
The Buy and Hold methodology, as it is applicable to property, is and always has been the cause for making more millionaires than any other method. The main reason is really because it lets you develop equity through appreciation over a period of time. There are numerous short-term techniques like lease-options, wholesaling, and flipping that can create some cash, but in no way will it improve your long-term net worth.
The housing market may be coming back, but a growing number of policy makers have expressed concerns recently that it’s still too hard to get a mortgage.