My Question is in regards to foreclosure property listing (homes,
business etc) owned by banks and government and others in USA(more
specifically California).

For example, if I type in "foreclosure listing database" in google.  A
response comes back with different websites that offer these type of
listings of homes, businesses etc.  One of the website listed happens
to be of "www.Realtytrac.com".  On Realtytrac.com you can view the
listing of all the homes that are owned by Government and banks.

How does Realtytrac get that information?  I'm assuming that this
information can be obtain free from the City or state.

If obtain by Government or banks.  Is it possible to query government
or banks database to download this listing to my own website?

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 30 Apr 2005 20:07 PDT

denypat-ga,

I have looked into foreclosure listings for quite a while now, and I
believe that the site you mentioned -- Realtytrac.com -- is certainly
one of the best commercial services available for this sort of
information.

You are right that the information is ultimately publicly available. 
However, there is no single pubic source for the information. 
Instead, companies like Realtytrac compile foreclosure information
from hundreds (thousands?) of discrete sources around the country --
county courthouses, sheriff postings, newspaper announcements, bank
announcements, state and federal government offices, and so on.

Some -- but certainly not all -- the information is available from online sources.

For instance, here is one of the banks that specializes in distressed
properties, and that makes pending foreclosure information for the
properties it handles available on its website:


http://www.ocwen.com/reo/reofindbystate.cfm


As you can see, it is a simple matter to pull up the listings for
California properties.


There are probably about five to ten such sources of information
online that can provide information about foreclosure and
pre-foreclosure properties in California.  They will give you a good
-- but not comprehensive -- picture.  For that, you have to visit
individual courthouses, etc.

Let me know if I should post the sites I'm aware of as an answer to
your question...and all the best in your ventures.


pafalafa-ga

---

Clarification of Question by denypat-ga on 01 May 2005 00:00 PDT

Hi Pafalfa-ga,

Can you please post those sites?  Also, to get a listing of
Foreclosure properties, one must go to the courthouse???  I don't
quite follow this.  For example, if I'd like a listing of foreclosure
properties that has been in the market for last 15 days in California,
county of Alameda.  Which courthouse should I visit to get such
information.

Once again, thank you for your assistance.