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10 Points to consider before buying Property in auction

You can save a lot of money by buying a property in the auction. The property sold in the auction is generally 20-30% cheaper than the market cost. If you’re looking to buy your first home, therefore, Property Auctioneers are a great place to look if you’re struggling to buy at market value.

Navigating the property auction landscape requires a keen understanding of property auction finance. Potential buyers should proactively explore financing solutions tailored to the unique demands of auction transactions, ensuring they have the financial flexibility to seize opportunities and successfully acquire their desired assets. With careful consideration of property auction finance, participants can position themselves strategically in the competitive bidding environment.

Recently I attended a bank property auction along with my friend. It was indeed a very good experience. I was surprised that the property was sold at 40% lower than the market rate.

Many investors and property buyers get lured by the reduction in the property price and they blindly purchased the property in the auction without understanding the pitfall. I am not saying that you should not purchase property in the auction. However, you should be cautious before purchasing property in the auction.

If you are planning to purchase property in the auction this post is for you. In this post, I will explain the property auction process and also discuss points to consider before buying property in the auction.

Also Read – 10 point checklist before buying property

property auction

What is a property auction?

Property auction is the public sale of property, generally organized by the bank. A Property sold in the auction is repossessed property. When people default on paying home loan EMI three times or above bank can auction the property to recover the home loan money.

How does a property auction work?

  • Property auction is a simple process where the bank first set a minimum reserve price for the property.
  • Every participant (the bidder) needs to give EMD (Earnest Money Deposit). EMD is returned back if the property is not sold to you.
  • A bid is accepted by every bidder. This bid will be either in seal envelope or spot open bidding.
  • The property is sold to the highest bidder in the auction. If you win the bid you have to pay 25% of your bid amount to confirm the deal.

10 Points to Consider Before Buying Property in Auction

#1 Legal Disputes

Properties sold in the auction are disputed properties. Bank sells the property on “as is” basis. No legal information about the property is available. Bank does not provide access to any property documents. So, there are chances that the Title of the property is not clear and the property has been sold to the property owner more than once.

Bank does not take responsibility for any legal disputes that arise once the property is sold via auction. You need to be ready to fight a legal battle in court on your own.

#2 No factual information

The information available for the property is very limited and may not be based on fact. It is risky to purchase the property in the absence of factual information. I have come across instances where the bidder realized afterward that heavy property tax was unpaid. A bidder had no choice but to clear the dues.

Also Read – 10 mistake to avoid while making Rent Agreement 

#3 Uncertainty about No dues

You cannot ascertain that all pending dues of the property are paid by the property owner. A person who can default on EMI can default on other things also. In many cases, it is seen that utility bills, society dues, or maintenance costs are not paid for several months.

#4 No Black Money

In a property auction, you need to pay the entire money in white only. As you are directly dealing with a bank you cannot expect the bank to accept black money. You need to consider this point before buying property in the auction.

#5 No Home Loan

You cannot get a home loan on the auction property. The reason for not giving a home loan is (1) Disputed property (2) Already mortgage and NPA for the bank.

#6 Confirming party

The original borrower or defaulter should become the confirming party in your sale agreement/deed. This is to ensure that in the future he/she should not file a case in court to cancel the auction.

#7 The minimum reserve price of the property

The Minimum reserve price of the property is very important in the property auction. You should survey the market and satisfy yourself with the price of the property. The minimum reserve price should be at least 20% lower than the market price.

#8 Repairs in property

Before participating in a bid you should actually visit the property to find out the repair cost associated with the property. Check for leakage and other maintenance costs.

Also Read – RERA Act – 10 Key Feature you should know 

#9 Other costs

Look for other costs such as registration of property, stamp duty, society transfer fees, the cost of moving into a property, etc.

#10 Legal Help

You may need to involve an advocate or sought for legal help for the disputed property.

Where to look for property in the auction?

You can find detail about property auctions at the following places.

Conclusion –

You are likely to get the property at a cheaper rate in the bank auction. However, there are multiple issues and pitfalls associated with the property auction. So you need to be cautious before buying property in the auction.

Shitanshu Kapadia
Shitanshu Kapadiahttp://moneyexcel.com/
Hi, I am Shitanshu founder of moneyexcel.com. I am engaged in blogging & Digital Marketing for 10 years. The purpose of this blog is to share my experience, knowledge and help people in managing money.