The consumer seems to thing that if he goes to the auction for a foreclosure at the court house, he may get a good deal.  This is hardly ever the case.

I attend them about once a month if I know something interesting is up for foreclosure. At these auctions there are usually only two to four people plus the auctioneer.  I go just to observe.  I've discovered that if you want to know FOR SURE whether it was foreclosed, you need to be there.

I have also made money by going to the foreclosure sales.  Once I met a man who was there and we were both mistaken as to what was up for auction.  We thought it was a big house and it was just 5 acres adjoining the big house.

We struck up a friendship and when the 5 acres was sent to me to market, he bought it.  Then, believe-it-or-not, the big house came up for foreclosure and that was sent to me to market also.  He bought it too!

And he had a house in town that he had to sell.  I listed it and it sold quickly.  So I'd say that attending that auction was one of the better things that I did for my career that month.

Try it!