Question:   Can you buy homes below market?

Answer:   While a typical buyer may look at five to 10 homes before making an offer, an investor who makes bargain buys usually goes through many more. Most experts agree it takes a lot of determination to find a real "bargain." There are a number of ways to buy a bargain property:

• Buy a fixer-upper in a transitional neighborhood, improve it and keep it or resell at a higher price.
• Buy a foreclosure property (after doing your research carefully).
• Buy a house due to be torn down and move it to a new lot.
• Buy a partial interest in a piece of real estate, such as part of a tenants-in-common partnership.
• Buy a leftover house in a new-home development.