My first real estate deal was in Alief, Texas.
Back in, I think around the 1986-87 real estate, oil crisis "bust combo"
A three year old US Home condo, yeah I remember on Turtlewood Court, originally worth about $40,000 and the real estate agent begged me to "put in an offer". I told her $9500 just to get rid of her, she called me the next day and told me the "oil-field relocation services company" that owned the condo accepted my insane offer. Yikes!
I didn't have 10k, so I learned fast how to "scramble for dollars"!
Thank you Houston, Texas (suburb, Alief, TX) for my 1st real estate transaction.
The Houston economy was so bad, I talked a local bank (who was a client of mine) into making me this very small loan and I would put up the condo as collateral. They made an exception for me (I guess because I was their group health insurance agent, and I bought the VP lunch? LOL!) for such a small amount
They did the loan for me, and within 6 months, the bank was out of of business and then I was making payments, I think to the FDIC, until I sold the property a few years later!
I can only imagine the "wild swings" in Houston real estate since 1987.
If those Houston REOs are not selling at listed pricing, "keep pounding" those banks with much lower offers!
Good luck!
Bob