“How do you screen foreclosure deals when so much information is unknown?”

[Robert Street]

When looking at foreclosure or sheriff-sale deals, I’ve found that the biggest challenge isn’t finding opportunities — it’s deciding which ones are actually worth the risk.

With limited or no interior access, unclear occupancy, and incomplete lien info, I’ve been focusing more on early screening rather than trying to force numbers.

Some things I’ve been paying closer attention to:
• Clear case posture (judgment entered, lender type)
• Simpler defendant stacks vs complex ones
• ARV ranges instead of single comp-driven numbers
• Assuming worst-case rehab unless proven otherwise
• Treating unknowns as real costs, not rounding errors

I’m curious how others here approach early-stage foreclosure analysis:
What usually makes you pass quickly versus dig deeper on a sheriff-sale deal?