How I'm Approaching Distressed Property Deals in Today’s Market

[Anwar Akobir]

I've been studying the distressed real estate space more deeply over the past few months, and I wanted to share a few insights that might help others in a similar phase.

With rising interest rates and market uncertainty, distressed properties — especially pre-foreclosures and tax lien opportunities — are popping up more frequently in markets that used to be extremely competitive.

My current approach combines three elements:

1. Local network building – I'm trying to stay in touch with wholesalers, probate attorneys, and code enforcement officers in my target counties.

2. Analyzing exit strategies per market – Not every distressed property makes sense for flipping. In some cases, a creative financing or subject-to structure works better.

3. Data-first research – I'm spending more time analyzing lead quality before making contact.

For anyone else diving into this niche, I found this site to be a useful resource. It curates public auction and distressed property data across different states and gives you filters to narrow down deals by type and location. Not an ad — just something I personally bookmarked and use when browsing lead sources.

Would love to hear how others are sourcing and filtering deals in today's climate. Are you focusing more on off-market, or MLS distressed listings?