Foreclosure Cleanouts:
A Treasure Trove

We live in an odd world, today. In a bustling city like Pittsburgh, PA, junk cleanout would seem be the last thing on people’s minds as they deal with inflation and pandemic concerns. But what if you could earn some reasonably good money from junk salvage to offset some of your recent higher or unforeseen expenses? Before you balk at the idea, give some thought to what a few extra hundred (or thousand) dollars could do for your household lifestyle

Financial Woes in Modern Times

Let’s give some consideration to what’s happening in the housing market. As a country, we’ve just seen some of the darker times in our nation’s history. The COVID-19 pandemic took a major toll on household economics across America. As a means of stemming the tide of economic failure for the average family, banks placed many mortgage loans in forbearance. It seemed like a way of helping people keep their homes due to income losses during the pandemic. But in actuality, the interest charged on those loans continued to accrue while no payments were being made.

Consequently, now that the forbearance period is ending, many households are faced with paying significantly more than anticipated. And banks are under no obligation to extend a grace period. For homeowners with less than 20% equity who carry mortgage insurance, banks are salivating. If the homeowner can’t pay the bill, mortgage insurance pays the bank the overdue loan balance. And the home goes into foreclosure. Essentially, this gives the bank an opportunity to have their cake and eat it, too.

One Person’s Junk is Another One’s Treasure

When a home is foreclosed on, there’s usually a lot of junk left behind. People don’t move their trash. Often times, the displaced family also leaves valuable furnishings as well. They’re usually forced into someplace less expensive and smaller, and they simply leave many of their belongings behind. It’s unfortunate. But it’s real.

Be the Person in the Middle

Banks don’t want the hassle of dealing with people’s “stuff”. Therein lies an opportunity for you as a sideline venture or business. You didn’t create the problem, but you can be part of the solution. In many cases, banks will allow salvage businesses the opportunity to reclaim furnishings left behind. They’re often happy to let someone take the belongings as long as they don’t have to pay for the removal. It sounds like a win-win, because if you arrange for the removal, the auction and consignment markets are standing-by for new inventory to sell. Both antiques and contemporary pieces can bring in a decent amount of sales income in the process.

Be Guilt-Free

There is nothing to smile about when a family loses their home. It’s terribly disheartening and sad. It really doesn’t matter if it happened because of rigid financial policies enforced by “the establishment”, if it was due to financial negligence on the homeowner’s part, or if it was the result of a personal setback like job loss, medical situation, etc. The fact that a family suffered a financial hardship resulting in the loss of their home is truly a tragic situation. So, we’re not suggesting that it’s an opportunity to celebrate. Quite the opposite, it poses a sobering time to reflect on the unfairness of reality.

You must remember, you had absolutely nothing to do with causing the circumstances. Likewise, being resourceful in recognizing the potential opportunity to prosper from it does not condone foreclosures or create a higher demand for them. This is purely an instance of positioning yourself to be in the right place, at the right time. After the building has been repossessed by the bank, the bank typically hires a company to clean it out. That means the bank usually pays money they’d prefer not to pay, to get a job done that they’d prefer not to do.

A Bittersweet Opportunity to Prosper

What about YOU cleaning out the junk that no one wants? That’s easy. Talk to the bank about doing the work free-of-charge. In exchange for you cleaning out the premises, they agree that you can dispose of (or keep) whatever junk is removed from the property.

Work out an arrangement with a local moving company that offers junk removal services, like Get Movin’ and Storage. It’s a win-win. The moving company can relocate the “good” stuff to you, so you can sell it or repurpose it. And the moving company can collect and dispose of the unwanted junk as part of the foreclosure cleanout. If you play your cards right, you can pay the moving and junk removal company from the proceeds of your auction and consignment sales, keeping the remaining profits to improve your own household’s financial picture.

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