He visited the local courthouse to find the Notice of Sale .

He discovered a major national bank held the deed, meaning it was now REO (Real Estate Owned) . Phase 2: The Gatekeepers

Marcus hired his own agent—one experienced in distressed sales . This person would handle the aggressive paperwork and ensure Marcus didn't buy a house with hidden tax liens.

If it’s bank-owned, these corporate employees make the final call on his offer.

The document listed a "Trustee"—the third party handling the auction.

📍 You don't contact the old owner. You contact an REO specialist agent or a Trustee , depending on whether the house is headed to auction or sitting on a bank's books. If you’d like to start your own search, tell me: What city or county are you looking in? Do you have a pre-approval letter or cash ready?

If the home had an FHA loan, he had to go through the HUD Home Store website.

To find his way inside, Marcus had to navigate three distinct gates. Phase 1: The Paper Trail