Mortgage rates are at historically low levels, with low home values creating record levels of housing affordability. Is now the time to invest in a home, a home that is currently underwater or foreclosed upon? Will the bad luck that has befallen the current owner of that property be transferred to you, the new owner?

According to Zillow Real Estate Market Reports, foreclosure re-sales made up 19.1 percent of all sales, up from 17.4 percent in September, 2011 and home values decreased another 4.7 percent annually. Their year-end numbers further showed that a staggering 28.6 percent of U.S. homes were underwater.

Buying a distressed property can be somewhat of a concern when you consider the Feng Shui principles of prosperity and abundance are so closely linked to your home. Under normal circumstances this would not be the ideal way to buy a home as it is filled with the flow of a negative financial disaster. But with so many bargain home-buying opportunities available, you may not want to pass this up. Here are ways to successfully purchase a foreclosed or underwater home without negatively affecting your own prosperity.

Things to Avoid When Purchasing a Distressed House

When buying any home always begin your evaluation outside. It’s not just about curb appeal of the house but the neighborhood, too. With so many distressed houses on the market, it is possible that a whole neighborhood might be distressed – not just one out of every seven homes. The more houses under distress, the more careful you need to be when evaluating.

Check to see if other owners continue to maintain their properties. If yes, this is an encouraging sign for you to further explore houses in that neighborhood. The better maintained the other homes are, the better the prosperity energy is for everyone on the street.

The front entrance is critical to future prosperity. Take a good look at the way the property lines up with the street. Avoid property that is at the end of a cul-de-sac or a T street intersection. Is it constantly bombarded with the negative energy of on-coming traffic day and night which can cause financial loss, poor health and divert prosperity? This can be remedied by planting a hedge or trees in the front of the house but with so many properties on the market, it’s better to purchase a house with fewer or no such negatives.

Is the landscaping leading up to the front door in good condition or can it be remedied with new or revived plants? Doing so can bring good luck and new life into the home. The front door should also be in good repair and when you open it, check to see if a large window or an exterior door is directly opposite. Either can provide prosperity draining energy but can also be remedied. For example, if prosperity energy can fly directly out the back of the house, the placement of furniture, a round rug or a ceiling light fixture with a hanging crystal can keep positive energy flowing throughout.

Avoid houses with missing sections and frequent owners. Feng Shui principles provide special values to various sections of a home. If it is missing either the northwest (helpful people father energy that supports a family), south (good luck) or southeast (income, prosperity and wealth) section beware. For example, if an L-shaped house with the front door on the bottom of the “L” is facing north, it will be missing areas in the south, southwest and west. In this case, it is missing all the good luck and good fortune energy a home needs to be financially prosperous. This is a more difficult prosperity handicap to overcome.

If the house has fallen victim to frequent or serial ownership as the result of health issues, financial problems, family breakups, or bankruptcy, it’s best to pass on such properties.

Things to Do After Purchasing a Distressed Property

Renovate on the inside. Save enough money when purchasing to renovate the property to create a new flow of prosperity energy. The more you can renovate the better the shift of the energy from the old stagnant underwater or foreclosed energy to the new prosperity energy you desire. Apply fresh paint throughout, and if possible, update the kitchen or bathroom or lay new flooring, all go a long way to counter any residue problems from a distressed property.

Invigorate outside. It is very important to get the fresh new energy from the outside of your home to reach and enter through your front door so it can invigorate your prosperity. Eliminate any dead or overgrown plantings to bring fresh new life into your home. Carefully choose colorful new plantings that bring life to the front of your home, creating that desirable curb appeal that encourages prosperity energy. Also eliminate or severely prune overgrown plantings and trees so that fresh sunshine and light can enter your home.

Whether you are a first-time homebuyer taking advantage of distressed value housing or a veteran of many purchases, the rules are the same. Purchasing decisions should never be based just on price but rather the prosperity value the home provides you.

© Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2012

Author's Bio: 

Pat Heydlauff speaks from experience. She designs personal and office environments that promote work/life balance and increase prosperity. She is the author of Feng Shui, So Easy a Child Can Do It, and Selling Your Home with a Competitive Edge. She can be reached at 561-799-3443 or www.energy-by-design.com. Also visit her strictly business site www.engagetolead.com.