Foreclosure & REO · Tampa Bay, Florida

Bank-owned assets,moved with discipline.

A single point of contact for asset managers and servicers who need Tampa Bay REO secured, valued, and sold — and for investors who want distressed inventory in front of them before it hits the open market.

Asset managers & servicers Investors & cash buyers
BrokerageNicolas A. Scaron PLLC · The Lion Den Group at LPT Realty
BackgroundU.S. Navy EOD veteran · Bilingual English / Spanish
CoverageHillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco & surrounding counties

Two sides of the same desk

Who this page is for

REO sits where institutional requirements meet local execution. One side needs the asset protected and reported on. The other side needs the deal before everyone else sees it. Both are handled here.

For asset managers & servicers

Assign it once. Stop chasing it.

Occupancy status, property condition, valuation, and disposition handled under one point of contact, with the documentation your file and your audit trail require.

  • Initial occupancy check and property condition report with date-stamped photo documentation
  • Broker Price Opinions — interior and exterior — with repair estimates and as-is / repaired value
  • Cash-for-keys negotiation, relocation-assistance tracking, and eviction / lockout coordination
  • Securing and preservation: re-key, board-up, trash-out, lawn, pool, winterization
  • Utility activation, code-violation and HOA-lien research, municipal registration
  • Written status reporting on your cadence — weekly, bi-weekly, or by milestone
Request my coverage sheet Call or text (813) 215-3535

For investors & cash buyers

See the distressed deals first.

Foreclosure, short sale, auction takeback, and bank-owned inventory across Tampa Bay — filtered to your buy box instead of dumped in your inbox.

  • First-look notice on distressed listings as they come to market
  • Matching against your buy box: county, price band, unit count, condition tolerance
  • Rent comps, repair-budget ballpark, and cap-rate math before you write the offer
  • 2–4 unit small multifamily focus, plus single-family flip and hold candidates
  • Straight answers on financing an as-is property — cash, hard money, 203(k), conventional
  • Contractor, inspector, and property-manager introductions once you're under contract
Submit your buy box Call or text (813) 215-3535

Assignment lifecycle

What happens after you assign the file

Every REO file runs the same sequence. You always know which step the asset is on and what the next action is.

01

Assignment accepted & first inspection

Drive-by or interior inspection, occupancy determination, and a photo-documented condition report uploaded to your platform.

Target: 24-48 hours from assignment
02

Occupancy resolution

If occupied: contact attempt, cash-for-keys offer within your authorized range, signed agreement, and verified vacancy. If the file moves to eviction, coordination with your counsel and the Sheriff's Office through lockout.

03

Secure, preserve, and value

Re-key, secure, and initiate preservation work; utilities activated for inspection access; BPO submitted with as-is value, repaired value, itemized repair estimate, and a recommended list price with supporting comparables.

BPO target: 72 hours from vacancy
04

List and market

MLS listing with professional photography, floor plan, and 3D tour where the asset supports it; direct circulation to the local investor buyer list; and offer submission in your required format with net-sheet analysis.

05

Contract to close

Inspection and appraisal coordination, addenda compliance, title and lien clearance follow-up, buyer-lender tracking, and a closing package returned to your file. Status reporting continues until funds disburse.

Capabilities

Services provided

Asset preservation

Re-key and secure, board-up, debris and personal-property removal, lawn and pool service, winterization, and recurring condition checks - with before-and-after photo documentation on every visit and bids submitted for approval before work is authorized.

Valuation & BPOs

Interior and exterior Broker Price Opinions with as-is and repaired values, itemized repair estimates, neighborhood and market-trend commentary, and comparables selected to survive review. Turnaround built around your due date, not mine.

Occupancy & field operations

Occupancy verification, tenant and former-owner contact, cash-for-keys negotiation and documentation, relocation assistance disbursement tracking, eviction and lockout coordination, and trip-charge-free re-inspection.

Disposition & marketing

Pricing strategy, as-is or repaired listing recommendations, full MLS syndication with drone photography and 3D tour, direct investor circulation, offer management with net-sheet analysis, and reporting through closing.

Coverage & intake

Where I take assignments

Tampa Bay and the surrounding corridor - close enough to inspect same-day, not so wide that a property sits unchecked.

Hillsborough Pinellas Pasco Polk Manatee Hernando Sarasota
Asset types

Single-family, condominium and townhome, 2-4 unit residential, and vacant residential land.

Onboarding

W-9, E&O and general liability certificates, brokerage license verification, background check, and platform-specific vendor onboarding completed on request.

Compliance

Fair housing, Florida disclosure requirements, and client-specific marketing and reporting protocols followed without exception.

Investor access

Tell me your buy box. I'll bring you the deals that fit it.

Distressed inventory moves fast and most of it never gets a second weekend. The investors who win here are the ones already on a list when it hits.

Investor buy box

No spam, no drip blast. You hear from me when something matches what you just described.

Distressed doesn't mean discounted Bank-owned pricing is set by BPO and days on market, not by hardship. The edge is being early and underwriting fast - not lowballing.
As-is has rules Most REO sells as-is with the seller's addendum controlling. You keep your inspection period; you don't usually get repairs. Knowing which line items the servicer will actually credit is where the money is.
Small multifamily is the play here Tampa Bay 2-4 unit product is where an investor can still finance residentially and rent commercially. It's also what I buy personally, so the underwriting conversation is a real one.
Bilingual representation Full representation in English or Spanish, including for Latin American buyers purchasing from outside the U.S.

Common questions

Foreclosure & REO, answered plainly

What does REO actually mean?

Real Estate Owned. When a foreclosure auction ends without a third-party buyer, the property reverts to the lender or servicer, who now owns it outright. At that point it becomes a non-performing asset on their books, and their job is to secure it, value it, and sell it. That's the file I take.

How is an REO different from a short sale or a pre-foreclosure?

A pre-foreclosure or short sale is still owned by the homeowner, so the lender only has to approve the payoff - which is why those deals take months and fall apart often. An REO is owned by the lender. There is one decision-maker, the title is usually cleared, and timelines are far more predictable.

Are REO properties always sold as-is?

Almost always. The seller's addendum typically overrides the standard contract, repairs are rare, and the seller usually has no disclosure history because they never lived there. You still get your inspection period - use it, and budget for what it finds.

Can I buy a foreclosure with a regular mortgage?

Often yes, if the property is financeable - meaning working systems, no missing HVAC or plumbing, and an intact roof. When it isn't, the path is cash, hard money, or a renovation loan such as FHA 203(k) or Fannie Mae HomeStyle, which finances purchase and repairs together. Which lane you're in changes which listings you should even be looking at.

Do lowball offers work on bank-owned property?

Rarely at first. The servicer prices against a BPO and reports to an investor, so an offer far below that number usually gets no counter at all. Discounts come from days on market, price reductions, and being the clean, fast, well-documented offer when one falls through - not from the opening number.

I'm an asset manager. How do I get you onboarded?

Send your vendor packet and I'll return W-9, E&O and general liability certificates, license verification, and any platform-specific requirements. Tell me your reporting cadence and required formats and I'll work to them from the first file.

What about a homeowner who is behind on payments?

If you're facing foreclosure, you likely have more options than you've been told - reinstatement, loan modification, a sale with enough equity to walk away clean, or a short sale. What closes the door is waiting. A conversation costs nothing and is confidential.

Let's talk

Discipline, documentation, disposition.

Whether you're placing an asset or looking for one, start with a direct conversation - not a form letter.

Email the REO desk Call or text (813) 215-3535
Office 503 E. Jackson St., Suite 257
Tampa, FL 33602

Nicolas A. Scaron PLLC · The Lion Den Group, powered by LPT Realty · Licensed real estate broker associate in the State of Florida. Equal Housing Opportunity. This page is for informational purposes and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. If you are facing foreclosure, consult a licensed attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor about your options.