First of all, it is true that you make your profit by buying cheap. We won't argue that this is a great time to buy. Prices are way low. Don't forget that you are still parking your money. You have payments of taxes and insurance even if you pay cash for the home. Plus you don't get paid big until you re-sell it.
Secondly, if you're going to lease it, take an alkaseltzer now. When you consider that there are a ton of rentals, and that many landlords don't care about profit... profit just isn't there anymore.
Third, rentals are more competitive for other reasons. Folks that would have sold have given up and decided to rent. These folks just want to stop or limit the bleeding.
Reason number four. You don't know about hidden imperfections. Flaws that will later cost you big money. Here's a real life example: One of my clients moved in before closing, after having inspection items addresssed. Oh thank goodness! The client is still leasing the property. However, the settlement won't happen. The home was built with the back left corner at 6 inches lower than the rest of the home. You can literally roll a marble from the front door and it will go down the hall and take a hard left through the kitchen into the back corner. The contractor had to have know about this. The framing was shimmed to make the upper level true. The home can't be jacked up. That will only push the level problem up a floor.
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Source: http://joeypetersen.articlealley.com/how-to-buy-foreclosures-tomorrowor-sooner-1457438.html