While foreclosures have (finally) fallen to a 20-year low, thanks to a stronger labor market and better interest rates, the U.S. housing market has certainly had its share of rough spots over the past decade. At the height of the housing crisis in 2008, foreclosures spiked a staggering 81% and more than 860,000 families lost their homes. It’s taken a long time to recover from that. Truth be told, if you’re wondering how to find bank owned properties, there are plenty on the market today.

There are a number of reasons you may be curious about how to find out if a house is in foreclosure. For instance, you might hunt for an investment property that’s going for below market value. Or perhaps it’s in your best interest to figure out if the house next door is now a foreclosure, which could bring down your home value.

When Riley Adams and his parents began their house hunt in New Orleans in 2012, they came across a number of high-priced condos that were well above their price range. They were afraid they wouldn’t find something within their budget. At that point, the question of how to buy a foreclosed home had yet to even cross their minds.