Texas is filled with big spenders and big winners, as well as big losers. The recent real-estate boom in Texas is currently experiencing its inevitable crash. The people who, a few years back, bit off more than they could chew, are flooding the Texas real estate market with huge bargains. Texas foreclosure sales are as abundant as ever, and now is the true real estate boom for those looking for an incredible real estate deal.

Foreclosure occurs when a home or landowner fails to re-pay their loans. This happens for a number of reasons, and happens most often in places of great wealth such as Texas. When an oil billionaire spends millions of dollars on a ranch, and finds his well has run dry, that same ranch might be sold for a fraction of its value to someone keeping a step ahead of the game. White-collar criminals, tax evaders and the oil-rich make excellent targets for foreclosure sales. Just a little sloppy bookkeeping and some of Texas' greatest pieces of property are auctioned off at incredibly cheap prices.

Because the lenders are the sellers in the case of foreclosure sales, the prices can remain very low. It is always in the best interest of the lenders to get this property off of their hands as quickly as possible, and with as little effort. Foreclosure homes will have no brand new rollout sod, no fresh flowers on the table or smell of baking cookies, nor does the buyer have to pay for these superficial perks. Foreclosure homes are sold as the buyer left them, which is partly why they are able to be sold for so little. Banks are good at lending money, but want nothing to do with the real estate market; they'll leave that part to you.

It is not a coincidence, though, that when one rich and well-connected Texan loses a property, another rich and well-connected Texan gains a property. These foreclosure auctions are kept highly secretive, and are attended by an elite few. Real estate moguls and intelligent entrepreneurs hire lawyers and full-time staff to research foreclosures, and have excellent ways of finding it. It is only recently that businesses have made this type of information available to the general public at affordable prices.

Even though foreclosure auctions are technically and legally required to be made public, too many loopholes make these notification laws something of a joke. Public notices are mysteriously lost or appear mere hours before the auction takes place. There was a time when it was not uncommon for there to be only one "bidder" at a Texas foreclosure real estate auction, and the price long set. Thanks to recent foreclosure exposure, these underhanded deals are not nearly as common.

But while foreclosure auctions can be accessed by the general public in Texas, they are still very hard to find and offer amazing deals. It takes a lot of guts to buy a foreclosure property as it happens quickly and is sold as-is. Those with a little help and planning can walk away with a brand new home and, even, a brand new real estate career. Texas foreclosure real estate is the new oil, and you may be its next billionaire.