I hope
it has been helpful in your search for phone numbers and addresses. Several
can be found on the internet..while others are a little harder to find!
If you have printed out this information..I ask you please e-mail me to
let me know Here!
This is
primarily information about Government Auctions that will
make it possible for you to aquire merchandise for
'pennies on the dollar',
or to put $1,000's of dollars cash into your pocket...almost
as often as you
wish. The process of 'making money' from US Government
Auctions can be
started in as little as 4 to 6 weeks. You can consider
this as a part time
or full time business where the profits depend only
on your desire and effort!
Items like
cars\trucks, RV's, Real Estate, computers, jewelry,
furniture, boats, airplanes...almost anything you
could want is put on the
auction block time and time again. There are 1000's
of auctions occurring
throughout the United States each day both Local and
Government. (Many local
auctions are held to liquidate Government merchandise)
This list does not
cover any State, County or City auctions, although
they can prove to be
profitable as well!
Before
we get to the information list starting with US Customs
Auctions, there are some 'guidelines' that I highly
recommend that you make
a practice of following when planning to attend an
auction. After all, its
your money we want to protect...If you are new to
the auction process, you
should attend a few sales to see how auctions work!
First,
you will need to locate an auction both near and of interest
to you. The information of the sale should contain
the following items:
1.) The name of the agency that supplied merchandise or real
Property to be auctioned.
2.) It should have both the address and phone number.
3.) The preview times and dates.
4.) The date, time and location of the actual auction.
5.) The forms of payment or credit terms (if any) available
being offered.
6.) The type of auction being held with its bidding procedures.
7.) What auctioneering agency that is conducting the sale.
8.) Information regarding the removal of purchased items.
Say, for
example, you are in the market for a used car. One option
you have is to aquire it from a Government Auction.
Once you have decided on
the year, make, and model of the car you wish to purchase,
you should aquire
a pocket notebook and pencil. In your notebook you
should enter in similar
information such as:
A. Year
__________
B. Make
__________
C. Model
__________
D. Amount
you can afford to spend.
__________
E. Amount
of cost at a Dealership.
__________
F. Amount
sold for at a previous auction.
__________
G. Price
difference.
__________
H. Amount
that it could be sold for a profit.
__________
I. List
of potential buyers.
__________
__________
__________
A similar
list should be taken to any auto auction. This list can easily
be adapted for any item of interest that you have
found. Auctions offer a
"Merchandise List" or "Preview List" that may be acquired
from a mailing
list, an advertisement or Government Agency. Ask on
how to obtain this
information!
Many auctions
handle their bidding procedures according to the
merchandise they need to liquidate. There are several
reasons why these
agencies are selling these items. Many agencies are
on a 'budget' and their
budget does not include maintenance and storage of
the seized, surplus or
up-graded to newer products. The Police agencies of
the US Government have
so many different items they tend to aquire on a steady
basis that they
simply need to clear their warehouse. This desperate
need for space is one
of the main reasons there are so many bargains available
to the smart auction
buyer!
Knowing
some auction definitions will prove helpful in planning your
attack to utilize auctions for profit. First thing...always
go by the rules
you set for yourself!Some example of some rules can
be as follows:
1.)
NEVER get auction fever and enter a bidding war!
2.) ALWAYS
inspect the merchandise you wish to purchase.
3.) You
should know the approximate retail value of the item you
wish to purchase. Know the resale value before you enter a bid
to purchase. (Rule of thumb..Can I resale it for twice what I paid
for it?)
4.) NEVER
exceed you preset dollar amount for any item.
5.) ALWAYS
know the conditions of the sale before you bid. (How payment
to be made with the rules and times for pick-up and removal of all
acquired merchandise.)
6.) HAVE
a notebook with all the information you will need to become a
informed bidder.
There are
several different types of government sales. These
agencies may utilize any one of several types of auction
formats for
liquidating their merchandise. Before you attend a
sale, knowing the type of
auction being used will usually designate the type
of bidding procedure that
will be used.
There are
five (5) basic types of auction sales. These auction
formats are somewhat self explanatory, but I will
list them here because of
their importance in determining your auction strategy.
1.) ABSOLUTE
AUCTION: An absolute auction has no dollar amount
limitations. The items offered for sale are to be sold regardless
of price obtained.
2.) PUBLIC
AUCTION: This procedure is what usually comes to mind at
the term 'auction'. Bids are called out verbally or some gesture
is made to the auctioneer from several bidders increasing their bids
until there are no more forthcoming bids. At this point the item is
then awarded by the auctioneer to the highest bidder. Bidders
usually obtain a 'bid number' at 'bidder registration' for
bidding identification.
3.) SEALED
BID AUCTION: This is a format where bids are written down on
a bidding form and usually submitted by mail. On a pre chosen time
and day, the auctioneer, agency or its representative will open all
all the submitted bids. The item or merchandise is then awarded
to the highest submitted bid. the winning bidder is usually
contacted by return mail or phone call.
4.) A
SPOT BID AUCTION: This, again, is where bids are written down and
submitted directly to the auctioneer. However, as the auctioneer
comes to the items for sale, he open the bids for that item and
awards the item to the highest written bid.
5.)
A NEGOTIATED SALE AUCTION: This is where the federal agency or
or its assigned auction house, excepts written or telephone bids.
Usually away from the location where the actual auction would take
place. The highest bid is then accepted, and the winning bidder
is usually contacted by return mail.
These are
some of the types of auctions the government can utilize.
There are a few more, but these are the most commonly
used.
There are
several Federal Agencies that utilize the auction and sale
process. Here, I will name then while listing their
address, phone number
and whom to contact about their up-coming auctions
and mailing lists. You
will be able to find out about merchandise being offered
for sale, viewing
times, date of sale, location and necessary information
to chose and prepare
for attending an auction. Several of these agencies
are:
Before
I get into more detail about the agencies and sales, you
should know that most government agencies offer a
'mailing list'. Some of
these lists are free while others charge a small fee.
The list is
information on recent and up-coming sales.
It will
tell you of times, dates, locations, type of sale being held,
description of merchandise being auctioned, viewing
times and phone numbers
of where to call for more information. These 'lists'
will allow you to chose
only the auctions of interest that you wish to attend.
Attending a sale that
is nearby, but of no real interest, is a good opportunity
to take your
notebook and practice your auction strategy. It is
assumed that you will
contact these agencies. All the information you aquire
will eliminate the
"dumb-luck" scenario of making a profitable purchase
that can put cash into
your pocket.
With the
retail price of merchandise today it is the advertised
sales that bring in business. Everyone seems to be
more concerned with how
much money they can save at the mall or department
store instead of finding
the 'real' bargains. The U.S. Government liquidates
over $5 BILLION dollars
in real and personal property each year. That's 5
Thousand Million Dollars
worth of merchandise each year! Lets get to
the list:
The U.S.
Custom Service has many of the more frequent sales. They
can number as high as 250 a month. Many of these sales
are combined items
from several police agencies like the DEA, Immigration
Service and FBI. The
amount of merchandise for auction can can be so large
that it may take two
days to liquidate the items during one sale. The items
are acquired by these
agencies from several forms of the U.S. seizure laws.
These seizures
occur when properties are confiscated during 'drug'
raids and merchandise suppliers that attempt to bring
products into the
United States for resale, without paying the Custom
duty fee the U.S.
Government has imposed on their merchandise. The Customs
Service then seizes
these items. When their warehouses become full (quite
often I assure you) ,
these items are then offered for public sale via auctions.
Because of all
the merchandise confiscated all around the U.S. borders,
The government
contracts several private companies to help liquidate
this stockpile of
merchandise. One of the largest nationwide companies
is E.G. & G.
Dynatrend. Here is their
contact information:
E.G. & G. Dynatrend
E.G. & G. Dynatrend
U.S. Customs Support Division U.S.
Customs Service Support Division
3702 Pender Drive
2300 Clarendon Blvd.
Suite 400
Suite 705
Fairfax, VA 22030-6066
Arlington, VA 22201
(FAX) 703-934-4099
(703) 351-7887
You may
also call (PAL) the Public Auction Hotline
of E.G.& G. Dynatrend
at (703) 273-7373,
for more information about upcoming U.S. Customs Auctions.
You may
ask for the booklet "public auctions"...fill
out the
application in the book and return it. Subscriptions
are offered for one
year...for a fee.
These are the three options you may choose regarding
your subscription.
They are:
1.) Nationwide: This is all sales in the Continental United
States including Alaska and Puerto Rico. The cost is $50
a year.
2.) Eastern Region: This covers all sales East of The
Mississippi River and Puerto Rico. The cost is $25 a year.
3.) Western Region: This covers all sales West of The
Mississippi River and Alaska. The cost is $25 a year.
For subscription
information you can click here.
In all cases
involving Customs Auctions, the form of payment is a Money
Order, Cashiers Check or Cash. In some cases, both
Visa and Master Card may
be accepted. If credit cards are accepted, it will
be mentioned in the
'mailing list' or agency auction posting. In some
cases financing is even
offered with Real Estate. Please check for these before
the 'day of sale'.
U.S.
Customs information from the U.S. Treasury Home Page.
Several agencies sell seized property by auction. One such agency is
1.) New York
(718) 780-4020
2.) Los Angles
(213) 849-5777
3.) Sacramento
(916) 978-5520
4.) San Francisco
(415) 556-5021
5.) Seattle
(206) 553-0703
You may
also contact the IRS Office that handles your taxes each
year. They should be able to give you any information,
or refer you to where
you can get the information you desire.
Alaska
Pacific Northwest District - (907) 566-061
California
Los Angeles District -(213) 894-5777
Northern California District -(415) 522-6029
Florida
Jacksonville - (904) 279-1656
Tampa - (813) 875-5918
Orlando - (407) 660-5868
Georgia
Georgia Seizure & Sale Hotline (404)730-3100
Hawaii
Pacific Northwest District - (808) 541-1104
Indiana
Northern: (219)736-4308
Central: (317)226-5946
Southern: (812)471-6605
Iowa
Midwest District- (515)
284-4628
Kentucky
1 (800) 829-4933 Ext. 82967
Michigan
1 (313) 226-7041
Nebraska
Midwest District - (515) 284-4628
New York
Albany/Hudson Valley: (518)446-6001
Buffalo/Western/Central: (716)629-8516
North Carolina
1 (910) 378-2073
Ohio
1 (614) 469-6619
Oklahoma
Central - Western Oklahoma (405) 297-4449
Oregon
Pacific Northwest District (503) 326-7840
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania District (412)355-2534
Tennessee
1 (800) 829-4933 Ext. 82967
Texas
East Texas (Houston) - (713) 209-4419
North Texas (Dallas) - (214) 503-2176
Washington
Pacific Northwest District - (206)
220-5461
Wisconsin
Midwest
District - (515)284-4628
A link worth visiting... Internal
Revenue Service Real and Personal Property Sales
Several
Federal Agencies seize property. The law that govern most of
these seizures are The Anti Drug Act, The Control
Substance Act and The
Motor Vehicle Theft Enforcement Act as well as a few
other laws. Like The
FBI, many Federal Agencies, dos not store and maintain
confiscated property,
such as cars, boats, RV's, computers, etc. These things
are auctioned to the
public via U.S. Marshal's Sales.
These sales
are held in several places throughout the United States.
they are most usually scheduled when sufficient amounts
of merchandise has
been acquired to warrant an auction or sale! However,
these sales occur
often due to the amount of "seized" items acquired
everyday by the federal
police agencies.
To find
out about upcoming U.S. Marshal's sales, you can call (800)
222-9885. There is no
national mailing list, but there is a number for the
Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. You may
call: (718) 845-2004.
These sales are also advertised in your local newspaper.
They appear
frequently in the Wednesday Edition of The USA Today
newspaper.
You can
also call your local U.S. Marshal's Office and ask for their
District National Assets Seized Forfeiture Program.
The office should be able
to tell you the names of the private companies that
are contracted to
conduct their auctions.
For information on sales by the U.S. Marshals Service,
contact:
Office of Public Affairs,
U.S. Marshal Service,
600 Army Navy Drive,
Arlington, VA 22202-4210
(202) 307-9087
The U.S. Marshals Service maintains neither a list
of forfeited property for sale nor a mailing list to notify
prospective buyers of upcoming sales.
This list can be obtained for free by calling (703)
557-9753. It can also be accessed by computer and the
Internet through the U.S. Consumer Information Center
(CIC) Bulletin Board System at (202) 208-7679,
a
300 to 14,000 bps (8N1). A modem is required. The
list is not available in CD-ROM format. The CIC Internet
World Wide Web address is: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov
CIC
This list of contract service providers is considered
to be public information and is not intended for commercial
publication, reproduction, or sale in any manner.
The U.S.
Post Office sells what is termed as "abandoned property".
These packages are sometimes sent to one of five regional
centers for sale.
It is at these places that the largest of the 'sales'
take place.
Occasionally, a single Post Office will conduct its
own sale. The five
regional centers are:
1.) Atlanta
730 Great SW Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30336
(404) 344-3800
2.) New York
380 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10199
(212) 330-3800
3.) Philadelphia
2970 Market St.
Rm. 531-A
Philadelphia, PA 19104-9886
(215) 895-8140
4.) San Francisco
390 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-3082
(414) 543-1826
5.) St. Paul
443 Filmore St.
St. Paul, MN 55107
(612) 293-3082
You may
also contact your local Post Office, they may offer a
'mailing list' in your area. Some places may require
you to call on any
upcoming sales. Check with your local Post Office
to find out about the
polices in your area. A word of caution...inspect
all items before the sale!
Damage
to property during mail delivery is not uncommon. Some items
may not be useable while others in the same 'lot'
is unbreakable and is new.
These items are packed by employees and are not inspected
or broken items
separated from useable items. There are many suprises
and the 'new' bargains
to be found at these sales. These sales should not
be ignored, simply
because, they tend to be ignored by other auction
goers, thus, more good
bargains for fewer people.
Property, both
Real and Personal, that has been distressed from
bankruptcy or death in the family, can offer some real
good bargains. These
items were never intended for re-sale, therefor, the
merchandise quality is
usually better than average sales. The owners are usually
trying to aquire
cash to pay creditors in full or part. While others are
wanting to liquidate
property that they cannot afford to maintain.
The best source
for these sales is the newspaper! Many of these
sales are initiated by banks or other lending institutions.
After they have
taken possession of the property used as collateral for
a loan, in order to
re-coup their lost revenue, they offer the items for
sale to the public.
This is best done by utilizing auctions and sales. It
is these sales that
serious auction goers attend, because of the local locations,
to aquaria
resale able merchandise for profit!...Check your local
newspaper daily for
these sales.
Like Trustee
Sales, distressed property is available. These sales
governed by the Federal Bankruptcy Act and are sold as
a result of a Court
Order. They are mostly held in a Public Auction House...a
privately owned
business where frequent auctions are held. These sales
are usually
advertised in the local newspaper, fliers and sometimes
through the US Mail.
Both Oral and Sealed Bid auction formats are often used.
That decision
is usually made by the 'Auction House' that has been
assigned to handle the sale. Some of the Bankruptcy Court's
offer a mailing
list. To find out about these "list's", if any, or about
up-coming sales,
contact your County Bankruptcy Court. The address and
phone number may be
found under "Government Office's" in your local phone
book.
These sales
occur when a borrower defaults on a 'Government Backed'
loan on Real Estate. HUD\FHA
buys out the lender and aquires possession of
the property. Then HUD\FHA offers the property, to the
public, via a 'Sealed
Bid' process.
A previous
owner has usually paid a down payment and regular monthly
payments, for a period of time, before the property became
distressed! The
amount of money that HUD\FHA
will try to re-coup is usually far less than
the property is worth. Houses and apartment complexes
have been sold at
auction for up to 80% BELOW the actual value of the property.
Not only is
there an opportunity to make large sums of profit at
these sales, but if
you are looking for your first house, or to aquire some
rental property,
these sales may be your answer!
If you contact
the HUD office in your state, they will gladly
help
you locate these properties, because liquidating them
is what they do, for
viewing and inspection! A purchase offer, or 'Bid', are
handled by Real
Estate Agencies that have been pre approved by the Department
of HUD\FHA and
instructed on submitting a written bid on behalf of the
interested party.
Upon acceptance of the 'bid' offer, HUD
will
pay the Realtor Fees and
Closing costs!
The bid will
usually need to be accompanied by a $500 deposit to
show real interest in the property. (HUD
is now offering a $500 discount for
all accepted bids). If your bid is not accepted by HUD,
the $500 deposit
will immediately be returned to the unsuccessful bidder.
The money is put in a
'special' account by the Real Estate Agency with which
you are dealing with.
The 'money' never leaves the account until the acceptance\unacceptance
of
the bid offer. If accepted, the money never leaves the
account until a
'closing' date has been agreed on by you and HUD.
If the bid is
unaccepted..the money is immediately returned. If you
withdraw your 'Bid'
before HUD has made a decision
requarding the offer, you may forfeit your
deposit. If the Bid is accepted, closing can occur up
to 45 days of the
acceptance. Not a long time, but time enough to arrange
any needed
financing. If possible, financing should be arranged
before submitting the bid.
To find out
more about HUD\FHA foreclosures, call your
state HUD
office. They will be able to tell you the names, of the
realtors in your
area, that are approved to submit bids to The
Department of HUD. The
realtors will usually have a list of available property
in your immediate
area. HUD also publishes
it's available property listings in your local
statewide newspaper. It's listings mostly appear in the
Friday Edition.
It will include
a property description, sale amount desired, square
footage, location and a phone number for more direct
information. (Tip:
Offer only the amount you are willing to pay for the
property. HUD has the
power to accept a bid amount lower then the advertised
price of sale!)
The number
of properties that HUD has 'on hand' is very
large. New
Properties are added each week to replace the properties
that have been
sold. HUD wishes to keep its 'losses' low in selling
these properties, but
because of the amount of properties they have on file,
and MUST liquidate,
they do anticipate a certain amount of loss of their
asking price.
For information
on the VA (Veterans Administration) and its
foreclosed properties, use the same method to locate
it's properties as with
HUD foreclosures. Unlike
HUD\FHA,
there are many times you will be able to
'deal' directly with the VA.
The need for utilizing a Realtor, in offering a
bid amount to the VA, is
not necessary. The practice of offering a bid does
require knowledge in making the Real Estate offers. Where
HUD will pay
closing costs and Realtor fees, the VA
may not do so on your deal! You will
need to ask!
The RTC (Resolution
Trust Corporation) is an agency that was
established to liquidate the properties that was acquired
after the Great S&L
(Savings and Loan) crisis. It is so large, that it is
estimated nearly $5
Billion Dollars of Real Estate is auctioned off each
year. There well be no
end to these auctions in our lifetime! That is how large
this situation is,
basically not realized by the general public.
These bargains
are tremendous all across the United States!
Properties are commonly sold for as little as 50% below
the RTC asking
price. They just cannot afford the cost of maintaining
these properties.
(Not to mention the fact that 1,000's of properties are
continually being
added to their list!)
There are
several ways to aquire information about RTC
auctions and
sales. They are:
1.) Order printed
lists up-dated every six months by calling:
(800)
331-0600
2.) For a printed
list on specific geographic areas...call:
(800)
782-3006
3.) To obtain
this information on a 5 1/4 floppy disk for a computer,
call: (703) 748-4068
4.) If you
have a computer w/modum, you can reach RTC online by calling:
(800)
782-2990 for more information.
5.) For auction
sale information on RTC properties, call:
(402)
416-4200
GSA
(General Service Administration) is a major
auctioneer of
surplus government property, including lots of Real
Estate. All of these
auctions are handled from their main office in Ft.
Worth, Texas. There are
two addresses available. They are:
GSA has four regional sales offices. The GSA Real Property Sales List is divided into four regional sections, with sales listed by state and city or county.
18th and F Streets, NW, Room 4244 Washington, D.C., 20405 |
Phone: (202) 501-0084 Fax: (202) 208-1714 Email: brian.polly@gsa.gov |
Boston Real
Estate Sales Office
Administration 10 Causeway Street Boston, MA 02222 |
Phone: (617) 565-5700 Fax: (617) 565-5720 Toll-Free: 800-755-1946 Email: frank.prout@gsa.gov |
States covered include: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana,
Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode
Island, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Wisconsin.
Atlanta
Real Estate Sales Office
Administration Peachtree Summit Federal Building 401 West Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30365-2550 |
Phone: (404) 331-5133 Fax: (404) 331-2727 Toll-Free: 800-473-7836 Email:U.S. tom.maguire@gsa.gov |
States covered include: Alabama, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
Fort Worth
Real Estate Sales Office
Administration 819 Taylor Street Fort Worth, TX 76102 |
Phone: (817) 978-2331 Fax: (817) 978-7063 Toll-Free: 800-833-4317 Email: george.prochaska@gsa.gov |
San Francisco
Real Estate Sales Office
San Francisco, CA 94102 |
Phone: (415) 522-3429 Toll-Free: 800-421-7848 Fax: (415) 522-3213 Email: clark.vanepps@gsa.gov |
You can find a list of Regional Personal Property Sales
Offices at http://www.fss.gsa.gov/region-offices.html
.
GSA Property Disposal Offices
Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana,
Maine, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico,
Rhode Island,
Vermont, Virgin Islands, Wisconsin.
Property Disposal (1PR)
U.S. General Services Administration
10 Causeway Street, Room 1079
Boston, MA 02222
(617) 565-5700
800-755-1946
Alabama, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland,
Mississippi, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
Property Disposal (4PR)
U.S. General Services Administration
Peachtree Summit Federal Building
401 West Peachtree Street, Room 2928
Atlanta, GA 30365-2550
(404) 331-5133
800-473-7836
Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas,
Louisiana,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
New Mexico, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas,
Utah, Wyoming.
Property Disposal (7PR)
U.S. General Services Administration
819 Taylor Street, Room 9A33
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 978-2331
800-833-4317
Alaska, Arizona, California,
Hawaii, Idaho,
Oregon, Washington, American
Samoa, Guam,
The Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands.
Property Disposal (9PR)
U.S. General Services Administration
450 Golden Gate Avenue, 4th Floor East
San Francisco, CA 94102-3400
888-GSA-LAND
For a link to 11 FSS Regional
Web sites for Personal Property Sales/Auctions...you may visit
FSS R.P.P.S/A
For Free Subscriptions and links to U.S. Federal Government
Asset Sales...including GSA Sales....
please visit Finance
Net
Field Offices
Property Disposal (9PR-F)
U.S. General Services Administration
400 15th Street, SW, Room 1138
Auburn, WA 98001
(253) 931-7547
800-814-6205
Special Notice
For more information on multi-agency Government Owned
Real Estate (G.O.R.E.) auctions in the Washington, D.C.
area call 1-800-473-7836
or go to the G.O.R.E.
homage at http://www.realtycentral.com.
If you have a computer equipped with a modem, you can
access the Federal Real Estate Bulletin Board for information on Real Estate
Sales. Set your communications software to 8
data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit (8N1). Dial
1
(800) 776-7872; in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area,
dial (202) 501-6510.
If you have access to the Internet, you can obtain real property information through the World Wide Web on WWW.GSA.GOV/property.htm.
(Click on your preference)
Some New pages added on 4/17/99
This is the end of my list and information. I hope it has been helpful in your search for phone numbers and addresses. Several can be found on the internet..while others are a little harder to find! If you have printed out this information ask you please e-mail me to let me know Here!