looking for affordable forclosures but want to buy it myself without going through bank. I don't have much capital to work with, auctions tend to be too much money, I have a big family & have been stuck in an overpriced rental home that I cannot afford!  There's got to be a way around it, I have been covering an 1100.00 home rental for 5 years. I've been a stay at home mother for many years so i lack workforce skills but need a decent home.  I hear all these stories about HUD homes but don't know where to begin, so if anyone can assist me or enlighten me I'd really appreciate. Signed desparate, halfway to the street struggling every month to keep the roof over my families head.  I know if I could come up with a chunk of money with some help I could buy a house & it would be much easier to pay 400-800 per month as opposed to 1100 every month!! Realtors won't even take me seriously, neither do the banks because I'm probably looking like to much of a risk.