It's common to find, especially on Instagram, Brazilians advertising courses or strategies to "buy a house at auction and resell it" (so-called wholesale) in the United States. According to the agents in the episode, this kind of promise requires great caution, especially in competitive markets like Los Angeles and Orange County.

When the 'auction' isn't an auction

Some real estate companies advertise a home sale as an auction without it actually being one — the technical term only applies when the property has been taken back by the bank due to nonpayment (foreclosure). What these companies actually do is set a lower starting price, attract a large volume of interested buyers, and let natural competition among them drive up the final price — a marketing strategy, not a below-market-price opportunity.

Real foreclosure is rare in the most competitive regions

According to the agents, in high-demand areas like Los Angeles and Orange County, it's rare for a house to actually reach the foreclosure process. The reason: since a property's delinquency information is public in California, experienced investors tend to identify and approach the owner — often already offering market value — before the formal foreclosure process even begins.

Where real opportunities still exist

The agents acknowledge that lower-price opportunities do exist, but tend to be concentrated in smaller cities, farther from the coast and with less industry around them — not in the most sought-after regions where most Brazilians in Los Angeles and Orange County live.

The practical warning

• Seeing the word "auction" in a house listing doesn't, most of the time, mean a bank auction — it's worth checking directly with a licensed agent before getting excited about the starting price.
• Even real bank auctions aren't necessarily a good deal — the final bidding price can exceed the normal market value.
• Generic courses and content sold on social media about "buying at auction and profiting fast" tend to ignore the specific reality of the local market.

Sources and verification

• Explanation of auction-style listings, foreclosure and the Los Angeles/Orange County market by the agents in the episode.
• Transcript of episode 5 of the Cadê Moradia podcast (March 2026).

This topic comes from the full episode — watch it:

CADÊ BRAZIL