Harrisburg, Pa. - A home on Logan Street in Harrisburg and a home in Swatara Township will be up for bidding Thursday at the Dauphin County Sheriff's sale. 2009 is expected to be a record year for foreclosures in the county.

"We had over 1,100 last year," Sheriff Jack Lotwick said. "We're probably going to do well over 1,200, 1,300 this year."

The problem boils down to one word: greed.

"Greedy real estate agents, greedy banks, greedy people who tried to buy a house they couldn't afford," Lotwick said.

In all, 269 properties are listed on the Dauphin County Sheriff's sale. Two of those properties are huge and worth millions.

"It's something like I've never seen before," Lotwick said. "We have the Colonial Country Club for about $3.5 million and we have the Harrisburg Mall for over $52 million."

The Colonial Country Club of Harrisburg and the Harrisburg Mall are both millions in debt, but don't think you can show up and try to buy one of them.

"What will happen is the person who is holding the mortgage will come in and bid," Lotwick said. "That way they can get the property back and then they can sell it to somebody else."

Bidding for the country club will start at about $3 million. The Harrisburg Mall is expected to begin at $50 million.

Lotwick cautioned potential buyers to remember that this is a sale; not an auction.

"We get that all the time and usually they've been up all night watching an infomercial and they think they're going to get properties for $1. It's not true," he said.

The sheriff's sale is Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Dauphin County Administration Building. Lotwick said it's likely neither the country club or the mall will be bid on. He says deals are often worked out at the last minute.

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