HAGERSTOWN — Four downtown apartment buildings received no outside bids at a foreclosure auction Tuesday, so the bank bought them.

Jason Goldberg of Potomac, Md., owned the buildings on East Washington and East Franklin streets through limited liability companies.

He said last week the cost of maintaining them and keeping tenants became too difficult, especially in a tough economy.

As of Aug. 31, 2009, the LLCs owed Citibank about $991,000 in principal and others costs on a 2007 note, according to financial records.

The four buildings are 32-34 and 36 E. Washington St. and 38 and 44-46 E. Franklin St. They have a total of 27 apartments and two commercial units, according to an auction notice.

Combs-N-Clips Beauty Supply is at 32 E. Washington St. Uncle Louie G’s Italian ices and cream is at 34 E. Washington St.

During Tuesday’s foreclosure auction, only the bank bid.

First, auctioneer Suzy Stegmaier of Tranzon Fox tried to sell each property separately. Each time, the bank was the only bidder, at $100,000.

Stegmaier then offered the properties as a package, trying for a higher price than four separate sales.

The bank bid $400,000, then $500,000, then bought the four properties for $947,000, even though it was the only bidder.

Stegmaier said the bank’s increasing bids were due to restrictions on how much it could spend on the properties.

According to state Department of Assessments and Taxation records, the four properties were assessed at a total of $1.14 million as of July 1, 2009.

Goldberg bought the four buildings in 2007 for a total of $1.23 million.

Stegmaier said she figured at least two buildings would draw outside bids, based on preliminary interest. There were a few registered bidders at Tuesday’s on-site auction. Stegmaier wouldn’t say how many.

Tranzon Fox, which mostly handles commercial properties, has been selling about 85 percent of foreclosed properties to third parties, Stegmaier said.

Goldberg said a bank also bought back several residential properties he owned on East Franklin Street, South Locust Street, McDowell Avenue, North Cannon Avenue and Florida Avenue at a foreclosure auction last week.