Short Sale Information

Short Sale procedures:
The definition of a short sale is selling ones property/home for less than what is owed to the bank and having the bank support the sale and forgive the borrower’s debt.
In Today’s economy and with the drop in the housing market a lot of people are forced to sell their home.
The current value of the home is nowhere near where it was 3-5 yrs ago when they bought it, and they can’t afford to keep it, due to mortgage being too high, or they may have been in an adjustable rate mortgage and the interest rate has made their payment go up 150-400 per month more. The banks will offer to do a loan modification in order to keep you in your home, but that doesn’t ease the fact that the payment still bears a burden on your daily struggle. It only puts a band aid on a severe problem to buy time.
You must speak with your agent early on the home sale process about a short sale, and what all it entails.
Normally you would have drained your savings, your investment accounts, your checking account and your making your mortgage with just pennies to spare each and every month, if something was to break i.e. furnace, dryer, washing machine, your vehicle total havoc would occur.
When listing your home, sign an authorization to release information form that gives your agent the right to speak with your lender about your loan or loans. A lot of documentation is going to be needed and supplied to the bank in order for them to accept the terms of a short sale.
1. Home must be listed for at least 90 days
2. Current market analysis must be supplied for comps to bank
3. Must have last 3 bank statements
4. Must have last 2 yrs of Tax returns
5. Must provide a hardship letter stating what the circumstances were that led to current situation
6. Must still allow showings and have an offer in writing
The bank will normally tell you they can’t do a short sale unless you are behind on your payments at least 2-3 months, let’s not sit and wait for this to happen, in doing so now it’s reported to the credit bureau and your credit score starts taking a hit then you will find it hard to rent or get into another option. We will supply all documentation to the bank, list your home very aggressively, get an offer in writing send it to the bank and strongly suggest to them this is the best it’s going to get for the tough housing market that we are in.
If they accept the offer, your obligation to repay the loans will be forgiven, your credit score will still get a little ding but it is a lot less than if your home had been foreclosed on and you can begin to repair your credit and within 1-2 yrs you could qualify to buy again.
If you have a first mortgage and a second the process is a bit harder but it can still be done, just have hope and most of all have an agent that know what he or she is doing. They must be very aggressive with the banks and they must have all the ducks in order. The Agents on Our Team are just that, with over 50 yrs of combined experience in Real Estate. We have been very successful in pushing short sale through for both our Buyers and our Sellers.
Other options are available as well such as, : Deed in Lieu Give us a call for more information on this process.