Short Sale Tip of The Week 7-29-09

Posted on 30. Jul, 2009 by ctlms in Short Sale, foreclosure

Loan Modifications...So what's the deal?

We have heard a lot about loan modifications in the news this year.  The government has come out with a litany of new programs aimed at helping struggling homeowners to avoid foreclosure.

However the numbers so far do not show a stem to the foreclosure crisis.  In the first half of this year there have been more than 1.9 Million foreclosure fillings nationwide.

Part of the reason these programs are not working as desired is that they were developed by Congress not mortgage professionals.  The programs are Pass or Fail type  programs.  The mortgage servicer enters in some data about the homeowner and the system says yes or no.  That's it, there is no manual underwriting averrable for these programs.  If the income is too high or to low, you fail.  If you debts are too high or too low, you fail.

The other reason for the lack of results is that only Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the only investors that the Government can dictate these guidelines to.  Additionally any banks that took TARP money have to participate.  But this has obviously not been enough so far.

The good news is that there is the "Old School" way of doing loan mods that  complete bypasses these programs and has had a much higher likelihood of success for many years.  Loan mods are nothing new, they are just more publicized now then they ever were before.

As a real estate professional you are likely one of the first people on of your past clients will call when they are in trouble with their house.  As much as making a commission is important, helping the client should be first priority.  If they want to, and can afford to save their home, we all should do whatever we can to help them.  You could never have a better referral source than a homeowner you helped stay in their home when they were struggling.

My company can offer this service to your clients well as as the short sale processing services we provide.  We have aligned ourselves with the nations top loan modification service.  We can let your client know within 24-48 hours if they fit the qualifications for a loan mod.  If they do not, then you probably have a new short sale listing on your hands and we can help there to.

Either way you have looked after the best interests of your clients, and they will thank you for it.

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As always Visit the Ask The Expert Page to leave your questions or contact me directly if you need immediate assistance at sean@ctlms.com or visit www.CTLMS.com

Your Short Sale Stories From The Field

Posted on 22. Jul, 2009 by ctlms in Short Sale, foreclosure

What are your short sale stories?

I want to hear from you!

This week I want to have an open discussion on what experiences you are having or have had with short sales and properties facing foreclosure.

Click on the link at the bottom of this post to add your own experiences.

Be sure to hit on the facts of the situation such as the bank it was with, the amount owed and the sales price or your suggested sales price, and if it closed and how long it took.

Let's hear your success stories and your pains.

Have you done a short sale?  Let us know.

If you have not done a short sale...let us know that.

If you have avoided short sales let us know that to.

Whatever is on your mind

Let's make this blog thread as long as possbile.

Post Away!

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As always Visit the Ask The Expert Page to leave your questions or contact me directly if you need immediate assistance at sean@ctlms.com or visit www.CTLMS.com

Short Sale Tip of The Week 7-15-09

Posted on 15. Jul, 2009 by ctlms in Short Sale, foreclosure

At what point do I consult with a short sale professional?

You just got a call from a past client.  They are months behind on their payments and foreclosure is imminent.  Do you go it alone and figure out for yourself what price to list it at, if and when to lower it, what to disclose to buyer's agents, what paperwork to start gathering, etc, etc, etc.  OR, do you call your LOCAL short sale professional and ask those questions before you make a potential misstep that could derail your path to a commission?

You call the pro right away.  Part of a professional short sale negotiators job is to help the real estate agent set all the proper expectations right from the beginning.  Along with set the transaction up from the start so that it has the highest possibility of ending in a successful transaction for the sellers, buyers and of course the real estate agents.

Just like in all real estate transaction, every short sale transaction is different.  The pitfalls to watch out and plan for are different for each deal.  Certain facts have to be determined at the beginning to set the proper expectations with the sellers and the eventual buyers and their agent.  These facts include, the number of mortgages and or liens on the proper, the lenders involved, is the house in foreclosure and is there a date set yet, have the sellers declared bankruptcy or are they considering it.  These are just a few of the questions that need to be answered early on.  Just a few minutes on the phone with your negotiator can set your listing on as smooth a path as possible.

Some sellers will be unsure if they want to do a short sale and what it may mean for them.  Another common request is for me to speak with the sellers to answer their questions and explain the process to them.  I have even meet with the agent and the sellers so we can all discuss the options and how to best proceed.

At a minimum, if you have a short sale listing and you receive and offer, this is the latest point at which it is important to contact your chosen negotiator.  If you have waited this long, the negotiator may already be in a more difficult negotiating position than they would like to be.  But either way, before the sellers sign an offer, have your negotiator review it to be sure that the required short sale specific issues have been addressed in the offer.  Issues such as the offer being AS-IS, subject to short sale approval, when the buyers will inspect the property and mortgage contingency and closing dates.

Some of these term, if not addressed properly from the start can delay the process due to changes required by the lender.  We all know that one of the big killers of short sale deals is the time it takes to get an approval.  Anything that can be done to avoid delays will go to minimizing the time involved.

Bottom line is there is absolutely no reason not to call your local short sale professional right from the start, before the listing appointment.  If you know who the lenders are, we may even have the lenders specific short sale documentation on file to forward for your use at your very first face to face appointment with the sellers.

That’s a rap for this week.  See you all here next week for my next Short Sale Tip of The Week.

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As always Visit the Ask The Expert Page to leave your questions or contact me directly if you need immediate assistance at sean@ctlms.com or visit www.CTLMS.com

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