Some months ago I was approached by a distraught family with a financial crisis, who was facing foreclosure because they had stopped making payments on their mortgage.  They had a house they needed to sell quickly and high enough to cover what they still owed the bank.  With a declining market and a house that was now sitting vacant, I ended up selling the house after about 45 days on the market for fair market value.  Which was about $50,000 less than what they owed the bank.  I'm happy to say that we have now sold the house after the bank agreed to take a discount for the amount the sellers still owed.  The sellers were ecstatic and now breathed a sigh of relief. You might ask, why would any bank allow for such a big discount? The answer is simple, banks do not want to own homes they just want to finance them.  This process is called a Short Sale and banks allow them because it saves them a tremendous amount of money and legal headaches when they don't have to foreclose on these properties.  At the same time, in most cases, the seller saves his credit and would be eligible to purchase a home again in less than 2 years.  The owners of this home were smart enough to explore their options and hired a professional with enough expertise to negotiate a short sale on their behalf and saved them from over 10 years of bad credit.

All of us can fall prey to hard times at any point in our lives, but if you are well informed and surround yourself with the right people you    will make smart decisions.  The Team at Castle Realty and myself are dealing with short sales on a daily basis.  The result of our experience will benefit you greatly and bring you much needed Peace of Mind.

The Castle Realty Team Can Possibly Stop Your Home from this Less-than-Fun Experience

We can't deny that these are difficult financial times for everyone.  I am sure you're no stranger to all the news about foreclosures and the irreparable damage it does to the credit you've worked so hard to build.  At some point or another we all fall prey to hard times, whether it's financial, family related, health issues which can take a toll on the stability of your life and your loved ones.  There are no easy answers to resolve all them, however I am a true believer that if you involve yourself with the right people to lead you in the right direction with your families best interest at heart, the solution might just be right there in front of you.  In a housing market that continues to decline the value of homes are falling below what is owed on them.  If you can no longer afford your mortgage payments, you have several options.  You can try to hand over the deed to your mortgage bank, but they might not accept it because they would still be responsible for legal fees, taxes as well as any second mortgage.  Or you may just let the house fall into foreclosure.  However, this will destroy  your credit for approximately 10 years and you may still be liable for any difference between what you owe and what the house brings at auction.  But not all is lost, there are many steps you can take if you find yourself in a situation of financial hardship and you can no longer afford your home. One of these powerful alternatives is selling your home in a Short Sale.  This happens when the bank is willing to accept less money for your home than what is owed.  It's a win-win situation for both the owner and the bank, when the other alternative is foreclosure.  This is not an easy process.  It's a lengthy one and it requires a great deal of attention to detail and perseverance.  You must hire a professional and an expert in dealing with short sales.  The Team at Castle Realty and myself are dealing with short sales on a daily basis.  I will sit with you and go over your specific situation.  The result of our experience will benefit you greatly and bring you much needed Peace of Mind during hard times.