(PRWeb) December 22, 2008 -- Ron Howard of RE/MAX Sails has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when many area home values are effected by "distressed" homes in the foreclosure process.

Short sales allow the cash-strapped seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this can save many people from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures.

In the Baltimore area, many homes are in danger of foreclosing. It is happening in all price ranges. Local experts say that even high-priced homes are not immune.

"This CDPE designation has been invaluable as I work with sellers, and there lenders on complicated short sales," said Howard. "It is so rewarding to be able to help sellers save their homes from foreclosure."

Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Raton, Fla., said that Realtors® such as Ron Howard with the CDPE designation have valuable training in short sales that can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to foreclosure, which virtually destroys the credit rating. These experts also may better understand market conditions and can help sellers through the emotional experience, he said.

The Distressed Property Institute opened in January 2008 and provides training on-site and online. The CDPE is the premier designation for Realtors helping homeowners in distress and handling short sales.

"Our goal is to educate as many people as possible so we can help as many homeowners as possible," Charfen said.

For more information about the CDPE designation or to find out more information, please call 1-410-814-2404. Sellers are advised to obtain legal advice regarding the advisability and terms of any short sale agreement with creditor(s) and professional tax advice regarding the tax implications of any such sale.

The median single family home price in BALTIMORE this week is $199,900. The 1150 homes have been on the market for an average of 146 days.

Inventory has been tightening and days-on-market increasing recently. The Market Action Index has been basically flat, not providing strong indication for market conditions.

PRICE - The market has been on a downward trend recently and this week, while essentially flat, doesn't break us out of that cycle.

PRICE AND VALUE - The market's downward trends are shared across both price and value. People are recently placing less value on homes (you can see the recent declines in price per square foot as evidence.) Look for significant changes in the Market Action Index as a precursor to price and value changes, possibly as inflection points for good investment opportunities.

INVENTORY - Inventory has been falling in recent weeks. Note that declining inventory alone does not signal a strengthening market. Look to the Market Action Index and Days on Market trends to gauge whether buyer interest is changing with the available supply.

MARKET ACTION INDEX - The BALTIMORE market is currently quite strongly in the Buyer's Market zone (below 30). The 90-day Market Action Index stands at 16. With several months of inventory available at the current sales rate, buyers should find ample choice. The market has settled in at a relative stasis in inventory and sales conditions. It's a Buyer's market that has seen prices trend lower. Expect that consistent up trends in demand will be required before price trends change significantly.

DAYS ON MARKET - The properties have been on the market for an average of 146 days. Half of the listings have come newly on the market in the past 133 or so days.

Visit us @ www.livebaltimorecity.com and click on "Baltimore Market Trends" to get weekly updates for specific zip codes in Baltimore.

Ron Howard of RE/MAX Sails has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when many area home values are effected by "distressed" homes in the foreclosure process.

(PRWEB) December 22, 2008 -- Ron Howard of RE/MAX Sails has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when many area home values are effected by "distressed" homes in the foreclosure process.

Short sales allow the cash-strapped seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this can save many people from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures.

In the Baltimore area, many homes are in danger of foreclosing. It is happening in all price ranges. Local experts say that even high-priced homes are not immune.

"This CDPE designation has been invaluable as I work with sellers, and there lenders on complicated short sales," said Howard. "It is so rewarding to be able to help sellers save their homes from foreclosure."

Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Raton, Fla., said that Realtors® such as Ron Howard with the CDPE designation have valuable training in short sales that can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to foreclosure, which virtually destroys the credit rating. These experts also may better understand market conditions and can help sellers through the emotional experience, he said.

The Distressed Property Institute opened in January 2008 and provides training on-site and online. The CDPE is the premier designation for Realtors helping homeowners in distress and handling short sales.

"Our goal is to educate as many people as possible so we can help as many homeowners as possible," Charfen said.

For more information about the CDPE designation or to find out more information, please call 1-410-814-2404. Sellers are advised to obtain legal advice regarding the advisability and terms of any short sale agreement with creditor(s) and professional tax advice regarding the tax implications of any such sale. Visit Ron at www.ShortsaleBaltimore.com.