How can I find a short sale agent in Katy and Cypress Texas?

Short sales are a big part of the real estate world right now. It's the hot buzzword of the day around real estate offices. But, not every agent who tries to conduct a short sale is really able to do so. The law doesn't require a specialization so it's important to make sure your agent you hire KNOWS what they are doing. The consequences of failure on a short sale can impact you and your family for years to come!

The first thing you have to do is ask some very pertinent questions of the agent that presents themselves as a "short sale agent". Ask questions that a Katy and Cypress area short sale agent should know:

First things first, ask:

How many short sales do you typically work on in a month?

---typically I handle anywhere from 3-7 short sales on an active ongoing basis each month but I know many agents that do 1-2 a year. As a gauge, 1-2 a year closed short sales is not enough experience to trust this very important task to. In our area, I know of one agent that promotes himself as a "SHORT SALE AGENT" and has about 20 short sale listings. Sounds good,right? Until you dig a little deeper and find that this agent has NO recorded Short Sale closings in the last 5 years!

How long have you been working short sale transactactions?

--many agents are going to say, yep, I've been doing them for a year or so now. Fact is, they really started becoming prominent in the last year but I've been doing short sales for over 4 years now. My first short sale transaction was done just over 4 years ago and I had A LOT of help with getting it to close. Problem is that many short sale agents that are working on their first short sale do not get the help they need or they don't have access to the help they need. Nowadays, seems when other agents really needs help with a short sale, I seem to be the one they call. I'm flattered and glad to help where I can! One word of warning, everyone has to learn somewhere but do you really want to be a listing agent's first short sale?

Does Your team have a dedicated "short sale/foreclosure" specialist?

--most agents are a one man/woman show. They do it all and trust me, as a real estate agent running your own business, you are responsible for A LOT of things. However, with our team, you will have a dedicated Short Sale Specialist who will work on your file to get it to closing!

Is your short sale package deemed "complete" by most banks that you deal with on foreclosures?

--very important! Why? Because the short sale process takes to long to miss your turn at bat. As these negotiators work files, when they come to one that is not complete (and there are a set of documents and things that a bank needs to even process a short sale), then they generally just bypass your file and move on to the next one! That could lengthen the process by a month or two more and in this world of bank foreclosures, you may not have that time! OUCH!

Can you have me prepared for the short sale prior to the offer coming in so it's not a mad scramble to try to collect the paperwork and information that the bank needs?

--I try very hard to foresee everything the bank wants. Most of it is pretty stock but occasionally, the bank comes up with some new wrinkle. Most of the time, I will have you prepared and ready to go when the offer comes in. BUT, remember that I can only show you what you need to gather and get ready for me, I can not actually gather that personal information for you!

Do you work with a short sale team or coach that helps you if you have issues with a particular short sale?

--of course. I have an entire network of real estate professionals that I consult with if there are problems. The more that I have gotten done, it seems that problems come up less and less, but the network is always there and available if we do have questions! VERY IMPORTANT!

Won't a bank do a short sale for me directly?

--Not usually. Most of the time, the bank wants a licensed real estate agent on the job in order to commit to a short sale attempt. I use the analogy of football. Most people know a little about football, right? You know, you run or throw the ball and try to get into the endzone to score a touchdown, right? But you will get beaten badly if you do not know the rules of the game...such as what is a fumble, an interception, out of bounds, perhaps understanding other scoring options like field goals or safeties. You have to be aware of the rules in order to play in the game succesfully. Most don't know the rules, but rest assured, the banks do! You need to have a short sale agent that knows the rules and can put you on the same footing as the banks when it comes to gametime!

Are there other options to short sale that I might not be aware of?

--yes, there might be other options that you have not considered and each circumstance is different. We will look at the options and make sure you understand what those options are.

The National average for short sales to close is less than 70% success. What is your success percentage?

--that's right. Over 30% of all short sales attempted fail. Why? Sometimes it's the property, sometimes it's the bank, sometimes it's the agent, but that is a startling fact when you consider the end of the road option on a short sale is FORECLOSURE. As of this writing, I have never had a short sale that I took on that failed to close. Some have shortened my life with stress and gone down to the last possible minute, but we have successfully closed every listing that we have taken as a short sale in the Katy and Cypress area. So right now, in Katy, Cypress and the entire West Houston area, we have a 100% success rate! That certainly is a stat worth protecting!