Beat the clock – Short sale sellers tick down to December 2012
If you are underwater in your mortgage (you owe more than your home is worth if you were to sell it today), or if you know someone who is, please let them know that they have alternatives to foreclosure. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act that eliminates the tax on forgiven debt is due to expire in December of 2012. This may sound like a long time away, but when it comes to selling a home through short sale it’s a tight timeframe.
Short sales still take on average between 3 to 6 months for banks to approve. That does not include listing and finding a qualified (and patient) buyer. It is also not uncommon for short sale buyers to walk away mid-transaction. A seller must leave enough time to find a new buyer if it becomes necessary.
Here is a sample timeline for selling a house through short sale with one buyer.
Prepare home for sale |
3 weeks |
Work with Realtor to price and list house & implement first stage of marketing plan |
3 weeks |
Secure a qualified buyer |
2-5 months (average Days on Market for a SFH in San Diego is currently 136 days) |
Send offers to bank and wait for approval – buyer conducts all inspections |
1 month |
Lender processing & closing |
2 to 4 months |
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|
Prep to closing timetable |
6 to 11 months |
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