For real estate agents, experience brings a number of advantages. With experience, agents gain deep market knowledge, stronger negotiating skills, a wider professional network and more. According to a recent study in the Journal of Housing Research, these tools could mean the difference of $25,000 for your home! In the study, homes listed by experienced real estate agents sold for $25,000 dollars more, on average, than those listed by rookie agents. Experienced agents were also more likely to sell the home and to sell it faster. For homeowners who are struggling with their mortgages and looking for answers, finding … (0 comments)
There has been much news over the past few years about the difficult times that homeowners have had as a result of the financial and housing collapse. Many homeowners lost their homes or collapsed under the weight of an unmanageable mortgage. These are homeowners who believed that they didn’t have any options. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are millions of homeowners who have dealt with challenging mortgages, and many of them have found a path forward that doesn’t include foreclosure. Below are three stories of homeowners who found themselves in danger … (0 comments)
short sale: Is Your Home May Be Worth More Than You Think!
- 11/04/13 12:27 AM
Today’s real estate market in Grand Rapids, MI is very different than it was a year ago. Prices have increased rapidly over the past 6-8 months as part of a steady recovery we’re seeing take place across the nation in real estate. If you or someone you know has a home in which they owed more on their mortgage than the property was worth, that may no longer be the case. If you have thought about a short sale, it may not be needed with today's market. Or perhaps you’ve just been waiting the market out for prices to increase. Well, … (1 comments)
short sale: Don't Let Time Run Out!
- 09/30/13 01:27 AM
Don't Let Time Run Out! The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act was passed by Congress in 2007 in an attempt to provide some relief for the millions of homeowners who found themselves owing more on their mortgage than the property was worth as a result of the collapse of the housing and finance industries. This report was created to give homeowners the most accurate information about the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act, which has helped many distressed homeowners find options that were previously unavailable.
The act, which was always intended to be a temporary solution, is now set to expire … (1 comments)
short sale: Six Misconceptions about short sales
- 09/12/13 04:23 AM
Short sales have become increasingly common since the mortgage crisis of 2008. In fact, they accounted for 22 percent of all residential sales in 2012, according to the 2012 U.S. Foreclosure and Short Sales Report by RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties. But how do you know if a short sale is the best option for you? Let ‘s review some of the misconceptions.
1. Your mortgage debt will be forgiven. In some short sales, lenders may hold the borrower responsible for the unpaid balance of the mortgage debt. To protect yourself, confirm with your lender that a deficiency … (2 comments)
For homeowners who are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure, it is common to feel like they are alone and that no one can help. This simply isn’t true. There are real people who have been in the same situation who have found solutions. Take Lian S. of Lakewood Ohio, for example. For Lian, her financial troubles began with a miscommunication.
Lian and her husband had just had triplets who were born extremely premature. “I was on bed rest months before they were born and they had … (1 comments)
For distressed homeowners in danger of losing their home, there are already a lot of problems. The last thing a homeowner in this situation needs is to fall victim to a scam. Unfortunately, people in this situation are often the most vulnerable to a kind of fraud called “mortgage relief fraud.”
Fraudsters will prey on people who are looking for a loan modification, short sale or other foreclosure alternative because these are the most common options for distressed homeowners.
There have been legal cases brought against many, but scammers … (4 comments)
On January 1, 2013, Congress passed an extension of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act. This extension of this act, which has saved homeowners more than $1 billion dollars in taxes is great news for struggling homeowners nationwide.
The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act was originally passed in 2007 to aid the millions of homeowners who suddenly found themselves in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure following the housing market crash.
short sale: 3 Reasons the Term “Strategic Default” Is Misleading
- 01/20/12 08:47 AM
3 Reasons the Term “Strategic Default” Is Misleading In a recent study, the Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index found that a full 36% of Americans would consider “strategic default”—another term for walking away from your mortgage—if they were underwater (owed more on their home than what it was worth). Now that more than one in four American homeowners is “underwater,” I feel that it’s important for the community to know the truth about strategic default. The truth is the foreclosure process carries with it credit issues, current and future employment challenges, issues with security clearance and possible debt collections. That’s … (1 comments)
short sale: Resolve to Face the Facts!
- 12/30/11 04:41 AM
Resolve to Face the Facts! Since 2007, 8.9 million homes have been lost to foreclosure and millions more are headed in that direction. As a real estate professional who has earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, my mission is to ensure that you or anyone you care about does not add to that statistic. The unfortunate fact is that so many homeowners who have played by the rules and never imagined that they could be facing foreclosure are now in a very tough situation. More than one in four homeowners owes more on their mortgage than their home is … (1 comments)
short sale: Short Sale vs Foreclosure in Deficiency & Purchasing again
- 11/11/11 08:21 AM
What is the difference between a short sale and foreclosure in: > Deficiency judgments... > Waiting period to purchase again... Let's take a look... Foreclosure: In 100% of foreclosures (except in those states where there is no deficiency) the bank has a right to pursue a deficiency judgement. The home will have to go through a REO process if it does not sell at auction. In most cases this will result in a lower sales price and longer time to sale in a declining market. This will result in a higher possible deficiency judgement. Short Sale: In some successful short sales it is possible to convince … (1 comments)
short sale: Foreclosure Fears Foster True Grief
- 11/02/11 09:35 AM
Reports of foreclosures by the millions have been in the news so much over the past few years that to some, it might seem like the new normal. But as a real estate professional who is in the trenches with financially stressed homeowners every day, it never for a second feels to me like business-as-usual. The prospect of losing ones home is right up there among the major sources of grief, and often, it goes hand in hand with other tragic setbacks such as the loss of a job, a divorce, death of a loved one, mounting medical bills or skyrocketing … (3 comments)
short sale: Renewed Trust for Tough Times
- 09/22/11 09:53 AM
Renewed trust for tough times Does it feel like trust is one of the major casualties of the economic meltdown of 2008 – followed by the “Great Recession,” the “Jobless Recovery” and now the threat of a “Double Dip Recession?” Weren’t we assured that home values were destined to go up and up and up? There have been lots of promises that help is on the way—and lots of warnings of scams and schemes that have only served to confuse the matter. So where’s a homeowner who’s underwater or overleveraged to turn? Here’s the bottom line: the choices that homeowners make … (0 comments)
short sale: Let's explore the difference in a Short Sale vs. Foreclosure
- 09/21/11 08:56 AM
One of the most frequently ask questions is, "What is the difference between a foreclosure and a short sale?". Let's take a few minutes to explore this question. Foreclosure: A homeowner who loses a home to foreclosure is ineligible for a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage for a period up to 7 years with some exceptions based on extenuating circumstances. See: efanniemae.co Short Sale:A homeowner who successfully negotiates and closes a short sale will be eligible for a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage within 2 years. Foreclosure: An investor who loses a home to foreclosure is ineligible for a Fannie Mae backed mortgage … (0 comments)
short sale: Credit Scores in Foreclosure and Short Sales
- 09/21/11 08:56 AM
We are reviewing the differnece between a foreclosure and short sale for the homeowner. Let's review what happens with a credit score. Credit Score: Foreclosure: Score may be lowered anywhere from 250 to 300 points. Typically will affect score for over 3 years. Short Sale: Only lape payments on mortgage will show, and after sale, mortgage is normally reported as "paid as agreed", "paid as negotiated, " or "settled". Ths can lower the score as little as 50 points if all other payments are being made. A short sale's effect can be as brief as 12 to 18 months. Credit … (0 comments)
short sale: Renewed Trust for Tough Times
- 09/07/11 11:29 AM
Does it feel like trust is one of the major casualties of the economic meltdown of 2008 – followed by the “Great Recession,” the “Jobless Recovery” and now the threat of a “Double Dip Recession?” Weren’t we assured that home values were destined to go up and up and up? There have been lots of promises that help is on the way—and lots of warnings of scams and schemes that have only served to confuse the matter. So where’s a homeowner who’s underwater or overleveraged to turn? Here’s the bottom line: the choices that homeowners make when they feel they are … (0 comments)
short sale: What Short Sale Agents Need to Know About New FTC Rule
- 05/25/11 03:38 PM
The National Association of Realtors is cautioning real estate agents about a new rule from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The rule is designed to protect homeowners from mortgage relief scams, but it could potentially affect Realtors doing short sales. The rule bans all upfront fees for renegotiating mortgage terms and requires certain disclosures be made to consumers if a short sale is negotiated with a lender on their behalf or when advertising short sales services or expertise. It could also affect communicating with a consumer about a possible short sale prior to the listing agreement being executed or arranging the … (4 comments)
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