preforeclosure: High-Water Mark for Foreclosures - 10/16/09 05:04 AM
Foreclosures are at an ALL-TIME HIGH. In the 3rd quarter of this year 937,84 homes received a foreclosure letter. How do you put this in perspective? Well, that means that 1 in every 136 homes were in foreclosure. That's a 5% increase from the 2nd quarter. It's also a whopping 24% leap from this point in 2008! These numbers represent the worst 3 month stretch in terms of foreclosures ever. The foreclosure toll this year is reported to be 623,852 & climbing. Perhaps with these numbers on the rise, banks will begin being more cooperative with short-sales? Wouldn't that be rational? … (2 comments)

preforeclosure: Foreclosure Property Search Made Easy - 06/12/09 03:56 AM
When real estate is discussed nowadays, it seems as if the topics foreclosures & short sales are never far behind. Government and Bank-owned foreclosures offer tremendous home-buying opportunities for investors of all types. These foreclosures are called REO (Real Estate Owned) properties. These distress sales have the savvy investors licking their chops as property values are once again affordable, & instant equity is attainable on a large scale. Now the only challenge investors have is actually finding & identifying great values underneath the mountains of available homes for sale. Well, if you are searching for homes in Central Florida, a new … (0 comments)

preforeclosure: Foreclosure vs. Short Sale - 09/04/08 08:54 AM
What follows is a brief synopsis of the differences between a FORECLOSURE and a SHORT SALE and their affects on certain issues.
Fannie Mae Loan: A homeowner who loses a home to foreclosure is ineligible for a Fannie Mae backed mortgage for a period of 5 years. Homeowners who successfully negotiate & close a short sale will be eligible for A Fannie Mae backed mortgage after only 2 years. For investors that allow a property to go to foreclosure, a Fannie Mae backed investment mortgage will be unattainable for 7 years!
On any future 1003 application, a prospective borrower will have … (0 comments)

preforeclosure: Debt Forgiveness - 04/11/08 09:35 AM
In my last post, I described the short sale process. Some have expressed concerns about the effect the resulting debt-forgiveness of a short sale has on your tax situation. In prior years, any form of debt-forgiveness on a mortgage was considered earned income. Now, however, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 allows a 3-year window for homeowners to refinance their mortgage with no tax penalty on any debt relief that is received. This act will increase the incentive for borrowers & lenders to work together to refinance loans , and realtors to negotiate short sales to avoid foreclosure.  This act only applies to principal (homestead) property.
Click here for more information on the Mortgage Forgiveness … (0 comments)

preforeclosure: What is a short sale? - 04/08/08 01:15 PM
A "short sale" or "pre-foreclosure" occurs when a bank (or lien-holder) agrees to accept a discounted pay-off of a mortgage. In other words, the bank(s) will release the lien(s) that is secured on the real estate, upon receipt of LESS money than is actually owed. Why would any bank accept less than what is owed? Well, it must make financial sense for this to occur. Here's a scenario . . .assuming there is an offer, of course!
First off, the mortgage(s) in question is typically in some stage of default. The bank, faced with a mortgage that is not being paid, must … (0 comments)

 

Gate Arty

Lakeland Florida Real Estate

Lakeland, FL

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Gate Arty & the Group - Keller Williams Realty

Address: 218 East Pine Street, Lakeland, FL, 33801

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