In past posts we have talked about the different type of sales, covering Foreclosures, Short Sales, Deed in Lieu, and regular Sales. However we have done so from a seller's perspective mainly.
I very often work with buyers and in this market, most people who initially approach me to help them find and purchase a home, will bring up the idea of snatching a great Short Sale for them to purchase at an amazingly discounted price. Some of them will have already heard some of the horror stories of people waiting months on end for the bank to approve the sale, yet many have no idea what it really implies and all the emotional and labor intensive process that a short sale can be. As an agent, a very important part of my job is to prepare my clients to what lies ahead, so when any new client approaches me, I ask them to give me at least 20 minutes of their time just so we can go over what I consider the ABC's of buying : 1) A Short Sale 2)Foreclosure 3)Regular Sale. Only after they have heard what each of them entitles will we come up with a specific search plan for them.
So when it comes to the Short Sale portion, there are basically 6 points that I consider crucial for them to understand and be aware:
First, The timeline is what we call a moving target, it is NOT set in stone and will shift as we move along, so if they are in a situation where they have a set date by when they have to be living in their next home, short sales might not a good choice. Banks are taking anywhere from 60 to 130 days average to approve a short sale. Although some lenders like World Savings have set up faster programs where they are able to approve a short sale in as little as 7 days, and then on the other end of the spectrum I have seen others take as long as 9 months to approve a short sale, specially in the higher end loans where the bank will be forgiving a considerably higher amount of debt.
Second, although it varies greatly in each case, I have seen a trend lately of banks not covering closings cost of a short sale and most of the time they will not pay for money owed to the Home Owners Association So it will be up to you as the buyer to bring some extra cash to the table and cover those extra expenses, this sometimes makes that initial price you offered and got an acceptance on, not such a great deal after all. Be very careful that you ask all the necessary questions before you open escrow, have the listing agent disclose to you what the bank has agreed to pay for as soon as they know and most of all, ask them if there are any back payments to the HOA, any other liens, back taxes, etc.
Third, Don't assume that because it is not a foreclosure the home will be left in good shape. Many of the short sales will have delayed maintenance issues, some will come up during the inspection face, and some will come out a little while after living in the home so it is highly advisable to buy a service insurance policy at least for the first year after purchase. Also, you will need some extra cash to fix up the property once you buy it, it is a house that has been lived in and that will need some repairs.
Fourth, Don't fall in love with this property, an acceptance of your offer does not mean it is yours. Although your chances of buying this home did increase by getting an acceptance, it still has to go thru a long approval process and then there is the pending auction date you have to beat, many people assume that since the bank has approved the short sale, that means that they have cancelled the foreclosure proceedings and that the home is now ready to close. Sadly, one is independent of the other, sometimes the bank will grant you an extension on the auction date just so you can close a sale however more and more lately, banks have started to be less agreeable to grant extensions, they will allow one but no more than that and they WILL sell it in auction two days and even one day prior to the closing escrow date, so be very vigilant of those auction dates and if there was an extension on the auction date, make sure that it has gone into effect.
Fifth, On a typical transaction you have 17 days to complete all of your inspections before you are required to remove your contingencies, in many short sales situations, since ironically you are running against the auction date clock and some times because the bank has requested it so, you only have 5 days to do all your inspections, so make sure you have all your inspections ready to go in a moments notice as soon as you open escrow and know beforehand what you are willing to accept and what will make you pull out of the deal.
Sixth, Expect to be making offers along with people who are looking for investments and are all cash. If a short sale is looking like it is a good deal, there will be some competition so make sure that along with your agent you know how to write an attractive offer that will increase your chances of getting accepted. There are some key points that banks and therefore listing agents are looking at to select the offer that will get the house.
Probably right about now you are ready to give up on short sales altogether, however, the fact is that many of the homes that are for sale in today's market, are short sales and they will be around for many years to come still, so it is not the best idea to discard any short sales as an option unless you are really pressed for time. Short Sales are a reality so it is wiser to learn how to deal with them and what to expect, it is also smart to have an experienced agent guiding you to the process and even better yet if there is a solid qualified short sale negotiator dealing with the short sale part of the process, one that knows exactly how to deal with the specific bank that holds all of the loans on this property and that has a proven track record of succesful closings. Be aware that sometimes, the agents will have NO information from the bank for a long period of time, so bear with them but stay on top of it.
The one thing that I tell my clients is to keep their emotions in check and to keep looking, hope for the best but don't close your options just yet. Once you are in escrow and have a clearer picture you can stop actively looking but don't start mentally placing the furniture just yet...keep a clear head and be realistic that this deal might not happen.
And last, please, whatever you do, DON"T make any big purchases that will disqualify you or affect your income debt ration making your own loan a new issue to deal with, this sometimes only comes up at the eleventh hour when there is not enough time to correct it, so help and don't hurt your chances when you are trying to close an escrow on a short sale.
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