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Antioch Short Sales: Saint or Sinner?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Thompson Realty Group DRE# 01229754

Typical Abandoned Real Estate

Antioch CA– The New York Time had an interesting article about one man’s mission in the fight to stop foreclosure. According to the article, Mark Guerette, attempted to make use of all the empty, abandoned houses he saw. I get frustrated when I see homes sitting empty for months and months. “Those homes should be put to good use!” I thought to myself. It bugged me that homes would sit empty for months and even years at a time. The lawn would become overgrown. A window might leak. Or, vandals would break the windows. Rain would start getting inside the house, thereby causing mold on the walls and ceiling. The house would get uglier and uglier. As a working short sale realtor, I knew how much this would cause the home’s value to drop. Most of the homes were in foreclosure. The owners had moved out to avoid being kicked out. But, the banks didn’t take care of the homes. It bugged me to see these trashed homes come on the market and sell at a substantial discount. “Those banks are hurting the housing market. Someone needs to do something!” I thought to myself. But, I never did anything about it. Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here. Apparently this guy did. Mark would find abandoned homes, fix them up, and rent them to needy families. An old English Common Law principle called “Adverse Possession” would make him the owner of the home after several to a dozen or more years. Of course, he was responsible for keeping the home up, paying all the property taxes (including past dues taxes), and risking having a former homeowner confront him. California’s Adverse Possession law would give ownership after 7 years. He thought that law was enough to make what he was doing legal. Apparently not! According to the article, he now faces up to 15 years in prison. This is after he disclosed what he was doing to everyone. He mailed the owners of the homes and the banks with the mortgage and told them of his plans. The lease with his tenants disclosed that he wasn’t the legal owner. And yet, he still faces a prison sentence? Do you think that is fair? I don’t. Please tell me what you think in the comments section below. Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at shonntsellshomes@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation. When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 925-754-1611 Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here. Thinking about a loan modification? Our California loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy Thanks for reading this, Shonn Thompson. Shonn is a Real Estate Agent at Better Homes Realty. Antioch Short Sales Realtor: Phone: 925-754-1611. shonntsellshomes@gmail.com. Experience and Results That Will Move You! View My homes for sale at www.shonnthompson.com. Shonn Thompson specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Antioch California Antioch Loan Modification Help, Antioch Short Sales. Antioch Short Sale Realtors. Pittsburg Loan Modification Help, Pittsburg Short Sales, Pittsburg Short Sale Realtor Brentwood Loan Modification Help, Brentwood Short Sales, Brentwood Short Sale Realtor Short Sale Realtor. Antioch CA Short Sales. Antioch Realtor. Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Shonn Thompson's personal views and do not reflect the views of Better Homes Realty. This information on Antioch Short Sales: Saint or Sinner? You Decide is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.
Patrick White
Home Driven Realty, Inc - Baldwin, NY
Driven to bring New Yorkers home

Good Afternoon Shonn

Thanks for the post. Have a great day.

Dec 14, 2010 06:50 AM
Chuck Carstensen
RE/MAX Results - Elk River, MN
Minnesota/Wisconsin Real Estate Expert

Its interesting that someone would fix these up knowing he was not the owner. I like the idea but I think it probably should get him in trouble.

Dec 14, 2010 06:54 AM