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TOP SECRET SHORT SALE APPROVAL DOCUMENTATION LEAKED - READ IT HERE

Reblogger Scott Warga
Home Inspector with ACSI American Construction Specialists & Investigations

 

This was written by an attorney in Florida and has some good information if you are dealing with short sales.

I think it may be helpful to know this information if you are advising tou clients at all about a short sale.

I don't know if this is a oone time thing or the same info they use every time, but it shows how the banks think.

Enjoy

 

Original content by Richard Zaretsky

It is not too often we "in the trenches" of short sale negotiations get to understand why lenders act the way they do through "behind the scenes" documentation.  However a couple of months ago we did get some "lender to servicer" documentation that I thought was interesting enough to pass on to my ActiveRain readers.  Note: the documentation you are about to read states in BOLD CAPITALS, "YOU MAY NOT GIVE A COPY OF THIS COVER LETTER TO THE BORROWER, THE CLOSING ATTORNEY/SETTLEMENT AGENT, REAL ESTATE BROKER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY".  I would add that I am not sure how we obtained this information, but it is not the first time I have seen documentation like this.

FreddieMac is along with FreddieMae, one of the largest owners of residential mortgage paper in the country.  Their procedures for processing the short sale approval should be intriguing to us that do short sales.  How FreddieMac instructs its mortgage loan servicer is also important to understanding the short sale process.  The document pages that follow relate to a loan that has already closed as a short sale.  Some of the instructions refer to the Single Family Seller/Servicer Guide  and FORM 104SF.

You will see that the documents have the "feel" of a short sale approval letter you might see from any of a number of the major loan servicers - but what you have below are the terms and conditions that the lender is giving to the servicer of the mortgage.  For those that may not know, the "servicer" is the pseudo lender - they have the look and feel and touch of a lender but in fact they are only a hired agent to work as a liaison between the actual lender and the actual borrower, for which the servicer is paid a percentage of the interest received every month from the borrower as payment on the note and mortgage.

Enjoy reading.  You will probably have to pause every once in a while to remind yourself that these are instructions NOT to the borrower, but to the servicer as given by the lender.

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Copyright 2011 Richard P. Zaretsky, Esq.

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Be sure to contact your own attorney for your state laws, and always consult your own attorney on any legal decision you need to make.  This article is for information purposes and is not specific advice to any one reader.

Richard Zaretsky, Esq., RICHARD P. ZARETSKY P.A. ATTORNEYS AT LAW, 1655 PALM BEACH LAKES BLVD, SUITE 900, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33401, PHONE 561 689 6660  email: RPZ99@Florida-Counsel.com  - FLORIDA BAR BOARD CERTIFIED IN REAL ESTATE LAW - We assist Brokers and Sellers with Short Sales and Modifications and Consult with Brokers and Sellers Nationwide!  Shortsales@Florida-Counsel.com   New Website www.Florida-Counsel.com .

See our easy to understand articles at:

TABLE OF CONTENTS - SHORT SALE AND LOAN MODIFICATION ARTICLES

Tom Robinson
Keller Williams Realty Kingstowne/Alexandria, VA Office - Fairfax, VA
Experienced Real Estate, Professional Serving No. VA and DC

It will be nice to get back to the good ole days of a normal market or is this it now?

May 14, 2011 02:40 AM
Debbie Laity
Cedaredge Land Company - Cedaredge, CO
Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County, CO

Thanks for sharing. I'm an agent doing short sales. I've seen the last letter, but not the first one. I know the short sale process has gotten easier over the last two years, but I still wish the banks would approve more of them, and streamline the process even more, so we can avoid the foreclosure process which ends up costing the bank, and the seller, more in the long run.

The big scary monster out there for my sellers is the chance of the bank coming after them for the deficiency. I noticed these letters didn't say anything about the bank NOT filing a deficiency judgement. Do you have any pointers for getting the lender to do that in writing?

I've talked with our public trustee and he says the major banks are all filing the judgements. Where we aren't seeing the judgement filed is when the loan is held by a smaller, local bank.

May 14, 2011 02:56 AM
Dave Halpern
Dave Halpern Real Estate Agent, Inc., Louisville, KY (502) 664-7827 - Louisville, KY
Louisville Short Sale Expert

I'm not surprised that they send out information they're not supposed to. Just another sign of their confusion.

May 15, 2011 04:04 AM
The Scott Loper Team Bux-Mont Premier Properties
Keller Williams Real Estate - Montgomeryville - Lansdale, PA

Hi Scott,

Interesting stuff!  Thanks for reblogging.  It is not surprising that short sales are so difficult; the servicers are bound by these stringent guidleines with little authority to use their own discretion.

Lisa

May 17, 2011 12:48 AM