3 Common Myths About Real Estate Short Sales

There is a lot of misleading and incorrect information about Atlanta real estate short sales.

Many people don't have a clear understanding of the purpose of short sales or how they actually work.

Essentially, a short sale is when one sells their home for less than the balance remaining on the mortgage attached to the property.

The proceeds from the sale are used to repay a pre-negotiated portion of the balance to settle the debt.

A short sale can be a solution for homeowners who really need to sell their home but owe more on the mortgage than the home is worth.

Understanding the short sale process can help make the most out of a real estate sale.

Here are some common myths and why they are false:

A short sale damages one's credit record as much as foreclosure

In many cases a short sale is less damaging to your credit record than a foreclosure. Some lenders may think that the short seller acted in a more responsible manner than simply walking away from the property.

Although the amount paid may have been less than the mortgage balance outstanding, the loan was settled with the lender. Opting for foreclosure is often seen as a lack of responsibility.

To qualify for a short sale one must be behind on payments

This might have been true in the past, but it’s not anymore.

You just need to be able to prove that you are in financial hardship, which could be due to death in the family, divorce, job loss, mortgage rate hike or even loss of property value.

After a short sale you can’t buy again for five to seven years

This may be true in some cases, but not all. In certain situations the waiting period can be reduced as low as two or three years before you are allowed to purchase another home.

It would be wise to speak with licensed real estate professional or home financing specialist to get the most current options in the marketplace.

Pass it on

These are just a few examples of commonly believed short sale myths. A clear understanding of the short sale and the benefits it  can provide is important for financially strapped homeowners.

Feel free to pass this important information on to someone that you feel would benefit from it.

 

 

When Can You Buy Real Estate After Foreclosure?

If you lost your Atlanta home due to foreclosure, you probably haven't given up on the dream of owning a new home. The good news is that a number of guidelines have changed which may allow  you an opportunity to buy that new home sooner than you think.  

There are a few guidelines that lenders follow to determine when you’ll qualify for financing after foreclosure. Arming yourself with this information may help you qualify again for a mortgage.

Foreclosure With Extenuating Circumstances

Generally, lenders will take into consideration any extenuating circumstances surrounding the foreclosure on your Georgia real estate.

Was there a death or illness that prevented you from earning money to pay your mortgage? Did you have a job transfer that came with a steep pay cut? Were you severely injured and temporarily disabled as a result?

You can add a memo that explains any lapses in credit worthiness to potential lenders. This report can be as long or as short as needed.

Many lenders will shorten the waiting period for documented extenuating circumstances. Traditionally the waiting period after a foreclosure is seven years. However, these waiting period guidelines may change and you would be best served by getting up to date information from a qualified mortgage professional.

Deed-in-Lieu of Foreclosure and Short Sale

You may be wondering what the waiting period for financing is if you have exercised a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure or successfully negotiated a short sale. Fortunately many lenders offer options if you were able to avoid an actual foreclosure.

Traditionally the waiting period for a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure can be four to seven years. If there were special circumstances surrounding the deal, you might be able to qualify in as little as two years. The lender may have certain down payment or credit score requirements as a condition of approval.

Getting financing after a short sale generally has the shortest waiting time before qualifying for a new home loan. Generally the lender will only require a two-year waiting period before they'll approve financing. Once again, a call to a licensed mortgage professional will give you the most up-to-date information.

The good news about financing after foreclosure is that it is possible. Your dreams of owning a home can be fulfilled even if  you have experienced a foreclosure in your past.

3 Ways To Purchase Foreclosed Properties

The process of buying a foreclosed home is slightly different from the process of buying a non-foreclosure home.  If you want to invest in Marietta foreclosures, therefore, it is important to understand the different ways by which to purchase a foreclosed home.

There are three main ways to buy a foreclosed home.

Buying before the auction
Some delinquent homeowners may want to sell their homes before facing an actual foreclosure.In this instance, the homeowner, in agreement with the lender, agrees to sell the home for less than the amount owed on the mortgage.This is called a short sale. Short sales are "pre-foreclosures", of sorts. By broadening your home search to include short sales, you can identify homes that may be sold at a discount.

Buying at the auction
Another way by which you can invest in foreclosure homes is by buying the home at auction. From area to area, the legal requirements for the sale of a foreclosed home at auction may differ. If you plan to buy at auction, you'll want to be familiar with your area's customary judicial proceedings.

Buying after the auction
Buying after the auction means buying bank-owned properties. This can be the most lucrative and safest means of investing foreclosure properties. This is because lenders often reduce the sales prices of their home inventory in order to "sell it quickly". It can be expensive for banks to own foreclosed homes, and few banks are equipped for managing owned homes. Check with your local real estate agent to see what, if any, bank-owned homes are available for sale in your area.

The process of buying a distressed home is different from the process of buying a "traditional" one. Therefore, regardless of which path you follow to buy a foreclosed property, have an experienced real estate professional on your team.

Short Sales Outnumber Foreclosure Sales For Third Straight Quarter

Foreclosure-tracker RealtyTrac reports falling foreclosure sales nationwide as banks get better at selling homes via short sale.

In its Q3 2012 report, RealtyTrac says that 193,059 homes in some stage of foreclosure were sold, accounting for 19% of all residential home sales. In addition, pre-foreclosure sales -- also known as "short sales" -- climbed 22% on a year-over-year basis.

For the first time since 2007, the number of short sales outnumbered the number of homes sold in foreclosure over three consecutive quarters.

The average price of a short sale home fell by 5 percent as compared to a year ago which may reflect an eagerness on the part of mortgage lenders to dispose of distressed properties before they fall into foreclosure. Foreclosures can increase a lender's losses, and foreclosed properties be expensive to manage.

Compare the average Q3 2012 sale price of a home in short sale versus one in foreclosure :

• Average sale price of a residential property in short sale : $191,025
• Average sale price of a residential property in foreclosure : $161,954

It's not just the higher home sale prices that have pushing banks to settle on short sales, either. Short sales are less costly, too. Foreclosing on a home requires banks to pay court costs, among other fees, and which positions the short sale outcome as a clear winner for many banks. 

For homebuyers in Georgia , the banking industry's shift toward short sales is welcome news.

Buying a short sale has been a notoriously slow process with a lack of defined timeline. As banks improve their distressed sales division, they're getting faster and more efficient. This makes it "easier" for a buyer to buy a home in short sale.

However, don't buy a short sale without the help of an experienced, licensed real estate professional.

The negotiation process is different for a short sale than with a "traditional" home purchase. Time lines are different, responsibilities are different, and purchase contract language may be different, too. The same is true for buying a foreclosure.

Short Sale : Writing A Letter Of Hardship

A short sale is when a property is sold for less than its remaining mortgage principal balance, and executed as a way for both the existing homeowner and mortgage lender to reduce their respective losses.

Typically, although not always, short sales are reserved for situations of extreme financial hardship; just prior a bank beginning foreclosure proceedings.

Short sales are not automatic, however. Homeowners must often prove the merits a short sale to their lender, which often involves documenting that selling the home for less than its worth is the best and most viable option for all parties involved. 

The short sale process starts with a letter of hardship.

To prove your short sale worthiness to the bank, you'll be asked to submit a cover letter which explains your hardship, and to provide full financial disclosure. You will also need your original purchase contract, a balance sheet of your income and expenses, your asset statements and proof of income, and two years of federal tax returns.

Lenders prefer handwritten letters and are more apt to agree to a short sale for homeowners who may have lost jobs or encountered significant medical bills, as opposed to those who engaged careless spending.

Draft a compelling letter and avoid extraneous details. Be short, be thorough, and be complete.

In addition, note that the following traits can help speed your short sale approval : 

• The home is marketable
• A second lien holder, if one exists, is amenable to short sale proceedings
• A foreclosure is not scheduled within the next four months

Choosing to short sale your home in Alpharetta or anywhere else , though, is not something which a homeowner should pursue alone.

The process of selling a home in a "distressed" state is significantly different from selling a non-distressed home. Homeowners selling in a short sale should seek the advice and counsel of an experienced real estate agent.

Foreclosures Fall To 5-Year Low

Foreclosures filings fell 5 percent between March and April of this year, and by 11 percent as compared to one year ago. The data comes from RealtyTrac. The foreclosure-tracking firm tallied fewer than 189,000 foreclosure-related actions last month -- the fewest number since July 2007.

Rapidly-declining foreclosure figures are another signal that the U.S. housing market may already be in recovery.

According to RealtyTrac's methodology, a "foreclosure filing" is any one of the following foreclosure-related events : (1) A default notice on a home; (2) A scheduled auction for a home; or, (3) A bank repossession of a home.

All three showed improvement in April :

• Default Notices were down 4% from March 2012
• Scheduled Auctions were down 4% from March 2012
• Bank Repossessions were down 7% from March 2012

Furthermore, April's bank repossessions figure is notable. With just 51,415 homes reclaimed by banks, last month's total represents a 26 percent drop from April 2011, and is the 18th consecutive month during which bank repossessions fell. This figure suggests that banks are seeking alternatives to foreclosure, including loan modifications and short sales, when appropriate.

Indeed, the National Association of REALTORS® reports that 11 percent of April's home resales were short sales.

Whether you're a first-time home buyer or an experienced one, homes in various stages of foreclosure can be alluring. They're readily available and often come cheap as compared to non-distressed properties. However, make sure to look beyond just the "list price". Foreclosed homes are often sold as-is. This means that the property could be run-down or rife with defects that render it uninhabitable and/or un-lendable.  

If you plan to buy a foreclosed property in Atlanta , therefore, engage an experienced real estate professional. You can learn a lot about how foreclosures work by doing research on the internet, but when it comes to writing contracts and checking homes for defects, you'll want an experienced agent on your side.