Short Sales
A "Short Sale" is a situation in which the seller (1) owes more money on the loan (and any other liens on the property) than the sale of the property will likely produce on the market and (2) is unable or unwilling to bring money to closing. In a "short sale", the lender has not yet foreclosed on the property, which provides a window of opportunity for the owner to sell the property in order to at least partially satisfy the amount owed to the lender.
Why Short Sales are Preferable to Foreclosures
Short Sales are considered preferable to foreclosures because short sales (1) lessen the impact a foreclosure can have on the surrounding community and (2) won't damage the distressed owner's credit as much as a foreclosure.
SHORT SALES | FORECLOSURES |
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¤ Ideal Buyer candidates for Short Sales are those who:
- Have few to No Contingencies
- Do not have to sell their current home before purchasing a Short Sale property.
- Are patient and have time to wait out the months of delay
- Have resources to repair and rehab the property, if needed
What is the SHORT SALE process?
The lender will usually request a hardship letter. A hardship letter is telling the lender why the homeowners are not making their mortgage payments. Sometimes they will request bank statement, pay stubs, income statements, and so on. Be prepared to send them everything they ask for because if you don't it will not be accepted. They will almost always ask for a HUD-1 and a real estate purchase and sales agreement. I will send a complete package to the lender ASAP. It usually takes 3 weeks or more to get an answer back from the lender, so we can't afford to wait. If the auction is approaching, I can ask to extend the auction which in most cases they will, if they know it is a legitimate offer.
Next in the short sales process is the BPO. This stands for Brokers Price Opinion. Basically a real estate agent will come out and give their opinion on what the house is worth. The key to short sales is the BPO. I will try everything to influence the BPO to come in as low as possible. The BPO's value for the property is typically what the lender will counter back with. However, if the BPO comes in somewhere near the offer then the investor may agree to the purchase price. The short sales process can be a long process and if you're a buyer looking to but a house in 30 days, this is not the way for you. A buyer who is interested in a Short Sale needs to have nothing but time on their hands. I was in a Short Sale situation for 9 months (I was representing the buyer) only to have the lender counter $54,000 over the listing price! If you do have time, than you can possibly get a great deal on a house.