Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
If you watched the entire video, you probably heard Ron Insana say now is the absolute best time to buy a home. His comments were for both buyers looking to buy their primary residences and investors looking to buy foreclosures. The fact that interest rates are at all-time lows, home prices are at levels not seen since 2001, and some very attractive tax incentives, make it the best time to buy real estate.
]]>
Before the process can begin there must be an agreement between both lender and borrower. It’s an agreement between two parties that involves many complexities. The most valuable aspect of the transaction for the homeowner is the avoidance of foreclosure.
The two parties first agree to the short sale, and then they must deal with all of the various and complex aspects of the bank short sale process. For example, they must decide how much of and the manner of the debt to be forgiven, the price of the home, payment of fees, and then deal with the purchase agreement. It is absolutely vital at every stage to have the assistance of a professional. The short sale process is not to be done on your own!
The homeowner will need to complete a document known as the hardship letter to verify how they ended up in the short sale process. The statements in this document will be verified by various financial documents provided by the homeowner. It is in this manner that the lender will verify how the borrower ended up being so dangerously close to foreclosure.
In the end, the short sale process is done for the bank to be able to keep its losses at a bare minimum. For this reason the lender must have the home appraised by real estate professionals in order to to assess the fair market value. It is all about the bank trying to recover as much of its money as possible.
If the home is sold in accordance with the agreement – then the money will be used to settle the debt. The bank is not obligated to wait any longer than they agreed to wait in the contract. They can legally proceed with foreclosure if it is not sold by the date agreed to in the contract. These issues will be clearly stated in the agreement.
Just because you go through the short sale process, your credit doesn’t have to be destroyed. There are many aspects to a short sale and many borrowers have missed deadlines relating to financial issues directly affecting their credit rating. Their credit was damaged as a result. Some end up with damaged credit due to having other areas of financial responsibility involved in the short sale process. Damaged credit is not a definitive result of a bank short sale. This is one of the more prominent reasons that we have to acquire experts and then follow their advice.
Our goal is to pass through the short sale process and come out with the least amount of damage possible. If we do it correctly, we could come out with no property taxes, credit rating in tact, all of our fees paid, and neither bankruptcy nor foreclosure! This will be our reward – we may lose our home, but we’ll be in a great position to buy another.
Perry Zohanson has been assisting homeowners facing the short sale process for years. Be sure to read his bank short sale blog for free tips on how to make the short sale process work for you.
From: http://vacationhousesusa.com/2009/09/18/the-short-sale-process-my-safety-from-foreclosure/
]]>