Short Sale Archives – Page 2 of 2

Differences Between A Short Sale And A Foreclosure If you’re looking to get a non-traditional deal on a new home purchase, you may encounter either a short sale or a foreclosure. These two terms refer to sales that are not usual. As a homebuyer, it’s important to understand the differences between them and how each one might affect your buying experience.

What’s A Short Sale?

A short sale is a situation where the owner has a strong motivation to hurry up and sell their home. In so doing, they’re willing to sell for less than what they owe on the house. Homeowners have a variety of reasons why they might do a short sale. Their reasons might include a personal emergency, or they might be trying to protect themselves against a future foreclosure.

In a short sale, the owner’s lender has to be apprised of the plan. In many cases, the lender is supportive of the short sale, since it keeps them from having to go through the long and expensive process of a foreclosure.

Short sales can represent great deals for buyers. However, since this type of sale is so unusual, the process of buying often takes a much longer time than a regular home purchase. You’ll need to be patient, but if the sale does go through, your patience can certainly pay off.

What’s A Foreclosure?

A foreclosure is a situation where the owner’s lender is forcing the sale of the property due to unpaid mortgage payments. The lender is essentially taking back ownership of the property. The bank then puts the home up for sale as a foreclosure, and is the official seller of the property.

A foreclosure property may offer a good deal for a buyer, but the process may be long and drawn-out. Since the seller is the lender, they are not in any particular hurry to sell a property, and the transaction can be very complicated.

If you’re interested in buying a short sale or a foreclosure, you should be sure to contact your trusted home mortgage professional for pre-approval and financing options. It’s also important to utilize the resources of a trusted real estate agent that specializes in these types of transactions. These professionals can help you to successfully navigate through the red tape that often occurs with short sales and foreclosures.

3 Critical Tips for Buying a Home in a Short Sale You just found your perfect home, and you feel like everything is right including the price. But, what could be wrong with your ideal home? Maybe, it is being sold as a short sale, and that could present a major challenge if you want to become be the eventual homeowner.

Short sales are different from other conventional real estate transactions since the property in question is usually listed at a price that is much lower than the amount of the outstanding mortgage debt.

Unlike a regular sale, the homeowner must obtain permission from the lender before proceeding with the transaction. Whether you are a veteran property buyer or a first-time home buyer, closing a deal on a short sale can be a challenging and stressful experience. We compiled the top three tips for buying a home in a short sale.

Consult A Short Sale Expert

First, you should consider getting help from a short sale expert who will help you identify homes that are being offered as short sales, help you determine a reasonable purchase price and also advise you on what to include in your offer to make it attractive to the seller.

Before you go for a particular short sale expert, ask them how many buyers they have helped purchase homes on short sales and how long they have been in business.

Good Deals Take Patience

Secondly, remember to be patient when engaging in a short sale deal. There is a high likelihood that most buyers will get impatient after several weeks of waiting and walk away from the deal leaving you in a strong position to negotiate.

If you understand that the initial offer on any short sale can take a long time before the lender accepts or rejects it, you will be in a better position to get a good deal since there will be no stiff competition. However, you should keep in mind that the lender might reject your offer.

Get A Full Loan Approval Early

Lastly, make sure that you get approved for a loan and not just pre-approved. Go through the trouble of getting approved if you want to stand a good chance of landing your dream home through a short sale.

Keep in mind that there will be multiple bids on the property and most of the prospective buyers will be pre-approved. Since you want to get the home at the best possible price below the market prices, being fully approved will make your offer stand out with the lender since you no longer face the risk of your financing falling apart at the last minute.

Entering into a short sale transaction will require patience and diligence. Your best partners will be your trusted real estate and home loan professionals.