Tag: Foreclosure Prevention

Can you do a Short Sale if you’re not behind on your Mortgage?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Typically, homeowners that are no longer able to continue paying their mortgage are going through some kind of hardship such as job loss, decrease in pay or hours, health issues, divorce, death, mortgage payment adjustment, and even incarceration. Oftentimes, however, there are reasons that people must sell their homes when there is no hardship. These include job transfer, military deployment, etc. And, in most cases, for all of the reasons mentioned above lenders have been very accommodating to those who want to sell.

However, now more than ever we get contacted by sellers that want to Short Sale their house but they don’t fall into either category mentioned above. They can afford to keep making their payments but they hate the idea of paying on a mortgage with a principal balance that is a lot more than their property is worth. These sellers just want to get out of a bad investment and get on with their lives.

The truth is that it’s hard to say whether the lender will approve a short sale for a homeowner that has no hardship. Some lenders are more flexible in that respect than others.

It’s important to be aware that many short-sale lenders are controlled by the guidelines of the investors that own your loan. So, while a loan may be serviced by Wells Fargo, the loan is actually owned by another entity. It is that other entity that decides on accepting or declining your short sale. Most investors do require that the sellers have missed mortgage payments, and others do not.

Unfortunately, you just don’t know how things will play out until you start the short sale process with the lender. Only after you get the ball rolling with the short sale will you know what the lender will require from you.

If you’re current on your mortgage but would like to short sale your Orlando property because it owes more money than it’s worth, come in and see us. One of our Orlando short sale experts will give you a free “seller’s situation analysis” so that you can find out what your options are and move forward with the knowledge that you need to make the right decision.

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More Senior Citizens Facing Orlando Foreclosure

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Older Americans who own Orlando real estate are not immune to the foreclosure process

Many Americans that are 55+, grew up thinking that real estate in Orlando would only appreciate in value and that you need to own a house to be financially secure. That way of thinking was passed on from there parents and was shared by just about everyone else in that generation. Unfortunately, according to AARP Senior Americans got in just as much hot water as the younger generations.

The perception is that older Americans are more housing secure than younger people, but the truth is that millions of Americans that are over the age of 55 are carrying more mortgage debt than ever before, over three million of which are at risk of losing their homes.  And as of December 2011, approximately 3.5 million loans of people age 55+ were upside down, meaning that their home is worth less than the loan amount. From 2007 to 2011, a staggering 1.5 million + older Americans lost their homes to foreclosure.

Even though older Americans still have lower foreclosure rates than people that are under 55, they are increasing at an alarming rate.

Older Americans weren’t immune to the Orlando real estate boom and bust. They took out equity lines of credit when Orlando property values shot up, sold their homes for retail prices and purchased investment properties that floundered just like everybody else.

 The biggest difference here is that if you’re under 55 and lose your house to foreclosure, you still have time to get back on your feet through hard work and perseverance. Older Americans don’t have this option because the truth of the matter is that time is not on their side. When I think about Older people losing their homes to foreclosure, it literally brings tears to my eyes, it’s just really sad.
 
For generations, home ownership has been a safety net in retirement, the report notes. Equity that built up over decades could be tapped for medical bills, supplement fixed incomes or help transition into an assisted living facility. If a senior needs to transition to an assisted living facility but can’t sell his house to get the money to pay for it, then that’s a huge problem.

Gail Matillo, director of elder housing for the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, recommends seniors call a local aging resource center if they are having trouble with house payments. The statewide hot line is 800-863-5337.

If you are in need of an Orlando Short Sale, call us for a free consultation.

 

 

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Orlando short sale vs. Deed in Lieu

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 

A deed in lieu/ foreclosure with a smile

By now just about everyone living in Orlando has heard of terms such as “short sale” , “deed in lieu”, loan modification, etc. It’s important to know exactly what the difference is between these terms are and what the implications are. For  example; many  homeowners believe that a deed in lieu is  the same as doing a short sale.  This couldn’t be further than the truth. A deed in lieu is simply put is a foreclosure with a smile on it’s face or a “voluntary foreclosure”.

An overlooked downside to a deed in lieu of foreclosure is the possible forgiveness of the deficiency balance. Under federal law, a creditor is required to file a 1099C whenever it forgives a loan balance greater than $600. This may create a tax liability for the former property owner because it is considered “income.” However, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 provides tax relief for some loans forgiven in 2007 through 2012.

The key issue in a deed in lieu of foreclosure is whether the lender is willing to forgive the deficiency balance. Make sure to read the contract carefully to see how the deficiency balance issue is handled. If the document is unclear, take it to an experienced Orlando real estate attorney with experience in property law. An attorney’s time is not cheap, but will be a bargain compared to signing an agreement you do not understand and are surprised later to realize its implications.

 

Consider Doing an Orlando Short Sale Instead of a deed in lieu

I’ve had a countless number of Orlando homeowners over the years come into my office asking me to explain the difference between a deed in lieu and a short sale. By doing an Orlando short sale the lender agrees to accept less than the balance owed on the mortgage at sale. The deficiency balance may be forgiven and you also may qualify for a “Cash for Keys” program which means that by doing a short sale, your lender may give you a cash incentive [between 3- 30 thousand dollars] . On the other hand a deed in lieu of foreclosure is basically a voluntary foreclosure n which you sign the deed over to the lender and walk away. However, a foreclosure, unlike a deed in lieu of foreclosure, the ownership of the property is not transferred to the mortgage holder, and remains with the owner.

The lesson here is if you are considering either a deed in lieu of foreclosure or a short sale you must review the terms and conditions carefully and make certain you understand whether the deficiency balance is forgiven. This is why it’s absolutely crucial to consult with an Orlando Real Estate expertwhen making such an important decision.

Lenders prefer short sales over taking a property to foreclosure because they don’t want to own distressed properties. They would much rather see the owner sell the property and lose the deficiency balance than be forced to take the property through foreclosure, as foreclosure is a costly and time-consuming process.

Another reason to consider a Orlando short sale over a foreclosure is that Foreclosure auctions tend to bring significantly less money than a normal sale would bring. If the sale brings less than the amount owed on the loan, the remaining balance of the loan is called a deficiency balance. This means that you could end up with a deficiency judgment against you for the balance.

If you still have questions about Orlando short sales, come see us for a free consultation. We’ve been specializing in Florida short sales and our team of Certified Distressed Property Experts are up  to date on the latest laws and regulations when it comes to Orlando real estate ensuring that our clients get the best options available to them.

 

Jenny Zamora, Lic.  RE  Broker, CDPE

 

 

 

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Orlando Homeowners Have all the Power!

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

We all know how thousands of Orlando homeowners have suffered through this foreclosure crisis since 2007.  There is another group of individuals that is also feeling the effects of all this…Lenders.

The truth is, banks have taken an extensive beating over the last few years and the effects are starting to show. Lenders don’t have many options when it comes to managing Orlando foreclosure properties. Even the usual process of foreclosure has been anything but reliable.

Orlando Homeowners have all the power.

A homeowner with the right strategy can stay in their home for over three years without making a single mortgage payment. I know this for a fact because several of my clients are in this situation.
Fact: It actually costs the lender less money to let the homeowner stay for free and maintaining the property than it does to evict the homeowner and pay to have the property maintained.

Don’t freak out, go see an Orlando Realty professional

I just cringe every time someone comes in to see us and they tell me that they moved out of there house because they fell behind on their mortgage and they thought that the “Big Bad Bank” was coming to kick them out. Unfortunately, most of the time it’s too late to do anything about it because they’ve already turned the key into the bank and moved into a new lease.
It kills me because if they would’ve just come in to see us when everything first happened, they could’ve saved tens of thousands of dollars and lots of stress.

That’s not the way it works!

Here are 3 things that you absolutely need to know if you’ve fallen behind on your mortgage.
1-    Don’t stop talking to your lender! As a matter of fact, call them often and tell them what’s happening with you. Ignoring the situation is the worst thing you can do!
2-    Even if the bank begins foreclosure proceedings, they have to inform you well in advance [in writing] of hearing dates, sale dates, etc. They can’t just kick you out from one day to the next.
3-    Talk to an Orlando Real Estate Expert. It’s free to speak with a top Orlando Realtor and an experienced agent will be able to inform you of all your options and help you come up with the perfect plan for you.

One thing is for sure, there has never been a better time in history to do an Orlando short sale than right now. There are so many homeowners facing foreclosure right now that banks are having to negotiate better and better deals.
We’ve gotten our clients anywhere from $3,000.00 to over $20,000.00 back from the lender depending on what program we‘re able to qualify them for.

Still have questions? Ask me anything, I’m here to help

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Orlando Short Sale Listings Rise Dramatically

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

The market is seeing a remarkable spike in Orlando short sales, an increase in overall median sales price for existing homes and increases in median sales prices for foreclosed properties. The Orlando Regional Realtor Association (ORRA) reported that in November 2011, short sales jumped 39.38 percent versus prior year sales.  Surprisingly, the accompanying median sales prices jumped by 7.07 percent; rising from $99,000 to $106,000.  The fact is that 73 percent of homes under contract and pending closing are short sales” …Wow! That’s a big number.
Although the performance stats for the Orlando real estate market are encouraging we’re not out of the woods yet. The good news is that there will be some great real estate deals in Orlando for some time to come. If you need to get your Orlando house sold for top dollar quickly, contact us today.

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