Will They Extend the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act?

There are tens of thousands of distressed homeowners wondering the same things right now. Will Congress continue to help out consumers who are behind on their mortgages by extending the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 for one more year?

The act was put in place in order to help homeowners with underwater mortgages by forgiving the taxes owed on the difference between the short sale payoff and the full amount of the loan. Under the current federal tax law, the amount forgiven by the lender gets reported as ordinary income for the homeowner.


The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 expired last Dec. 31 and has yet to be renewed for principal reductions during 2014. These principal reductions can apply to loan modifications that were done by lenders, foreclosures, and short sales. Many believe that Congress will extend the law however if they don’t, hundreds of thousands of distressed homeowners will be hit with tax burdens that they may not be able to handle.

I’ve had several dozen Orlando homeowners that would’ve opted to do a short sale on their home but have filed for bankruptcy instead rather than hoping for Congress to renew the law. I believe that it’s for reason that we’ve seen a significant drop in Orlando’s short sales so far in 2014. The fact is that I can’t recommend for homeowners take a chance on a tax law that may or may not get renewed.

Let’s get back to the main question: Will the mortgage forgiveness act be extended?

The truth is that we just won’t know until it happens… or doesn’t happen. And for underwater homeowners that have received or plan on receiving a reduction on their principal balance, it’s going to be a stressful time until it all plays out.

Short Sale May Still Be The Best Option

Regardless of whether Congress decides to extend the law or not, a short sale may still be the way to go for some distressed homeowners. If you compare a short sale to a foreclosure, you’re still better off doing a short sale, and here’s the reason why. If a house goes to foreclosure, it will still sell for way below the full payoff amount and you would still be facing possible tax burdens. The difference is that by doing a short sale you would avoid having a foreclosure on your record and you will also have a chance at getting relocation assistance from the lender.

 

 

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Do You Need An Attorney To Short Sale?

Do You Need An Attorney To Short Sale? 407-902-7750 Video

There’s a common misconception among distressed homeowners that you need to hire an attorney in order to complete a short sale on your home. The truth is that you don’t need to hire an attorney in order to complete a short sale.  The lender does however require that a licensed real estate agent represent the seller in order for a short sale to be approved.

There are some cases where you would want to consult with an attorney such as;  if there’s title issues, the property’s in probate or if there’s a Bankruptcy involved, etc.

Now with that being said, most of the time you don’t need to hire an attorney to short sale your home.

One of the most popular reasons why people hire a short-sale realtor instead of an attorney is the cost. Attorneys can charge you thousands of dollars to do your short sale, whereas a licensed realtor does it for free.

Wouldn’t you rather save your money instead of turning it over to a lawyer?

A realtor only gets paid if the short sale closes, and they get paid by the lender,it doesn’t cost the homeowner a dime. Not only that, but most of the time we get you cash back a closing. We’ve gotten our clients anywhere from $3,00 to $30,000.00 back at closing.

There are currently thousands of Orlando homeowners that are looking for help with their situation. The process isn’t just hard, It’s scary. We’re talking about potentially getting kicked out of your home. This is why it’s crucial that you get help from a proven Orlando Short sale Expert.

We understand this which is why we are devoted to helping people that are facing foreclosure and financial hardship to find solutions to their real estate needs.

If you or someone you know needs help with a short sale. visit our website at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/short-sales/ or just give us a call at 407-902-7750 for a Free consultation.

 

 

Orlando short sale expert

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How Will A Short Sale Affect Your Credit?

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How Will A Short Sale affect Your Credit?

Over the years I’ve gotten this question more time than I can remember. “How will a short sale will affect my credit?”

A short sale can have a lot less of an effect on your credit score than a foreclosure. But, it must be done correctly.

Short sales can happen if a lender agrees to accept less than the amount owed against the home because there is not enough equity in it to pay all costs of the sale.

It’s important to note that not all lenders will agree to a short sale.

If your request is approved, your agent should ask your lender to report the short sale as “paid in full,” as part of the negotiation.

There have been reports that a short sale has about the same impact on your credit score as a foreclosure. However, from experience with our own clients, that’s never been the case.

Most of the time, sellers that have completed a short sale report that their credit score only dropped by 100 points or so, which can be easily fixed by any decent credit repair company.

The biggest advantage of a short sale, as opposed to a foreclosure, is that you will be able to qualify to buy another home within two years as opposed to five to seven years after a foreclosure.

I hope this video was helpful, If you still have questions, feel free to contact us at 407-902-7750 or visit us at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/short-sales/

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Alternatives To Short Sale

Alternatives To Short Sale Video

 

If your lender doesn’t agree to a short sale on your house, there are several other options available to you.
One option would be a “deed in lieu “, which is basically a voluntary foreclosure and all that happens is that you sign the property back over to the bank without going through the whole legal process involved with a foreclosure. You should be aware however that a deed in lieu will show up on your credit as a foreclosure.

 

Another option available to you, if you’re interested in trying to keep your house is a loan modification.  A loan modification is when we try and get the terms of your loan adjusted so that you can afford to keep your home. We do this by either getting your payment reduced or reducing the principal balance or both.

 

Bankruptcy is also an option to avoid foreclosure. There are 2 different types of bankruptcies, a chapter 7 and chapter 13. In this case you would need to talk to a Bankruptcy attorney, and most of them will give you a free consultation on the initial visit.

What if you just let your house go to foreclosure?

 

I would highly recommend that you don’t take this approach because you are just giving up, and when you give up then you’re giving up all control of your situation to the bank and then they can do what they want at that point.

 

Also, don’t think that just because you let it go to foreclosure, that you will be free of that debt. Actually the opposite will probably happen and the bank will hit you with a deficiency judgment for the difference between what you owe and what the property sold for at the auction.

 

So please if you find yourself in this situation, consult with a licensed real estate professional figure out what your best option is and take action.

 

Feel free to call us at 407-902-7750 or visit us at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/short-sales/

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Short Sale With No Hardship

Short Sale With No Hardship – Video

Normally, 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, mortgage payment increase,
even incarceration.

Sometimes.however, people need to sell their home not because of a hardship, but for other special circumstances like a job transfer, military deployment, etc. And, in most cases, for the reasons I just mentioned, lenders have been very accommodating to those that need to sell.
There is another reason however why homeowners want to short sale there home and that is simply to get out of a bad investment.
These homeowners know that they owe the bank way more money than the house will ever be worth and they just want to get that debt off their back and get on with their lives.
The 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.

 

So, the question is…Can you short sale your home without being behind on your payments so that your credit doesn’t get damaged?

 

The truth is that there’s no way of knowing until you try. Some lenders are more flexible in that respect than others and the only way to know is to give it shot.
It’s important to be aware that many short sale lenders.are controlled by the guidelines of the investors that own the loan.
So while a loan may be serviced by Wells Fargo or B of A or whoever, the loan is actually owned by another entity.
and It’s that other entity that decides on accepting or declining your short sale.

From our own experience. 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.

If you’re current on your mortgage but would like to short sale your Orlando property, call us at 407-902-7750 or visit https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/short-sales/
One of our short sale experts will give you a free “analysis of your situation” 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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