These days the term “short sale” is a term that most people are familiar with. Especially people who either have been or are currently being threatened with foreclosure. For the people that don’t know, a short sale is a pre-foreclosure arrangement between a homeowner and their lender where the lender agrees to accept less than what’s owed on the mortgage so that the property can be sold as opposed to having to take it to foreclosure.
Short sales have become very common since the market took a turn for the worse six years ago. Like everything else that becomes popular, people start talking about it, and before you know it there are a bunch of rumors flying around, most of which just aren’t true. When it comes to Orlando short sales, there are several myths that have been created for one reason or another.
I’ve written the article in an attempt to try and educate homeowners on the truth about short sales and expose the myths for what they are.
1- You can buy a short sale super cheap, then sell it immediately for a huge profit.
When a bank agrees to the short sale of a property, it will want to get the highest dollar amount possible for the property. This is done by listing it with an Orlando realtor then once there is an offer is submitted to the bank, the bank will order a BPO [broker’s price opinion] to be done on the property which is basically a market analysis. This will ensure that the offer is very close to fair market value. These days banks are very aware of what the real estate market is doing and the chances of getting a lender to accept a low ball are slim to none.
The real money to be made in buying and selling short sales is in rehabbing properties. The only way lenders will accept extremely low offers on short-sale properties is when the property needs substantial repairs.
2- Lenders have to accept the best offer that they receive on a short-sale property.
This couldn’t be further from the truth, in a short sale situation the buck stops with the lender which means that the ultimate decision is theirs. As an Orlando short sale realtor I’ve seen it many times, after listing a property you submit offer after offer and the bank still won’t budge on what they think is fair market value. Most of the time a stubborn lender will eventually realize that the price they’re seeking is just not realistic and agree to a lower price.
As far as a lender having to accept the best offer on a short-sale home, it’s just not true. Although most lenders will eventually accept a reasonable offer, some won’t and will proceed with foreclosing on the property.
3- Short Sales are a waste of time and take forever to get approved.
After the market crash of 2007 short sales were all the rage and the market was flooded with short sale properties. This was the biggest reason why short sales would take such a long time to complete. Banks were not prepared nor equipped to handle that many short sale files at once. Short sale negotiators were bogged down with files and properties were taking a year or two to get sold. Now that the market is hot again this is no longer the case. Lenders have put systems in place to streamline the entire short sale process making it much easier for realtors to get the job done.
If you or someone you know is in need of an Orlando Short Sale or if you just have questions about short sales, feel free to contact our office by visiting https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/ or just give us a call at 407-902-7750.
