Tag: short sale negotiators

Will They Extend the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

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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Who Decides The Value Of A Short Sale?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Who Decides The Value Of A Short Sale?

 https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/short-sale-experts/
The valuation of a short sale, as determined by the short sale lender, is probably the single most important factor of the transaction.

The way it works is; after an offer gets submitted to the lender, the bank will then order a BPO.. AKA [Brokers price opinion] on the property.

 This person will usually be a local realtor that will go out to the property, and after doing their research on recent sales in the neighborhood, will give the lender their opinion of what the property is worth.

Whatever, the BPO comes in at will be the negotiating point between the lender and potential buyer.

Does it matter if the house needs repairs?

Yes, it does matter and that is something that they are supposed to take into consideration when giving their estimation of value.

After they do the BPO there are 3 things that can potentially happen that will dictate what follows.

1- The BPO comes in at a fair number that everyone is happy with and we proceed to closing.

2- The BPO comes in too low and the bank insists on another one being done.

3-The BPO comes in so ridiculously high that the buyer threatens to walk. Now when this happens, the agent must do whatever it takes to prove to the bank, that the BPO agent got it wrong.

We do this by preparing an in depth report of our own called a CMA which is also known as a comparative market analysis. This report contains even more information than the BPO agent provided them with.

What a CMA basically comes down to is a list of Active, Pending and Sold properties in the area. And the whole purpose behind this is to get the lender to order another BPO or if we’re lucky they’ll just use ours.

In the end, after all the dust settles, the lenders are the ones that decide how much they are willing to accept for the property.

I hope this was helpful in answering your questions. Feel free to call us at 407-902-7750 or visit https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/short-sale-experts/ for Free short sale help.

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Avoid Orlando Short Sale Fraud

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Avoid Short Sale Fraud!

The mortgage industry is once again experiencing an increase in short sales. Since 2012 the number of short sales with Freddie Mac has gone up substantially. This rising trend will leave the Orlando real estate market a target for short sale fraud.

What’s A Short Sale

A short sale can happen when a homeowner can longer pay the mortgage on their property and the lender allows them to sell the home for a discount of the principal balance owed to the bank or investor. Banks are willing to do this because they can avoid taking the property through a costly foreclosure process.

Homeowners benefit by avoiding a foreclosure on their credit which can last up to 7 years as opposed to a short sale which stays on your credit for an average of two years. Many times homeowners are eligible for relocation costs from the lender. This amount is usually around $3,000.00.

What’s Short Sale Fraud?

Without trying to sound like an attorney, short sale fraud can basically be described as deceitfulness or trickery when directly related to a short sale transaction. Fraud can appear in many different ways during a short sale and on both sides of the transaction.

It’s deliberate misrepresentation or omission of a fact or circumstance that would convince the lender to go through with a transaction that a lender would not approve if they were aware of all the facts.

 

Some Examples Of Short Sale Fraud

1-The buyer of the short sale property selling or “flipping” the property immediately after the closing. This type of transaction can also be referred to as a “double” or “simultaneous” closing and can sometimes involve the use of two separate title companies.

An example would be if the seller or borrower owed $150,000 on a home that is only worth $100,000. The short sale lender accepts an offer of $75,000 from the realtor or facilitator. The buyer will then have a buyer lined up for $95,000 and both transactions close on the same day and the facilitator pockets the difference thus increasing the lender’s net losses.

2-The borrower’s hardship was fabricated for the purpose of getting the short payoff approved.

3- The short sale facilitator purposely damages the property in order for the BPO [brokers price opinion] to come in lower than it would if the property hadn’t been damaged.

 

Preventing Short Sale Fraud

The best way to avoid any type of fraudulent situation when it comes to a short sale transaction is to research thoroughly research the short sale realtor before listing your house with them. Ask for references, Google them, and check out any reviews that may have been posted. These days it’s even recommended to check out someone’s Facebook page to get some insight into what kind of person they are.

It’s also a good idea to avoid getting involved with facilitators that are unlicensed or if they want you to use a realtor that is controlled by them.

 

Orlando short sale expert

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Orlando Realtors Look at Opportunities in 2014

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

The economic slump has affected many different sectors, including real estate. However, Orlando Realtors have used the recessionary trend to their advantage. Following basic economic models of continuous spending, even when money circulation in the markets is limited; short sale negotiators and realtors bought substantial land areas when the prices were at record lows.

Now, the prices of land in Florida are slowly climbing once again, giving hope to real estate agents. Statistics show an inflationary trend that is not as strong as it was before. This means that though prices are increasing, they are doing so at a slow rate. Agents think the New Year will bring with it higher sentiments among people, making it easier for them to close deals and gain returns on various investments made during the slump.

Consumers likely to make purchases

During the recent crisis, the economy was in shambles. People were unsure of whether they could recover from the slowdown, because of which they started saving or hoarding money. Accumulating most of the wealth in the economy did not allow for a free system or circulation of money. Due to unpredictable futures, people unintentionally hampered the system even further by tightening their expenditure.

Now with new hopes and regulations aimed at recovery, companies have drastically reduced the number of layoffs, and people feel more secure. As a direct result, there is likely to be additional investment in land, and citizens will be able to make larger investments in such sectors. Since Orlando Realtors have made purchases at the lowest going rate, there is sure to be much profitability even though growth is slow-paced.

A positive trend brings back the hope of a complete recovery

The changing trend is likely to accelerate very soon because most consumers have a sense of security when they view others making investments. When the price starts going up, people will make quick investments so that they do not miss out on making low-cost purchases that will benefit them in the future.

Real estate is a very safe option because it seldom depreciates for a long time. The land is a limited resource, and there is a constant demand for it

due to the increasing population and changing consumer preferences. Security is vital because people require places to lock their money down without it losing value over time against inflation and depreciation. For this reason, the land seems to be the safest bet.

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The Best Short Sale Realtors in Orlando

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 Orlando is one of the prime destinations for home seekers in Florida and attracts home buyers from all over the country. It has a very hot real estate market right now. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Orlando, you will be helped a great deal by the services of a top brokerage like Orlando Realty Consultants. They have been in the business for a very long time now and have gained a lot of experience. Being a full-service brokerage, they provide a range of services to their customers.

 Orlando Short Sales

A Short sale is a situation when a home needs to be sold for less than the full payoff of the mortgage note. This can happen due to a number of reasons, which mostly include some kind of financial hardship. In the case of a short sale, it is best to enlist the help of a short sale realtor. This is a real estate agent that specializes in doing nothing but short sales which means that they are very experienced in the short sale arena.  They have the resources needed to get the short sale done and usually have a buyer lined up to buy the house as soon as the short sale is approved.

 The end result of the short sale is that the buyer gets the house at a discounted price while the seller is able to sell his house and avoid having a foreclosure on his or her record.

 Short sale negotiation

 The negotiation of a short sale of a home can be a long and arduous process. It involves a lot of legal as well as paperwork. It can get very complicated for someone to do it themselves and is best to take the advice of an expert. Even if a seller wants to do their own short sale, they would still need to have a licensed real estate agent list the property for them as part of the bank’s criteria. Short sale negotiators provide all the necessary advice and bring know-how as well as experience to these situations.

 Depending on the actual situation at hand and the condition of the house, the short sale can typically be completed in a few months.  Experienced short-sale realtors do their best to finish it as soon as possible. They try their best to uphold the interest of the seller. However, in certain cases, delays might occur because of several reasons such as a clouded title or renovations needed to make the house habitable.

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