Tag: short sales

Choosing the Right Orlando Short Sale Realtor, A Crucial Decision

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Choosing the Right Orlando Short Sale Agent is Serious Business

 

As short sale agents, we go through all the same emotions as the seller we are representing. Working with these lenders can definitely provoke some strong emotions such as anger and frustration at times. Battling it out with short sale negotiators is an everyday occurrance in our office. Whether we’re trying to get an offer approved on a particular property, or negotiate a “Cash for Keys” incentive for one of our clients, there is always some kind of negotiation involved, so you need to make sure that your Orlando Realtor is experienced on the battle field of  short sale negotiations.

One of the Most Important Decisions you’ll ever have to make

When you hire an Orlando Real Estate Agent to take on your short sale file, It’s just like hiring an attorney to represent you in some legal matter. [Except Realtors don’t charge you] The realtor you choose is going to be dealing with your lender on your behalf  which is a huge responsibility. To begin with they have to put together your entire file correctly to then move to the next steps of sending in offers, counter offers, scheduling inspections, arranging showings and the most important task of all, creating rapport and dealing with the short sale negotiator.  Sure, cash incentive programs are out there, but if you’re agent is unaware of what programs you may qualify for, than you could end up getting the short end of the stick.

 

Research your Potential Orlando Agent Before signing

Would hire an attorney if you knew that he or she had just passed the Bar exam and you were their first client. Of course you wouldn’t….Short selling a home is serious business. Fact, selling a house is one of the most important decisions a person will have to make in their life, so it’s very important that you hire an Orlando realtor that specializes in short sales. There are some key questions that you should always ask when interviewing a realtor  before you trust them with one of the most important negotiations of your life.

Still have a million questions about Orlando Short Sales?

Ask me Anything, I’m here to help…

 

 

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Things you Must Know when you’re Choosing an Orlando Short Sale Agent

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 All Orlando Realtors Were not Created Equally

When it comes to doing an  Orlando short sale, many things come into play. One of the most important aspects of this particular home selling process is the agent that you choose. Your real estate agent will be doing all of the negotiations for you with your bank as well as with the potential buyer; therefore, you have to trust your short sale agent.  In order to trust your agent, you should know important things about them before turning the steering wheel over to them when it comes to selling your home.  When picking an agent, it’s absolutely crucial that you do your research on that person.

The first thing you should do is research the agent’s background and area of expertise in Orlando Real Estate. The best way to research the company is to utilize online search engines. Simply type in the company or the agent’s name followed by “reviews.” Within seconds you should be able to find numerous reviews from previous clients that will help you to determine the reputation of the company in which your agent is associated.

Certified Distressed Property designation

As with anyone that you hire, you should take into consideration the agent’s real estate experiences. You can also ask the agent to provide you with references, which you can call to obtain detailed information from previous Short Sale clients. References can provide you with the best information about what to expect if you need to do a short sale on your house.

Also, make sure that you agent has their Certified Distressed Property Designation. Although this isn’t the most important thing that you should consider when hiring an agent, it certainly doesn’t hurt to hold this endorsement.

 

Ask About Getting Cash Back for Your Short Sale

There are many “Cash For Keys” type programs out there right now from organizations such as HAFA. We’ve gotten our clients anywhere from $3,000.00 to $20,000.00 back from the bank at closing. When interviewing a realtor, make sure that you ask about these programs and what the plan of attack will be before signing anything. If they don’t specialize in short sales, then chances are they’re not going to know what the latest laws and regulations are and what they’re able to qualify you for.

The problems start when a homeowner hires an agent to do their short sale and the agent either has very limited experience with short sales or none at all.  Short sales are not easy and not all realtors have the skills, work ethic or experience required to be an expert short sale agent.  When homeowners make the mistake of not hiring the right agent for the job, the result can be disastrous resulting in your home getting foreclosed on.

If you’re in the market for a real estate agent that specializes in doing short sales do your research and find out everything that you can about the agent before making your decision, you’ll be glad you did.  Ask me anything, I’m here to help.

 

 

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Orlando Short Sale Closed After 3 1/2 Years Battling with Lenders!

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

The longest Orlando short sale in our company history.

I had just had to share this story about an Orlando short sale that we’ve been working on for well over 3 1/2 years.

We started this file in December of 2008 It was a pretty common story; She had a 1st mortgage with GMAC for 434k and a second with Bank of America for 116k and she also owed her HOA $5,000.00 at that point [now $15,000.00].  The big problem was that even though she owed about 570k since she purchased in 2006, her house was only worth 180k at the point when we took her on as a client in 2008.

Throughout this process it was a matter of getting all the stars to line up at once , which when your dealing with 3 different debtors is no easy task. Buyers get tired of waiting, lenders wanted new bpo appraisals done every 6 months, the HOA didn’t want to budge and we had to stop her Orlando foreclosure several times.

No Attorney Necessary.

In the past three years we’ve had 7 solid contracts, 9 bpo appraisals and we stopped the foreclosure sale date a total of 6 times.s, we eliminated her debt. We closed last week with a cash offer for 200k and to top it all off, we got the lenders to give her $7,000.00 back at closing.  By the way, she never once went to see an attorney which means probably saved another 7 to 10 thousand dollars.

Doing the short sale was the best decision for her.

In the end my client got to live rent free for 3 1/2 years and was able to save up some money and turn her life around. We found her a nice rental in Downtown Orlando and she now lives comfortably within her budget. How’s that for a bailout plan?

It’s true that we had to work work many times harder than a typical short sale file just because of constant updating of expired short sale docs  alone, not to mention all the buyers we lost along the way because they got tired of waiting on an approval.

However, when you’re in the short sale business, there is no greater satisfaction than to know that you’ve helped someone solve a huge problem in their life and get a fresh start.

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The Window is Closing on Orlando Short Sales!

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 is set to expire

The tax-relief provisions enacted by Congress during the housing crisis to help financially strapped homeowners is about to come to an end. This is the 2007 law that allows taxpayers to exclude from income the amount of debt that is forgiven or canceled by their lender. The good news is that if your considering an Orlando Short Sale,  there is still time to take advantage of this very important law.

Although the law doesn’t officially expire until Dec 31, 2012, anyone considering a short sale should get started now. We’ve had short sale files in our office that have taken up to two years to complete. It’s true that banks are moving Florida short sales along much faster now but overall they still move pretty slow.

I’m not saying that people who are struggling to hold onto their Orlando homes should throw in the towel solely because of the pending tax bite, but it is certainly something to consider.

According to the law, borrowed money doesn’t need not be reported as income because you have an obligation to repay. But if your lender subsequently cancels what you owe, the IRS requires that you report that debt as income because the duty to repay it no longer exists. So, if you owe $350,000 and your lender forgives $50,000 of that debt in a $300,000 refinancing, that $50,000 is considered income. If your combined federal and state marginal tax rate is 36 percent, you would owe $18,000 in taxes. Ouch!!!

However, under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, taxpayers are allowed to exclude from income the discharge of debt on their principal residence when they do a short sale— at least until 2013.

This means that when your lender agrees to a short sale, there is no tax on the difference between the selling price and the amount you owe. When your lender forecloses, there is no tax on the canceled debt. Even when you refinance at a lower loan balance, there is no tax on the difference between what you owed on the old loan and what you now owe on the new one.

Unless Congress extends the law, [and there is no indication lawmakers are even thinking about that] all residential mortgage debt relief that takes place on or after Jan. 1, 2013, will once again be considered taxable income.

If you are on the fence about doing a short sale on your house, consult with a short sale expert and get informed about your options.

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Orlando Short Sales Overtaking Foreclosure Sales

Posted on by Jenny Zamora
 For the first time Orlando short sales are becoming more popular than sales out of foreclosure.  As a matter of fact, in Florida short sales have outnumbered bank-owned home sales since July.
 
Lenders are favoring short sales more and more these days, with good reason. Short sales have proven to be faster and more lucrative process than foreclosure. Short sales accounted for 24 percent of all home sales nationwide while foreclosure sales represented 20 percent.
   

Top 3 reasons why lenders favor short sales over foreclosure sales

 
•    Taking a home to foreclosure is a long, drawn out process and can take up to a couple of years sometimes. Even then, there are soo many things that can go wrong if things aren’t processed correctly by the attorneys, which happens more often than you would think.
 •    Lenders can avoid paying a ton of money in legal fees. You can’t foreclose on a home without attorneys. I’ve seen attorney’s charge as high as $15,000.00 for  1 single foreclosure case.
 •    Better sales prices on Orlando properties. Statistics show that banks get higher and better offers when they short sale as opposed to the foreclosure sale. Many times it won’t even sell at the auction and it ultimately becomes the banks problem…Again!
 
In the end it’s all about the almighty dollar.
 
Lenders are finally realizing that Orlando short sales are a win for everybody. Mortgage companies are even offering large cash incentives to homeowners who agree to do a short sale. I’ve gotten some of my clients up to $20,000.00 back at closing from their lender. How’s that for a bailout plan?
 

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