Foreclosure is a major problem in the real estate market nowadays with lots of people losing their jobs. A short sale can help a homeowner in foreclosure. When there is no hope that a homeowner can pay his or her mortgage payments, a real estate short sale may be a viable solution for the homeowner. You do not have to wait until you are late on your house payments to begin the short sale process. Learn about what is a short sale and consult a Realtor early about doing a short sale when you know that you might not be able to keep up with your house payments soon.
Understanding What a Short Sale is
A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the proceeds from the sale fall short of the balance owed on a loan secured by the house sold. In a short sale, the bank or mortgage lender agrees to discount a mortgage balance because of an economic or financial hardship experienced by the mortgagor. This negotiation is all done by communication with a bank’s loss mitigation department.
How to Stop Foreclosure
A short sale is frequently done to stop the foreclosure process. Often a bank will allow a short sale if they believe that it will result in less financial loss than going through with the foreclosure process as there are carrying costs associated with a foreclosure. A short sale is often faster and more cost effective than a foreclosure. In short, a short sale is nothing more than negotiating with lien holders a payoff for less than what they are owed, or rather a sale of a debt, generally on a piece of real estate, short of the full debt amount. The process does not wipe off the remaining balance unless the bank expressedly states it in writing.
Learning about Short Sale
There are lots of books written about short sale. Some books are for homeowners facing foreclosure. These books explain to them what a short sale is and how it can help them save their properties from foreclosure. There are also books for investors trying to take advantage of the foreclosure market. Foreclosed homes are often cheap so new home buyers and new real estate investors can buy them fairly easily. Examples of books on short sale are The Art of the Short Sale, Short sales: An Ethical Approach, Doctor Foreclosure: The Secret to a Successful Short Sale, and Short Sale: A Practical Approach.