The term pre-foreclosure states that a homeowner is late on payments and cannot catch up. The lender has taken action to take back the property. A short sale is a option given the homeowner to sell the property for less than the amount owed. The only time a property fits this criteria is when the property is valued less than the amount owed. Many homes today are in a pre foreclosure short sale which can help both parties.
A property is valued at 130, 000 and the homeowner owes $190, 000. The difference of $60, 000 is the deficient and is a great loss to the lender but less than a foreclosure. The lender agrees to write off the debt of $60, 000 and find a buyer for the property. This sounds great especially considering the affect a foreclosure will have on your future.
The overall process for settling the sale takes experience and would not be a good idea for most people to try alone. The property owner will have plenty to do gathering information and waiting for the paper work to be approved. In order to present your service company with the best data you can, begin by getting your information ready for review.
You can find the Fair market value of your property by searching for similar homes that have sold in the last six months to a year. The homes with approximately the same square footage and features like: heating and cooling, floor coverings, structures outside and so on. When you find homes, similar to your own that sold for “X” amount of money…. This is your Fair market value.
Let’s say three houses sold in the last year for $120, 000 that is comparable to yours, your home value is in this range. Take this to your lender and it will encourage him to take the short sale instead of losing more than the $60, 000.
A pre-foreclosure short sale means you have not been evicted from your property. The short sale is still an option for you. Take a look at the difference between a foreclosure and a short sale. A short sale may leave you with a “judgment” on your credit record and will state whether or not the debt has been “satisfied or unsatisfied”. A foreclosure is a permanent mark and will hinder your chance for future loans.
The arrangements made between the property owner and the lender dictates what will happen. You can choose to take a promissory note towards the deficits and this will be much better for your credit. The lender is the one to report to the credit bureau and can cause problems for sellers. Ask the lender how the report will read on your credit. The statement the lender makes can still read as a foreclosure to other lenders.
The best way around all the mysteries is to ask for your lenders policies on reporting a short sale. Ask them to put it in writing. Learn all you can about the service company that you chose to negotiate your short sale. Most companies are there to work with property owners but when it comes to pre foreclosure short sales a homeowner needs to find those experienced in real estate short sale negotiations.