Things to Know About Short Sales
In today’s real estate world, foreclosures are common-place. Everyone probably knows someone who has had to go through the ordeal of having a home foreclosed. However unpleasant this aspect of real estate may be, there is something that can be done so that you do not lose out completely.
In essence, what happens is that the home is sold for an amount that’s less than the mortgage or property sale value and the remaining balance is exonerated or forgiven by the lender. If this is accepted by the lender, and you really have to work with your lender so that this can happen, you will avoid foreclosure. The term is commonly known as a short sale because the proceeds fall short of what is owed on the property. To some lenders, it is better to sell a property at a modest loss than to continue trying to get the current debtor to pay the mortgage or to foreclose on the property and have it sit unsold for an undetermined period of time.
You must be aware of what’s involved in short sales. Even though you avoid having your home foreclosed on by the lender, there are negative consequences for the bank, which loses out on money that it had hoped to recover, and for the property owner who must sell a home at less than favorable conditions and then deal with a poorer credit report.
A short sale comes about due to economic and/or financial hardship that has fallen upon the debtor. The owner or borrower has a problem paying the mortgage, falls in arrears and the bank has to collect the money that is owed to it. There are no favors being done by either party. What is actually taking place is that the lender and the borrower have found the best solution to the greater losses that would be incurred by both parties if there were a foreclosure. The financial institution loses less money than it would in a foreclosure, and the borrower takes a lesser hit on his/her credit history and lessens the debt load.
Among the steps you should take is to talk to your lender. After all, nothing can be done unless you and your lender agree to the short sale of the property. Even though there is consent, it may change at any moment and negotiations between the bank and the debtor may continue even whe4n the short sale is already on the real estate market. This is where it differs from a foreclosure in which the borrower’s property is forcefully sold or repossessed after the borrower has failed to comply with the terms of the mortgage
Something that you must be well aware of is that the agreement will include a contingency where the lending institution must approve the sale. This becomes even more complicated if there is more than one mortgage on the property. Another thing to keep in mind is that a short sale will stay on your credit report for seven years, like all entries. However, it is usually possible to get another mortgage 1 to 3 years after a short sale.
All in all, if you have to choose between foreclosure and a short sale, it might be a good thing to consider the latter, especially after you have consulted with professionals in the field.

