Archive for the 'General' Category

Foreclosure Alternatives Worth Considering

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

It is a sad fact that the new housing law signed earlier this week will only be able to accommodate around 500,000 troubled borrowers. This means that millions of homeowners will still have to face their foreclosure dilemmas without the benefit of assistance from the government.

Foreclosure Alternatives Worth Considering

Among the foreclosure alternatives you can explore if you are struggling with mortgage payments are deed in lieu of foreclosure and short sales.

Both of these foreclosure alternatives will provide you with a way to avoid the painful process of foreclosure. Of course, you will have to accept that you will lose your home and your credit score will be adversely affected.

A deed in lieu of foreclosure will involve the homeowners handing over the property to the lender, giving up whatever equity they have left in their homes. In exchange, the lender will agree not to proceed with the foreclosure filing. This also saves the lender from spending on foreclosure costs.

On the other hand, a short sale will involve the lender agreeing to sell the distressed property for a discounted price, usually to a third party. The homeowner will be the one responsible for finding buyers. If the sales proceed is not enough to settle the mortgage debt, the lender will have to agree to forgive the amount.

By choosing one of these foreclosure alternatives, you will finally be able to get rid of your mortgage debt once and for all. For most people, it is a relief not having to think about of such problems anymore.

As for the impact on your credit score, the good news is that these foreclosure alternatives will be kinder unlike a foreclosure record. Also, any one of these two alternatives will involve a relatively shorter waiting period if ever you decide to take out a mortgage loan again.

If you are at your wit’s end and is considering anyone of these options, you should know that you will need to give a “letter of hardship” that contains the reasons why you are no longer able to meet your mortgage obligations. This letter shall be given to your lender, subject to their scrutiny.

Most lenders are agreeing to these foreclosure alternatives because it will save them time and money in the long term.

Related Posts:

3 Reasons Why You Should Face Foreclosure Head On

Monday, July 14th, 2008

In the United States, millions of homeowners have already lost their homes to foreclosure. Experts and analysts believe that more will follow considering the rising fuel prices, lack of employment opportunities and weak economic conditions.

Foreclosure Specialist

If you are one of the unlucky ones who are having trouble keeping up with the mortgage payments, you should realize now that the only way you can get through this is by facing the possibility of foreclosure head on. Do not follow the other homeowners who ignored their problems and decided instead to simply give up and leave their homes.

Facing foreclosure problems head on will surprisingly put you in a better state of mind.

  1. Easier to Deal With – if you decide to face reality and accept your situation, you will notice that you will be able to see your mortgage problem in its entirety. You can logically think about the next steps to take. Facing your problem will help you think clearly and objectively.
  2. Open to Options – once you have faced the reality of a foreclosure, you can now move on and look at the possible options that you can explore to stop foreclosure. If you think that you lack the information and resources to make an informed decision, you can always seek advice from foreclosure counselors, lawyers or even friends and colleagues. Being pro-active will provide you with new insights and possibilities.
  3. More Determined - as soon as you have armed yourself with the right foreclosure facts and information, you will feel more determined about your decision. Whether you are thinking about entering a short sale transaction or applying for a loan modification program, you will be able to feel that you are in control of your situation.

The challenges of facing foreclosure may feel overwhelming but in situations like this, it would really help if you gather up the courage to deal with it directly.

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The Importance of Proper Disclosure

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

The tough competition in the housing market today has made sellers result to creative marketing strategies. Some choose to offer huge discounts while some prefer offering better incentives. In any case, it is important for sellers to make proper disclosure.

The Importance of Proper Disclosure

Considering that you are selling a property in pre-foreclosure, it is not surprising that any fact or detail disclosed will greatly affect the home’s desirability and value. Some sellers, who are worried about these things, simply choose not to make full disclosure.

Of course, this is considered not only illegal but also unethical as well. You might catch the interest of a buyer but once potential buyers suspect any form of deception, they will walk away. Worse, a case might be filed against you and this could further make it difficult for you to sell your home.

On the other hand, there are certainly issues or facts that you are not aware of. To avoid such inconvenient situation, most experts recommend that you have your home professionally inspected. True, it might be considered as additional cost but you can consider it as a marketing strategy instead. Buyers will certainly welcome honesty in any negotiation.

To help you sell your home quickly, here are some disclosure tips you should consider:

  • Check out local disclosure rules.
  • Disclose things such as uprooted trees, noisy neighbors, crime rate and other information that you think buyers will be interested to know.
  • Report all kinds of structural problems including plumbing and electricity.
  • Disclose any insurance claims or use of lead-based paint.
  • You should also report all upgrades that you have done such as replacement of faulty wirings and installation of new heaters and even sump pumps.

Being honest and upfront with all issues and concerns pertaining to the pre-foreclosure property will certainly make selling it much simple. The entire sales transaction will be efficient and fast.

Related Posts:

How to Win the Foreclosure Game

Friday, June 13th, 2008

It is not a secret that the real estate business can be lucrative. But with the current market conditions, some brokers fear that it certainly is the worst of time for their business. However, there are brokers who see the current crisis in the housing sector as a golden opportunity.

Continue Reading: How to Win the Foreclosure Game

Home Values Falling Steadily Nationwide

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

A new study shows that home prices in the United States fell an average of 13% from the first quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008. These sorts of drops are huge, and many fear that the housing market is in its worst decline since the depression era of the 1930’s.

Continue Reading: Home Values Falling Steadily Nationwide

One Million Homes to Face Foreclosure within the next Year.

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

After years of rising home prices, prices have begun to recede, however, the number of foreclosures for sale have increased. In March 2008 the number of foreclosure homes increased 57% above the pace being set one year prior. Bank foreclosures and government foreclosures coupled with the new sub prime mortgage market are becoming a nationwide epidemic with an estimated one million homes to face foreclosure within the next year. Government Tax foreclosures and tax lien foreclosures traditionally were auctioned off 4 times annually. However, due to the staggering number of foreclosed homes in this market, these additional auctions are scheduled and with a record setting number of these repossessed homes being placed on the auction block.

Continue Reading: One Million Homes to Face Foreclosure within the next Year.

Pending Home Sales Index for February Fell

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

According to a report from the National Association of Realtors, their Pending Home Sales Index fell by 1.9 percent in February to 84.6 – the lowest since 2001. This index is for “homes under contract for sale”.

Continue Reading: Pending Home Sales Index for February Fell

Senate Vows to Speed Up Passage of Foreclosure Prevention Act

Friday, April 4th, 2008

The Senate Foreclosure Prevention Bill that has been stalled due to arguments over provisions between Republicans and Democrats lately finally looks as though it is primed to move forward and be passed. Many are remarking that the longer the Senate stalled, the more pressure they came under to do something about the foreclosure situation. Now the two sides are working to put partisan politics aside and focus on aiding homeowners in foreclosure.

Continue Reading: Senate Vows to Speed Up Passage of Foreclosure Prevention Act

Checking Tax Lien Foreclosures for Extra Debts

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

Sometimes when buying foreclosures, buyers will find that properties may have other liens held against them in addition to the mortgage default debt, and such properties are known as tax lien foreclosures. Tax lien foreclosures can be dangerous for buyers, because in buying them, they can sometimes become responsible for the debts themselves, and that can hurt your overall cost analysis, and ultimately negate the savings you stand to earn by buying homes on a foreclosures list in the first place.

Continue Reading: Checking Tax Lien Foreclosures for Extra Debts

Why Invest In Bank Foreclosures?

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

Why should you invest in bank foreclosures when there is so much variety available in the real estate market across the United States? There is only one reason and that is: to save money & make profit. At the end of the day investors will buy property that will bring them some amount of profit and who wouldn’t want to buy good real estate property for less than the market price. This is exactly the reason why so many people have started to look at investing in foreclosure homes as a serious business option.

Continue Reading: Why Invest In Bank Foreclosures?