Short Sales: Why Should I Short Sale?

Seattle and Tacoma,WA –Hi! This is Nathan Olotoa with 59days2sold.com and www.seattleshortsalesagent.com and I specialize in short sales in the Tacoma and Seattle areas.

– We often get asked if a short sale is even worth the effort. “Why don’t I just let the bank have the property”, sellers tell us. “I don’t ever think I’ll be able to fix my credit to be able to buy another house.”

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here.

When you are having a tough time financially, it may seem like you will never get back on your feet. But, most people do get back on their feet.

They find another job and start making money again. Their credit will usually be back to normal in 2-3 years.

Why not buy a new home at that time? If you short sale, then you will be eligible to do that. Fannie Mae will consider you for a new loan 2 years after a short sale.

You would have to meet all of their credit guidelines and other lending criteria. Most derogatory credit items such as late payments or collections won’t have as much of an impact when they are 2 years old.

In addition, there are many ways to get derogatory items removed from your credit. The other great option is an FHA loan. FHA allows you to buy a home with only 3.5% down.

Current FHA guidelines will loan to you 3 years after a short sale. Contrast that with the 5-7 year wait required if the home is foreclosed on by the lender.

That is the number one benefit of a short sale. You can get back on your feet and buy another home a lot faster than if the lender forecloses on your home. Thinking about a short sale?

I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at asknate@kw.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail. If you prefer, then you can call me at 253-310-1177.

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Loan Modification Kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your lender. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Nathan Olotoa.

Nathan is a Real Estate Broker at Keller Williams-Tacoma. Short Sales Realtor

Phone: 253-310-1177. asknate@kw.com.

Listed to Sold in 59 days or less

View Tacoma and Seattle homes for sale at 59days2sold.com. View my previous blog posts at www.seattleshortsalesagent.com.

Short Sale Realtor. Short Sales. Realtor. Tacoma homes for sale. Seattle homes for sale. Tacoma short sale agent. Seattle short sale agent

Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Nathan Olotoa's personal views and do not reflect the views of Keller Williams-Tacoma.

This information on Short Sales: Why Should I Short Sale is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Short Sales: Why Should I Pay Double For My Home?

Seattle and Tacoma,WA –Hi! This is Nathan Olotoa with 59days2sold.com and www.seattleshortsalesagent.com and I specialize in short sales in the Tacoma and Seattle areas.

– The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Luis. Here is Luis's Question.

"I am working on a loan modification on my home. I just don’t want to be upside down and want a fair interest rate. Why should I pay on a mortgage that is twice as much as my home is worth, plus the interest on that mortgage? It just doesn’t make sense.

How can I get a loan mod with a fair interest rate where I am repaying what my home is worth today? Thank for your help, Luis.”

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here.

Here was our answer. You are asking for something that most lenders don’t like to do. Lenders don’t like principal reductions. Here is why.

Principal reductions usually have to be written down right away on their financial books. If you owe them $300,000 and they reduce your loan principal to $150,000, then they immediately have to reduce the company’s earnings by $150,000 for the year.

If they do that on enough loans, then it hurts the CEO’s ability to get a bonus. He may even risk losing his job. I don’t offer much sympathy to CEOs, but that’s how it works.

Here is what lenders like to do instead. They will reduce your interest rate to 2% for 5 years. After that, the interest rate will go back to the original level.

That way the write off will be much smaller than $150,000. It might be a $30,000 write off. That makes a much smaller difference on the CEO’s bonus for the year.

It’s also one of the reasons that most loan mod programs don’t work. The banks aren’t willing to be realistic.

It’s also why I think a short sale is the best principal reduction plan. You get to erase the bad debt. Rent a home for 2-3 years and then buy a new one at today’s market level.

That way you guarantee your principal reduction and don’t waste time arguing for a principal reduction with someone who isn’t allowed to give it to you. Thinking about a short sale?

I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at asknate@kw.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail. If you prefer, then you can call me at 253-310-1177.

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Loan Modification Kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your lender. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Nathan Olotoa.

Nathan is a Real Estate Broker at Keller Williams-Tacoma. Short Sales Realtor

Phone: 253-310-1177. asknate@kw.com.

Listed to Sold in 59 days or less

View Tacoma and Seattle homes for sale at 59days2sold.com. View my previous blog posts at www.seattleshortsalesagent.com.

Short Sale Realtor. Short Sales. Realtor. Tacoma Homes for Sale. Seattle Homes for Sale, Seattle Short Sales. Tacoma Short Sales. Loan Modifications. Tacoma Short Sale Agent. Seattle Short Sale Agent.

Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Nathan Olotoa's personal views and do not reflect the views of Keller Williams-Tacoma.

This information on Short Sales: Why Should I Pay Double For My Home is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Short Sales: Can I Short Sale Investment Property Without A Deficiency?

Seattle and Tacoma, WA –Hi! This is Nathan Olotoa with 59days2sold.com and www.seattleshortsalesagent.com and I specialize in short sales in the Tacoma and Seattle areas.

– The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Phil. Here is Phil's Question.

"I am a California Resident but have 3 distressed Florida Properties pending foreclosure. Under Florida law a creditor cannot garnish wages. Will investor pursue deficiency? If yes, will they follow FL or CA law? Thanks, Phil.”

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here.

Here was our answer. That is a legal question. Since I am not a lawyer I cannot answer it.

I do know that you can usually short sale in Florida and get the lender to forgive you of the debt. However, there are other things you can do to avoid the deficiency problem.

First, work hard to convince your lender to waive the deficiency. Investment Property Short Sales are tougher because the lenders are more reluctant to waive the deficiency.

But, many lenders will waive it. Others will agree to waive it when you have presented financial statements that show you cannot afford the deficiency.

So I think that over half of the deficiencies will be waived by the lenders. Here is what you can do for the remaining ones. First, depend on incompetence on the lender’s part.

Most lenders don’t have enough staff to handle their delinquent debt. Even if they do have the right to a deficiency in most cases the only thing they will do is call you.

When they call, you simply tell them that you don’t have the money in your budget that month to pay them anything. Don’t say anything more than that and don’t lie to them.

(A lie can get you in legal trouble later on. You are better saying very little and hanging up the phone than lying.)

Most lenders won’t do anymore than “sic” the debt collectors on you. They hardly ever go to court or attempt to garnish your wages. E-mail me for a simple letter that will legally stop the harassing phone calls.

In my opinion, this will enable you to short sale 90% to 95% of all investment properties and avoid paying a deficiency. Here is what you should do if you fall into the unlucky 5-10%.

Hire a good lawyer. They can usually find a hole in their court case and get you out of paying the debt. These lenders are so disorganized that the often do not have all their paperwork in order.

Or, they can find a situation where the lender broke Collection Law. In that case, the lender is usually more than happy to settle with you versus facing a lawsuit.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at asknate@kw.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail. If you prefer, then you can call me at 253-310-1177.

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Loan Modification Kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your lender. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Nathan Olotoa.

Nathan is a Real Estate Broker at Keller Williams-Tacoma. Short Sales Realtor

Phone: 253-310-1177. asknate@kw.com.

Listed to Sold in 59 days or less

View Tacoma and Seattle homes for sale at 59days2sold.com. View my previous blog posts at www.seattleshortsalesagent.com.

Short Sale Realtor. Short Sales. Realtor. Tacoma homes for sale. Seattle homes for sale. Tacoma short sale agent. Seattle short sale agent

Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Nathan Olotoa's personal views and do not reflect the views of Keller Williams-Tacoma.

This information on Short Sales: Can I Short Sale Investment Property without a Deficiency is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Short Sales: Can I Short Sale My Upside Down Home?

Seattle and Tacoma,WA –Hi! This is Nathan Olotoa with www.59days2sold.com
and www.seattleshortsalesagent.com and I specialize in short sales in the Tacoma and Seattle areas.

– The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Brent. Here is Brent's Question.

Seattle-Tacoma, WA "If we are not behind on our mortgage but can't sell our home through a normal sale because we don't have any equity, can we still qualify for a short sale?

We would like to sell this property and get another property where we are not upside down. Thank you!” asked Brent.

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here.

Here was our answer. Brent, there is actually a federal short sale program that encourages what you would like to do. It is called the FHA 4155 loan program.

It allows a person that is short selling their house to buy another one right away. However, there are a few caveats.

We have been told that you will need the following. (Guidelines can change at any time, so make sure you check them with a Mortgage Professional familiar with the program.)

A. A 640 FICO credit score or better.

B. You must be current on all installment payments and on your mortgage.

C. No bankruptcy or foreclosure on your credit in the last 7 years.

D. The home you are purchasing must be inferior to the one you are selling. I don’t know the exact guidelines, but I think it means it is a smaller home, or it has less bedrooms or a lower price.

E. You will need the 3.5% down payment for the new purchase.

The biggest hurdle will be getting your current lender to approve the short sale. Most lenders will approve a short sale. It just takes time and a little patience.

But, it is a great opportunity to move on from your upside down property and start building equity elsewhere.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at asknate@kw.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail. If you prefer, then you can call me at 253-310-1177.

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Loan Modification Kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your lender. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Nathan Olotoa.

Nathan is a Real Estate Broker at Keller Williams-Tacoma. Short Sales Realtor

Phone: 253-310-1177. asknate@kw.com.

Listed to Sold in 59 days or less

View My homes for sale at www.59days2sold.com To view my previous blog posts please visit www.seattleshortsalesagent.com.

Short Sale Realtor. Short Sales. Realtor. Tacoma homes for sale. Seattle homes for sale. Tacoma short sale agent. Seattle short sale agent. Loan Modifications

Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Nathan Olotoa's personal views and do not reflect the views of Keller Williams-Tacoma.

This information on Short Sales: Can I Short Sale My Upside Down Home is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Short Sales: Can I Short Sale If I Don’t Have A Normal Hardship?

Seattle and Tacoma,WA –Hi! This is Nathan Olotoa with www.59days2sold.com and www.Seattleshortsalesagent.com and I specialize in short sales in the Tacoma and Seattle areas. The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Chad. Here is Chad's Question.

"I own a condo in Hackensack, New Jersey. I purchased in 2007, pre-construction for $375k and have a mortgage balance of $337k.

I have been trying to sell my unit for upwards of 2 years with no success. I have been unable to refinance because my unit is worth much less than the balance on my mortgage.

I have been denied a loan modification. I must move by this summer and do not want to make a penny on the sale. I just want to be rid of this property.

I have been advised that I would not get approved for a short sale because I do not have a financial hardship. However, I am not sure this is correct. I am seeking advice as to what my options are.” said Chad.

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here.

Here was our answer. If you are moving for a job transfer then, then you have a legitimate hardship. I do know this.

If you move in 6 months and stop making the payments, then something will need to be done. The bank will either approve a short sale or foreclose on your property.

You could try to rent the unit out and write a check every month to cover the payments. But, then you would be limping along for years until the market improved and you can sell.

But, what if things get worse? What if a tenant trashes your condo and you can’t afford the repair bill? No one wants to rent a trashed condo.

You would have a hard time covering the payments then and even risk a foreclosure. I would start the short sale process today. There is a good chance that your lender would approve a short sale today.

If not, then you could convince them to approve it later, after you have moved. Some short sale negotiators are easy to work with and will approve the short sale.

Others might play hardball and want a promissory note from you. It’s all negotiations. The sooner you start the negotiations, the sooner you can move on with your life.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at asknate@kw.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail. If you prefer, then you can call me at 253-310-1177.

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Loan Modification Kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your lender. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Nathan Olotoa.

Nathan is a Real Estate Broker at Keller Williams-Tacoma. Short Sales Realtor

Phone: 253-310-1177. asknate@kw.com.

Listed to Sold in 59 days or less

View Tacoma and Seattle homes for sale at 59days2sold.com. View my previous blog posts at www.seattleshortsalesagent.com.

Short Sale Realtor. Short Sales. Realtor. Tacoma homes for sale. Seattle homes for sale. Tacoma short sale agent. Seattle short sale agent

Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Nathan Olotoa's personal views and do not reflect the views of Keller Williams-Tacoma.

This information on Short Sales: Can I Short Sale If I Don’t Have A Normal Hardship is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Why you should show short sales to your buyers!

Hi! This is Nathan Olotoa with www.59days2sold.com and www.Seattleshortsalesagent.com and I specialize in short sales in the Tacoma and Seattle areas. Today I have little rant followed up with a suggestion on how to create a Win-Win with your buyers.

Something I commonly run into with buyers that have worked with a buyers agent previously is the previous buyers agent's unwillingness to show the buyer short sale properties. Look, I know it is tough out there. This market is not easy, but you have a duty to your buyers. If they want to see a short sale then show them a short sale. How long it takes to get paid is irrelevant compared to the happiness of your buyers. Frankly, if you do not wish to show short sales to your buyers, then maybe you should refer them to another agent who is, because it sounds like your time is to valuable to bother with buyers in the first place.

Now this is not just intended to be a rant. I have a solution to a growing problem, that helps you to win and look like a hero to your client. Typically, when a client shows interest in a short sale I do not disuade them to write an offer. Instead, I choose to educate them on the process and how a short sale works. Once they understand the process they do typically feel discouraged about it. So then I make them an offer they can't refuse.

In our MLS there is nothing that limits the amount of offers we can submit at any given time. What I typically advise is that we write an offer on the short sale property knowing that it will take time to get an answer from the bank. In the mean time lets continue to look at properties and only write offers on properties that we consider better than this one. Once we have a mutually accepted offer that is agreeable by all parties we simply rescind all other offers.

Now, you may think that this is unfair to the seller because we are tieing up the property and may not purchase it. In order to make it a win-win we simply add language that allows the seller to continue to market the property, while working our offer with the bank. Best case scenario is my client purchases the short sale at a good price. Worst case scenario is the seller finds out what parameters the bank is willing to work in so they can adjust the price accordingly for future marketing efforts. In either case both parties win and you win because you are the hero.

So you have a choice. You can be like the other agents and steer your clients away from short sales ultimately running them into another agents open arms or you can take control and educate your clients on what it takes to close a short sale and give them real options on the of their dream house. If you would rather not play this game then simply refer your short sale clients to me. I will be happy to take them off of your hands.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at asknate@kw.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 253-310-1177

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Nathan Olotoa.

Nathan is a Real Estate Broker at Keller Williams-Tacoma. Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: 253-310-1177. asknate@kw.com.

Listed to Sold in 59 days or less

View My homes for sale at
59days2sold.com. And see all of my previous blogs at www.seattleshortsalesagent.com

Short Sale Realtor. Short Sales. Realtor. Tacoma Short Sales. Seattle Short Sales. Loan Modifications. Avoid Foreclosure.

Who is this stranger taking pictures of my house?

Hi! This is Nathan Olotoa with www.59days2sold.com and www.Seattleshortsalesagent.com and I specialize in short sales in the tacoma and seattle areas. Today I would like to answer a question that many people who are in distress may have. Who the heck is this stranger taking pictures of my house?

If you are currently attempting to short sale your home, do a loan modification, or you have simply missed a mortgage payment you may notice that, from time to time, someone will drive by or walk up and take pictures of your house. Don’t worry this is not someone staking out your house. What is most likely happening is your bank is trying to get an idea of the value of your home. This is called a BPO.

What is a BPO? It means Broker Price Opinion. Once you begin to miss mortgage payments or begin the short sale or loan modification process the bank starts to become proactive in attempting to figure out what you home might be worth. They do this by hiring Real Estate Brokers, like myself, to interpret the market, evaluate your home and find out what it may be worth in todays market.

There are two types of BPO’s. Exterior and Interior BPO’s. Exterior BPO’s are typically done once mortgage payments have been missed and can be done monthly thereafter until the home has been auctioned or taken back by the bank. Because these BPO’s are exterior the photos of the house or property can be take from the street and is legal as long as they do not trespass.

Interior BPO’s are done to understand the full scope of the subject homes condition. These are typically done when a short sale or a loan modification process has begun or if there is a pending contract on a short sale property. These are also done after auction once the bank takes over the property and prior to being put on the market as well. Most banks will do interior evaluations every 30 to 45 days thereafter in order to make any necessary price reductions to get the property sold.

So if you are beginning to see this type of activity around your house it is never to soon or to late to explore your options.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at asknate@kw.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 253-310-1177

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Nathan Olotoa.

Nathan is a Real Estate Broker at Keller Williams-Tacoma. Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: 253-310-1177. asknate@kw.com.

Listed to Sold in 59 days or less

View My homes for sale at
59days2sold.com. And see all of my previous blogs at www.seattleshortsalesagent.com

Short Sale Realtor. Short Sales. Realtor. Tacoma Short Sales. Seattle Short Sales. Loan Modifications. Avoid Foreclosure.