One of the best ways to build up equity is through buying a short sale. In a nutshell, this is a sale when a lender accepts a sum that is less than the amount borrowed when a property is sold. Below are a few helpful tips in short sale buying.
1. Find a REALTOR® who has extensive experience in selling short sale properties. An experienced REALTOR® knows what questions to ask the negotiator or the listing real estate agent and stay in tune with the current process for that specific home.
2. Time is of the essence in a short sale process. Home inspections and financing should be done as soon as the lender sends out a letter of acceptance. In most cases, the bank can take their time, but as a home buyer, one cannot, especially since the banks addendum has strict time specifications.
3. Most mortgage lenders would require proof of funds and a pre-approval letter together with your home offer.
The stronger your letter, the better it will look to them. Have the lender pull your credit and provide documentation such as employment and proof of income that is required by an underwriter. This way, when your home offer is accepted, the process will be faster. disciplined
4. A short sale is entirely different from that of the usual buyer/seller negotiations. In this type of home sale you will be negotiating with the mortgage lender. Usually, lenders will look for a fair market value to recover the loan value. Therefore, most of them are reluctant to agree to the price and even more hesitant in accepting a low offer. Never assume you can pay even less than what they are already asking, especially if the home is in good condition. Odds are, there will be multiple offers and the highest and best wins.
5.
You must be patient in waiting for the short sale to close. The waiting time will depend on where exactly the negotiations are. Most often, the listing price is not actually the asking price being negotiated. In a conventional home buying process, it usually takes thirty days to close on a home deal. Nevertheless, short sales could take anywhere from 60-90 days AFTER the lender has accepted your offer. There are occasions where they may take even longer, but if the seller and the listing real estate agent have done their job, you won’t have to wait for the short sale process to get started.
A short sale is a great way to find a wonderful home at a good price, but at the same time it could also cause you a major headache for months. Make sure that you are well informed on the entire process from start to finish. If you encounter a sale that seems too good to be true, it most probably is. If you have doubts regarding a short sale process, real estate investment, or your judgment, it’s better to seek the advice of a real estate agent or a real estate lawyer.
