Chico Foreclosures

Asking Address Beds Bath Year Built Sq Feet
$45,000 184 Camino Sur 3 2 1999 1560
$66,900 141 W Lassen Ave. 2 1 1962 766
$99,000 1114 Nord Ave 3 2 1990 960
$99,900 1415 Sheridan Avenue 1 1 1981 714
$147,800 2099 Hartford Dr. 3 2 2005 1375
$148,000 2099 Hartford Drive 3 2 2005 1375
$151,950 2850 Clark Way 2 2 2004 1716
$157,900 3152 Bell Road 1 1 1954 1070
$170,000 7 Olympus Lane 3 2 1985 1248
$172,900 1164 Lupin Avenue 3 2 1992 1378
$180,900 1192 LUPIN AVE 3 2 1992 1228
$182,500 862 E 5th Avenue 3 2 2005 1408
$185,000 1039 Blue Ridge Ave 3 2 1984 1039
$187,000 2558 E 20th St 2 2 2004 893
$189,900 18 Arbor Drive 3 2 1960 1378
$194,900 9463 Gerke Street 3 3 1986 1744
$199,900 823 Oak Lawn Avenue 2 2 1948 672
$208,500 773 Caprice Way 3 2 1990 1248
$218,000 3 Tradewinds 3 2 1992 1236
$227,000 1185 Deschutes Dr 4 2 1999 1383
$229,900 3265 Rockin M 4 2 1970 2972
$245,000 1622 Spruce Avenue 2 1 1917 1687
$249,000 13 Venetian Court 3 2 2010 1408
$249,000 12 Venetian Court 3 2 2010 1408
$249,900 1388 hawthorne 3 2 1965 1634
$249,900 1913 Spruce Ave 2 1 1950 4460
$269,000 303 Legacy Lane 3 2 1998 1780
$274,000 28 RUBICON Court 4 2 2006 1968
$292,900 6 Heartwood Ct 4 2 1996 1654
$297,000 33 Bunker Court 3 2 2003 1734
$459,900 217 Eagle Nest Drive 3 2 2001 2739

7 Mistakes in a Short Sale

Short Sale Mistake #1: Priced Wrong

Short sale prices remind me of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Some are too high, some are too low and some are priced just right. Short sales that sell are priced appropriately. The price should be attractive to the following parties:

  • The Short Sale Bank
  • The Buyer
  • The Buyer’s Agent
  • The Seller
  • The Buyer’s Lender

Appealing to all five of these entities may seem impossible to do, but it is possible. There is an art to pricing a short sale. I can honestly report that all my short listings in Sacramento — in our soft market — receive multiple offers, and they close.

Short Sale Mistake #2: Inexperienced Listing Agent

Particularly in falling markets, agents who have little business are attracted to short sales like moths to a flame. Sellers should find out how many short sales a proposed short sale listing agent has actually closed apart from the number of short sales the agent has listed.

If many of the agent’s listings have been on the market for more than 90 days without an offer, something is seriously wrong. Agents who succeed in this business have a minimum of two years of experience negotiating with short sale banks.

Short Sale Mistake #3: Bad Marketing

Some agents believe pricing alone will sell a short sale, and they persuade sellers to place a ridiculous price tag on the home. Then the agent purposely refuses to adequately market the home. Not only does the price need to be reasonable, but the home deserves the same type of treatment as any other listing.

Short sales should be exposed to the widest possible pool of buyers, which means plastering that listing on all the major web sites, and includes doing direct mail marketing and networking.

Short Sale Mistake #4: Showing Restrictions

Buyer’s agents, bless their overworked and tired hearts, will sometimes take the path of least resistance. If the listing requires an appointment, a buyer’s agent might pass over that home in favor of a listing without appointment restrictions.

When a buyer’s agent calls to announce a showing, the response should be, “Come on over. We’re ready!” Short sale listings that restrict activity such as no showings on Sunday, for example, may never get shown at all.

Short Sale Mistake #5: No Photographs

Submitting a listing to MLS without multiple photographs — or worse, no photograph at all — is like slamming the door in the face of buyers. Buyers aren’t likely to return. A listing with missing photographs sends messages that say nobody cares if the home sells and there’s probably something wrong with it.

On some web sites such as Realtor.com, listings with the most photographs are ranked higher, and those without drop to the bottom.

Short Sale Mistake #6: Poor Property Condition

Short sale homes benefit greatly from home staging. Sellers need to prepare the home for sale and keep it in pristine condition. If beds are unmade, toys are scattered about and the kitchen sink is filled with dishes, buyers can’t see past the mess. Moreover, some buyers are worried that if the home is in disarray during a showing, the sellers may trash it upon vacating.

Short Sale Mistake #7: Uncooperative Sellers

Sellers need to submit required documentation to the bank in a timely manner. If the package is incomplete, the bank won’t process the file, and that will delay approval.

If a seller refuses to submit personal financial information and a reasonable hardship letter, the seller will not qualify for a short sale.

What is a short sale?

What is a short sale?

The selling of a home short of the current mortgage amount. Both terms (sale & payoff) mean the property is worth less than what is owed on it – over encumbered, upside down or underwater and both terms used interchangeably.

Who is a short sale good for?

  • Someone who owes more than the value of their home
  • A homeowner who has experienced or is experiencing a financial hardship
  • A homeowner who is no longer able to afford their mortgage
  • Homeowners who have been denied for a loan modification

What are the benefits of a short sale vs. a Foreclosure?

  • Emotionally less impacting to you and your family as opposed to going through a foreclosure.
  • Some lenders provide financial incentives of up to $3,500 for moving costs.
  • Least impacting on your credit compared to a foreclosure.
  • You can buy another home within 1 – 3 years depending on other items on your credit.

What are the consequences of a short sale?

  • Everybody situation is different
  • We will analyze your situation
  • Free consultation – call TODAY!

 We always recommend that homeowners consider all of their options.  Please contact us for a free consultation.

Strategic Default

What is a Strategic Default?

A strategic default is the decision by a borrower to stop making payments (i.e. default) on a debt despite having the financial ability to make the payments. This is particularly associated with residential and commercial mortgages, in which case it usually occurs after a substantial drop in the house’s price such that the debt owed is (considerably) greater than the value of the property – the property negative equity or “underwater” – and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future, such as following the bursting of a real estate bubble. Such borrowers are called “walkaways.”

Effects

The borrower after deciding to not make payments any more can live (free of the costs of payment or rent) until the lender forecloses which may take from several months to years. A borrower may use this time to extinguish or negotiate other debt. Mortgage lenders may negotiate with defaulting borrowers to assure maintenance and occupancy of the property until the lender can take title and market the house, and may provide the defaulting borrower with greater than the minimum legal notice to quit (which can be as little as three days) and may even agree to pay a fee to leave the home in pristine condition.

Foreclosure of the borrower’s house will result in a negative entry on the borrower’s credit rating, possibly making obtaining loans in the future more difficult or more expensive for the borrower. With otherwise good credit a new mortgage from US government agencies will be denied until 3 (FHA) to 5 years (FNMA) have passed since the actual date of foreclosure. The difference between the value of the property at the time of foreclosure and the amount of the note (assuming the note is larger) is considered by the IRS as “debt forgiven” and is “income” subject to income tax. For a short period ending at the end of December 2012 due to the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, this “phantom income” will not be subject to tax.

Bank of America Short Sales

It’s been widely noted that  Bank of America has been one of the most painfully slow banks when trying to complete a Short Sale.

Bank of America Short Sales are starting to Speed Up!

Bank of America introduced a new automated system that I use to upload our Short Sale information.  The system is called Equator.  Equator has its problems too, however it has drastically changed Bank of America’s 1st phase of the short sale process.  You can read about BOA Short Sales directly from their website:  Bank of America Short Sale

Jodi Buda, your real estate consultant works to  represent the seller to the best of our ability.  We are starting to see approvals in less than 60 days and sometimes less than 30 days  from Bank of America! That is a HUGE change from the previous 90-120 days minimum.

That is the good news.  The BAD NEWS is still the red tape issue.    Just remember it’s never over until all docs are signed, money is funded, and the deed is recorded. Even at the last hour, I have seen BofA change the rules and more negotiations are still in order. When doing a short sale especially with BofA, patience is your bestfriend! Have a Bank of America Mortgage and need to Short Sale?

The BOA short sale process may have started to speed up due to the new Equator system, but keep in mind it is still an automated system.  Many anxious sellers, owners, agents, etc. get fairly irritated with not being able to get an answer immediately.   Calling BOA will most likely not help as they just refer us back to Equator.

« Previous PageNext Page »