|
Choosing A Short Sale Realtor
Choosing a short sale Realtor could be the most important decision you make during the short sale process. While choosing a short sale Realtor may only be the first step in the short sale process, this single decision can determine the entire outcome of your short sale.
Short sales are very different from standard real estate transactions. Some experts even estimate that a short sale is actually 4-5 times more work for the listing agent than a typical real estate transaction. While a standard real estate transaction involves back and forth between the seller and buyer, the short sale not only requires negotiation between the seller and the buyer, but it also involves significant back and forth between the seller and the lender. This can be extremely tricky, as each lender has their own idiosyncratic ways of processing a short sale.
What Can Go Wrong In A Real Estate Short Sale?
Having an experienced short sale Realtor who has successfully closed dozens, even hundreds of real estate short sales with many lenders is perhaps the biggest key to successfully completing a short sale. Below, we’ll examine some of the aspects of the real estate short sale process where things can go wrong, and how a homeowner can avoid these pitfalls by working with an experienced short sale specialist.
Offer Price Is Too Low
One of the major reasons why banks reject short sales is that the offer price accepted by the seller is too low. An important part of the short sale Realtor’s job is to not only know the housing market, but also the types of prices banks are willing to accept in order to allow a short sale. The dynamic of a short sale is significantly different than a standard real estate transaction. In a regular real estate deal, the Realtor wants to get the highest price possible for the homeowner. In a real estate short sale, ideally the short sale Realtor would want the highest price possible, but the reality is that the Realtor simply needs a price that the bank will be willing to accept. In a buyer’s market where selling a home is difficult, skill and experience is required in order to know what kind of offer will be approved by the bank. Too low and the homeowner may waste months waiting for short sale approval only to be denied, while setting expectations too high may mean the home isn’t sold.
Your short sale specialist will also be responsible for convincing the lender to accept the offer. Lenders will generally evaluate property value by obtaining a broker price opinion (BPO), which guides their valuation of the short sale property. An experienced short sale Realtor will include a comparative market analysis with the short sale package and ensure that the bank has a realistic view of the current housing market.
Incomplete Short Sale Package
Another common issue that causes a short sale to fall through is an incomplete short sale package. The short sale package is the documentation required by the lender in order to process the short sale application. Each lender will have a specific set of requirements when it comes to the short sale package. These requirements may include a short sale hardship letter, letter of authorization, financial documentation such as bank statements, W-2s, tax returns, payroll stubs and more. Not only does the short sale package need to meet the explicit requirements of each lender, but the short sale package also needs to pass the lender’s internal approval process in order for the short sale to be successful.

Each lender will have a loss mitigation department responsible for assessing short sale packages and determining whether the homeowner/property qualifies for a short sale, as well as what terms should be permitted in the short sale agreement. Because these decisions are made behind closed doors and may vary greatly from lender to lender, many inexperienced Realtors struggle to put together a short sale package that will successfully make it through the real estate short sale process. However, an experienced short sale expert will have worked with each lender many times before and will know exactly what they want to see in the short sale package. An experienced short sale specialist will also know how to negotiate with the lender to push the short sale approval process along.
Questions To Ask Your Short Sale Realtor
Now that you have an idea of the type of things that can go wrong in a short sale transaction and how an experienced short sale Realtor is critical to ensuring that the real estate short sale process goes smoothly, perhaps you’re wondering how exactly you choose the right short sale Realtor? While there many competent Realtors out there who would be willing to take on your short sale if asked, there are very few that actually have the experience necessary to successfully see your short sale through from offer to closing. Here are a few questions you can ask your potential short sale Realtor to determine if he/she has the experience and knowledge to handle your short sale listing.
How many short sales have you successfully closed as the listing agent?
Experience is the most critical factor in selecting a short sale Realtor for your listing. Asking a Realtor how many years of short sale experience they have allows for an ambiguous answer, and working in short sales on the buying side is completely different than being the seller’s short sale Realtor. Ideally, you’ll want someone who has closed dozens of short sales as a listing agent, but the key here is avoiding a Realtor with only a handful of, or even no successfully closed short sales as the listing agent.
How much experience do you have with my lender?
An experienced short sale Realtor will definitely have experience with your lender if your loan is with one of the major banks – Chase, Bank of America, GMAC, Wells Fargo, or Citi. If your loan is with a smaller less known lender, then it may be more difficult to find a Realtor that has worked with your lender.
How do you plan to deal with my second mortgage?
If your property has multiple lien holders, you will definitely want to ensure that your short sale Realtor has dealt with this before. Having a second or third mortgage on your property adds a number of other variables to the mix and can make the short sale process significantly more difficult. An experienced short sale Realtor should be able to give you an idea of what to expect, and what his/her plan is for dealing with the situation.
Will you be able to negotiate a forgiveness of the deficiency?
An experienced short sale Realtor should be able to give you an honest assessment of your situation. While not every borrower in every situation will qualify for deficiency forgiveness, the key issue is whether or not you Realtor can explain to you the factors involved in the assessment, his role in negotiating the deficiency, and what the obstacles to successful debt forgiveness are in your particular situation (e.g. too many assets, too much income).
Hiring A Short Sale Specialist
Perhaps the best part of choosing your San Antonio short sale Realtor is that whether you hire a novice who has never closed a short sale, or an experienced short sale specialist who can assure a successful short sale, the lender usually covers the cost of your agent. Choosing the right short sale Realtor is the most crucial component of a successfully executed short sale, so be sure to take the time to properly screen your Realtor, and ensure that they have the experience and expertise necessary to help you through a complicated transaction and a difficult time.
To find the right short sale Realtor for you, contact the Short Sale Specialist Network now! 1-877-737-4903

www.Short-Sale-Specialists.com
877-737-4903
Ask a local short sale specialist!
Our San Antonio Short Sale Specialists are here to help stop foreclosure, and are Certified and trained in the Texas Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives, or HAFA Government short sale program. Our stop Texas foreclosure specialists provide FREE short sale expert services to San Antonio homeowners in hardship. Call today to see if you qualify for a short sale! Need a San Antonio Distressed Property Expert in short sales to offer free short sale services?
Copyright First Coast Realty Associates 2011
|