Real Estate Information | Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com |
|
Negotiating A Short Sale - The High Road to Huge Foreclosure Profits
Buying foreclosures can be extremely profitable for real estate investors. However, most of these homeowners are mortgaged to the hilt. They have no equity, and big loan payments. In fact, many actually owe more than the property is worth! Most investors will walk away from these deals because they see no obvious profit. However, you can "create" your own equity by negotiating a "Short Sale" with the bank or lender. What is a Short Sale? The concept behind the short sale is simple: your goal as a real estate investor is to convince the bank to sell for less that is owed as payment in full. Of course, this concept is easy - buy the foreclosure from the bank at a big discount, sell the real estate, and make money! How to Negotiate the Short Sale with the Mortgage Holder Once you have your secured a contract with the homeowner and have your paperwork in order, you'll be ready to deal with the loss mitigation department of the bank. Short Sales success relies on dealing with the loss mitigation department at the bank. Although most lenders look at short sales as a necessary evil within the lending industry, that doesn't mean that the bank will just roll over and do your bidding. Understand the Bank's Perspective With foreclosures at a 52-year high, the loss mitigation department at the bank is busy, if not highly overworked. Turn this disadvantage into an advantage - sell them the benefits of your short sale. Short sales contracts help lenders unload unwanted property and spare many expenses associated with the foreclosure process. These expenses include, but are not limited to, court costs, bankruptcies, repairs and marketing. This is in addition to the $300,000 to $800,000 (or more!) normally held in reserve by lenders. Federal regulations require this reserve, which is usually many times over the actual price of the bad debt. As the investor, keep these benefits at the top of your mind. After all, it's up to you to convince the lender that cutting their losses short is the best option. It's time to hone your negotiating skills. Here are 3 Steps to help you out. Step 1: Have Your Paperwork Ready There is paperwork that all lenders will require in order for you to submit your offer for the short sale. Second, many of the larger institutional lenders have their own short sale package (their own forms to be filled out and signed). Since many of these forms have to be signed by the homeowner(s), it's best to have them with you when you meet with the homeowner to work out a deal. At a minimum you should have the homeowner fill out and/or sign: · Authorization to Release Information (homeowner's permission for the bank to speak to you) · Purchase and Sale Agreement · Hardship letter (showing why the homeowner can't make the mortgage payments) · Financial statement (showing the assets, liabilities, incomes & expenses) · Estimated HUD1 or Net sheet (showing the bank what they will get) Second, find out if the lender has a package they want completed. You can do this usually by calling the lender and asking them to fax you the package. Get the lender information from the homeowner in a phone call, so you can get the package before you go out to the house. Step 2: Approaching the Loss Mitigation Department: One of the first challenges you'll face with the bank is getting your call to the right person. Some banks have systems set up in a way that when you call put in the homeowner's account number, the call transfers to the appropriate department. If the bank doesn't have a system like this, call around to find the Loss Mitigation Department. Many banks have different names for this department, so you may spend some time getting bounced around. Other names to try out are "foreclosures department", "short sale" department, or "loan modification" departments. Make sure you introduce yourself and be nice, polite, and patient when you reach the right person. This is the person that can make or break your deal. It's helpful to have some form of a script in front of you to get the conversation. When you speak with them, make sure you cover the following: · Introduce yourself. · Name the homeowner, the account number, and the fact that you represent them. · Ask for the fax number. · Let them know you're faxing over an "authorization to release information" so that the loss mitigator can talk to you. · Stay on the phone as you fax this information. · Explain to them that you're interested in a short sale. Once they have the paperwork in front of them, the negotiations begin. Step 3: Begin Your Negotiations Every bank has its own personality and approach when it comes to short sales. Some teach their employees to at least show resistance up front. One reason for this is that many investors call them expressing interest in a short sale, with no clue how to do it! These loss mitigators usually have about 80 to 300 files on their desk. They just don't have the time or desire to teach you! Let them know you don't need them to! Many new investors have been advised to not reveal that they intend to invest in a property. However, it is better to be upfront and let them know that you are an investor, and you are buying the property. Being honest and upfront allows both parties know what is required of them, and what needs to be negotiated. While speaking with a loss mitigator, make sure to emphasize the following points: 1. You're an investor and you know what you're doing. Although you do want to make profit, let them know you're not out to steal the property from them. 2. You understand that they are busy and appreciate the valuable time they are spending to negotiate with you. Find out what will make it easier on them. 3. Remember your selling points. The bank wants to avoid the homeowner filing bankrupty, and the bank needs to unload unwanted property without taking a huge loss. (And yes, while you are in it to make a profit, you're not trying to rip them off! You're just trying to use your expertise to do what you're good at.) 4. A short-sale is a win-win situation for everyone! Once you have spoken to the loss mitigation department and given them your paperwork, the lender will need information about the property, the borrower and the deal that you are proposing. If the person you are speaking with tries to test your resistance, make sure you answer as many questions as thoroughly as possible to let them know you are a professional. Hang in there, answer and ask as many questions as possible, and they'll be more apt help you out along the way and walk you through what it is that you need to do. The most important fact that the broker needs to know is: How much is the property worth? Banks usually hire a real estate broker or appraiser to evaluate the property. This is called a broker's price opinion or "BPO". The BPO is one of the largest hurdles you need to clear when perfecting your short sale negotiations. In the next article, you'll learn the in's and out's of the BPO and how to negotiate the BPO down to create profit for your short sale. Richard Odessey along with his wife Michelle are founders of the premier site on the internet - http://www.InvestorWealth.com for training and teaching real estate investors to do high profit deals. They offer regular Free Teleseminars by the top real estate investors in the country and offer how-to tools and kits like the Deal Evaluation Tool (http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=143414) to help investors to faster and greater real estate success. They also offer 4-8 hands-on training seminars with personal advice from experts that investors can take from the comfort of their home. Richard and Michelle have been investing for over 5 years and personally teach and mentor other investors. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only if unaltered and the resource box is included.
MORE RESOURCES: |
RELATED ARTICLES
Raising Money For Property Development In addition to finding the right property, one of the most difficult aspects of property development is being able to fund the purchase and re-development of the property before putting it back on the market.Many would-be property developers have the skills and flair for property development, but lack the financial clout to put these into practice. The Key to Real Estate Investing Success Revealed! How did you get into real estate investing? Did you read a book on it? Was it a seminar? A meeting of some sort with speakers dispensing real estate investing information, but really selling courses? Did you get really, really jazzed and pumped up by these simple ("not easy") concepts that were delivered to you in parable form from the stage by a charismatic speaker?Did you find yourself levitating to the back of the room, powerless but to slap down your plastic to buy the kits that were being sold there? Like, "Yes Mr. Ker we do take traveler's checks. Real Estate Investing Contracts on Toilet Paper Even if your real estate contract has been written on toilet paper, it's valid.Content of your real estate investing contract is what's important. Should You Use a Property Management Company or Manage Your Real Estate Investment in Florida? When considering investment properties, first of all, it must be determined that it is profitable and a good idea to purchase rental properties. Let's talk about this aspect. Secrets of Making Money from Real Estate - Part 1 There are three investment vehicles which can make you rich. Stocks, businesses, and real estate. Advantages and Disadvantages to Selling a House on Your Own As with any business transaction, there are pros and cons to selling your own home. Many people are intimidated by the whole process, but if you know what you are up against, and if you are aware of what needs to be done, you will be more effective at selling on your own, or you will be better at making sure your agent does what you prefer. Real Estate Investing Deals That SkyRocket Your Net Worth 10-Fold Consider these parameters for a real estate deal:Property Value: $250,000 Purchase Price: $160,000 Repairs: $2,500If you analyze the numbers, you see that the equity available in this deal is $87,500 (Property Value minus Purchase Price minus Repairs).So here's a hypothetical question for you: Assuming that the information above is accurate, and the property is located in an area that you view as acceptable and/or favorable, then:If I offered to give you this deal in exchange for $10,000 in cash, would you do it?Remember - this is hypothetical. StagingŪ Your Home for Sale: a Superior Real Estate Home Marketing Technique: Part 1 Every Realtor KNOWS that a home should be shown in its best light to help sell it faster and for more money! We also know that, properly done, it Is a lot more than putting fragrant pies, breads or cookies in the oven, opening the drapes and turning on all the lights; although even that helps greatly.Setting the stage to obtain the highest value, fastest, for a home has recently evolved into a real estate specialty that can pay of grandly for the seller and help the buyer overcome the immense emotional strain of making a decision on which, of many similar properties, to purchase. Empty Nesters Flock To Inner City Babyboomers whose children have left home, commonly known as "empty-nesters" are buying inner city apartments in record numbers.Director of Acton Special Projects, Marc Drexel says the trend is towards quality rather than mass developments. 7 Marketing Methods for Real Estate Coaches You shower, shampoo, dress your best, check to see if you have plenty of business cards, drive about an hour, introduce yourself by saying "Hi, I'm Mary and I'm a coach" and the other person says, "Hi, I'm Jack and I'm a coach, too!". You meet more coaches than you knew existed. Why Move to the Poconos? Awaken to the sounds of softly rustling trees and tranquil gurgling streams. Stroll along quiet lush wooded mountain trails. Apartment Loan 101 So you're interested in going into business as a property manager? Have you given any thought yet to you'll enter this potentially profitable market? Reality check-unless you've just inherited a large sum of money from a relative or are otherwise independently wealthy you're going to find someone to borrow from. This is where an apartment loan comes in. How To Give Yourself A $20,000/Year Raise Without Asking Your Boss Why without asking your boss? Two reasons, one, he or she will most likely say no; and second, he or she will probably have you committed for asking. So what do you do. Fantasy Gap [fast money in real estate] I was in the rental business for seven-years, made 1.3 million dollars the first five years, got ill, and had to get out of it slowly, but had the money to do it. Real Estate Appraisal - Rental Properties Real estate appraisal for rental properties isn't the same as for single family homes. If you were looking at a 24-unit building, it would be difficult to find similar ones nearby that have recently sold. Home Equity Loans - Beware of Appraisal Fraud A new report by the independent Demos group has revealed what may not be a surprise to many people - corruption is rampant in the home appraisal industry. The bust in the dot-com market of some five years ago has left would-be lenders with a surplus of cash to lend. Budgeting Your Log Home - Creating a Checklist If you've read my first article, BUDGETING YOUR LOG HOME: Where do you start?, you've got a very basic overview of the process. However, there are still a number of questions I'd like to address. Mechanics Lien on Your House In many places you can buy a house and a contractor can put a lien on it within 90 days of construction or delivery of materials. For example if a contractor fails to pay a subcontractor he/she can place a lien against your real estate. Home Sellers Warning for Young Families If you're thinking about selling your home and moving up, do your homework before offering your home for sale. Read the following story to see what can happen to home sellers who don't do their math. Free Tips That Will Dramatically Increase the Selling Value Of Your House (Part 1) Did you know that it's a proven fact that a properly maintained home sells substantially higher then a home that is dirty, depressed looking and clearly not maintained very well? When it comes to selling your house the statement "first impressions are the selling impression" couldn't be any more accurate. This article will highlight some quick tips that will increase the amount of money you can ask for you home when you're ready to sell it. |
List4Sale Domain Is For Sale - $10,000 For Enquiries eMail Us © www.List4Sale.biz 2012 |