Is short selling my home really an option?

Did you ever think you would have to move? Did you ever think that you would be forced to make a decision on whether to leave, or be forced out? According to Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, GLVAR, in March of 2013, 33.3 percent of homes sold in Southern Nevada were sold as a Short Sale. Don’t think you’re alone if you can’t afford your payments any longer. You have options.

It really is not your fault that the Southern Nevada market is the way it is! You didn’t control the lending. You didn’t control the economy and what happened. You do, however, control what happens from this point forward. You really are NOT alone! When the market “crashed”, Nevada was really hit the hardest. People paid $300,000 for a home that today, has a market worth of $150,000.  It makes all the sense in the world to cut your losses, short sell your home, walk away and get a fresh start in a few years.

Too many people don’t want to stand up, face the fact that they made a mistake, an unforeseeable mistake at that. However, why don’t you be part of the ones who look at themselves and say “You know, you’re right? I made a mistake and I want to fix it. I want to short sell my home and start over fresh. I want to make a difference and control where my life is going.”

You are better off selling your home through a short sale and buying a new home down the road, then you are to continue to pay on your home and not be able to afford it OR worse yet, stop paying on it and foreclose and be forced out. Ask yourself this question and you will find the answer to if a Short Sale is right for you. Would you rather spend your entire worth savings, 401k and everything you have worked hard for your entire life OR would you rather sell your home, start over fresh and be able to spend the things you have saved for? That’s the question you must answer yourself!

Short Sale Timeline

Short Sale Timeline 

The short sale process is complicated and must be done right! If it is not done right, the result will NOT work out in your best interest as the homeowner. For this reason, many banks require that the homeowner be represented by a licensed real estate agent. The majority of the tasks performed throughout the short sale process will be completed by the listing agent.

The Short Sale Timeline is a general illustration of the stages involved in completing a short sale and the number of days each stage usually takes. Short sale timelines differ between banks and do not always follow the process illustrated on the diagram.  While few banks will ever process short sales in the same amount of time, most banks will still adhere to the same stages illustrated in the diagram with very few exceptions or revisions.

Short Sales: Step-by-Step

The following will highlight what happens at each stage of the Short Sale process and what might be expected of the homeowner:

1. The listing agent sends the lender a 3rd Party Authorization Form. The form authorizes the agent to receive information on the mortgage account on the homeowner’s behalf.
2. The homeowner will prepare a list of documents for their agent to submit to the bank in order for the short sale to be reviewed. This may include income tax returns, bank statements, paycheck stubs, a hardship letter, and other financial disclosures.
3. Once an offer is received from a pre-qualified buyer, the offer is sent to the lender by the listing agent along with the homeowner’s financial and other documents. This is called a “short sale package” and is referred to at the bank as a “file”.
4. The file is assigned to a bank negotiator.
5. The bank sends an independent licensed real estate broker to the homeowner’s property to perform a valuation called a Broker’s Price Opinion (BPO). This is not typically a full appraisal, but it is performed to give the bank a general snapshot of the property value and overall condition.
6. The BPO agent sends the valuation to the lender.
7. The short sale package and BPO are reviewed by the bank and the investor who actually owns the mortgage.
8. The bank decides to either approve or reject the homeowner’s request for a short sale.
9. In the case of an approval, a written acceptance is sent to the homeowner for review and the buyer initiates their mortgage-loan approval process.
10. The buyer performs their inspections and they close on the property.

No two short sales are the same as the short sale process varies from situation to situation. Some move rather quickly, while some take some time to complete. It is my goal to do everything in my power to make sure your short sale doesn’t last more than 120 days. Thinking about a short sale in Las Vegas? I will be happy to answer any questions you have or meet with you for a no pressure, no obligation consultation in the privacy of your home.

Contact me at www.marypreheimgroup.com  (702) 900-6279 or  MaryPreheim@RealtyExecutives.com