Dead Mortgagee-No Probate Estate

I am looking to buy a short sale in Colorado. Mortgagee has been dead for almost a year. Property is in preforclosure. No will and no probate estate has been opened... family indicates they won't in the future. $98000 on the 1st owned by PennyMac. 22,500 on the second lien owned by local bank. Local bank is happy to negotiate payoff of 2nd.

My concern is will there need to be a probate opened to sell this property as a short sale? I do not want to wait 6 mos or more to acquire.

If this deal is feasible what docs need to be included with an offer to the 1st lien holder.

This property is worth maybe 150,000 as it stands. Would anybody touch this deal with a 10 foot pole?!!

Thank You!!!

You need to be a member of Short Sale Superstars to add comments!

Join Short Sale Superstars

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • This does not sound right. If there is equity in the property why is it not being sold? Why have the heirs not opened probate? Is there anything else in the estate? Every state has laws about what happens when someone dies. If there is no will the creditors are paid off first and then the heirs get the rest based on the formula of that state. If heirs can not be located then the state get the money. So why has the estate been left alone? I am not familiar with Colorado laws, but in Ca. you could not do what you are trying to do. Nothing can happen to a dead person's estate without approval by a probate court.

    • Its really a break even deal in terms of equity..especially if a realtor gets involved. The deceased owner had a pile of medical bills and the family, also estranged, wants nothing to do with anything, thus they have not opened probate. I see value in the property and I also live down the street. I am Looking at it as an income source. Greg, i would not be buying the note from Pennymac, but paying off outstanding balance. My biggest unknown now is the loan payoff amount from Pennymac. They will not give me those figures until I have deed.

      Has anyone ever tried to acquire property in this manner> I.E. Buy the 2nd lien, foreclose, pay off the 1st, get title.

      If I let it go, the lender on the second will do just as I have planned and hand it over to a realtor as REO and jack up the price $30k. 

      (Thanks for all your thoughtful responses BTW!)

  • I would offer to buy the note from PennyMac at a discount and then foreclose on the property, wiping out the second.

  • Everyone is missing one detail. I have negitiated payoff of the second mortgage. Once I foreclose on the second I will have deed to the property and be required to pay off the first immediately, thus getting me insurable title to the property. Auction date for 1st lien is in October, auction for 2nd is in August. Has anyone done this? And if so were you able to negotaite payoff of the 1st lien?

    • If you pay off the 2nd, there is no 2nd for anyone to foreclose.  Do you mean you have negotiated a PURCHASE of the 2nd mortgage, or do you really mean payoff?

      • Nathan, 2nd is currently under preforeclosure. I pay off the second THEN foreclose on the second and take title, Then payoff the 1st and take marketable title. My quandary now is NO one will give me a payoff figure for the 1st. The Mortgagee is dead and his family is estranged. Clearly a deal could be made but the system is not set up to facilitate one.

  • Property is in preforeclosure. I'd like to get it at a discount before the auction. Anybody know anything about probate requirements when no probate estate has or will be opened by heirs?

    • Why would they sell it at a discount?  If it is worth 150,000, the bank will take it back, wipe out the second lien and sell the property

  • I don't see the need to do a short sale if the property value is worth $150,000 and the amount owed is $120,500.   Why can't they just sell it as a traditional sale.

     

    Also, if you can't wait "6 months" for a short sale, I'm not sure a short sale is right for you.  Some take much longer.  It's not the same as a traditional sale.

This reply was deleted.
********************************** like buttons ************************