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Is the Heyday of the Santa Maria Short Sale Over?


Probably not. I think the hey day of the “strategic short sale” is at least taking a breather while the future of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act is still being debated. However, there is still a ton of negative equity out there. And even though many are reporting housing prices trending upward, it would take a rabbit being pulled out of a hat to transform the situation of many borrowers who are more than 50% underwater into a positive equity position any time soon. And just as the lack of inventory drives buyers to bid up prices, many report that low appraisals are hindering those same bid up sales from closing. So, the upward price trend seems guaranteed to be a slow process, and some borrowers simply can’t hold on that long.

I do think short sales will be around for quite awhile. That is unless or until the negative equity goes away. Whether the number of short sales will trend up, or whether we have already seen the peak is yet to be seen. However, some borrowers who receive the proper tax advice while batting around the idea of a short sale may learn that they qualify for tax relief due to “insolvency,” so the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act may not be their only pathway to some “relief.” And, the principal hardship reasons that cause many short sales continue nonetheless: divorce, unemployment, death of a borrower, disability, and employment transfer.

In my opinion, the biggest influence on the high number of short sales continues to be massively underwater borrowers. Whether it is a wise decision or not, I know many borrowers who would gladly gut their 401K to avoid a short sale if they were anywhere close to breaking even. However, many borrowers still cannot “afford” to avoid default when they encounter hardship. Very little has been done to address the negative equity problem and extension of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act will not escort that elephant out of the room. So, while some would-be “strategic short sale” sellers wait in the wings over the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act, short sales will continue to happen due to massive negative equity and the need to sell now.

Before deciding whether to short sell your home, it is essential that you obtain legal and tax advice, and consult with an experienced local short sale agent. If you are considering a short sale of your Santa MariaOrcutt, or Nipomo home and would like a complimentary short sale consultation, please call my office to schedule an in person meeting or a telephone consultation at (805) 938-9950.

Tni LeBlanc is an independent Real Estate Broker, Attorney, and Short Sale Agent. She is a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) and Certified HAFA Specialist (CHS) serving California’s Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.

* Nothing in this article is intended to solicit listings currently under contract with another broker. This article offers no legal or tax advice. Those considering a short sale are advised to consult with their own attorney for legal advice, and their tax professional for tax advice prior to entering into a short sale listing agreement.

Copyright© 2012 Tni LeBlanc *Is the Heyday of the Santa Maria Short Sale Over?*

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My Bank Sold My Loan – Can I Still Do A Short Sale?

Has your mortgage loan been sold or “service released?”  This should not affect your ability to apply for a short sale on your property.  As a practical matter, it may cause a delay in processing.  It may also affect your ability to apply for the HAFA program, if your new servicer does not participate in the HAFA program.  You should receive notice of a change of servicer promptly — this is usually provided by mail unless you have given your bank permission to provide communication electronically.  If you have not received a notice, you should contact your old servicer (in writing) and demand this information.

The typical situation I see is where a client stopped making payments on a second loan months or years ago and often by the time they contact me for a short sale the loan has been sold or “charged  off.”  If they stopped reading their mail, they may have missed the notice.  If the loan has been sold several times, this can lead to a lot of detective work.  So, it may take a little time to trace who the short sale package should be directed to.  In some cases “charged off” seconds can be more difficult to negotiate especially if there is no purchase money protection on the original loan, but other than that dealing with a sold or service released loan will not block your short sale — it may simply slow it down a bit.

Before deciding whether to short sell your home, it is essential that you obtain legal and tax advice, and consult with an experienced local short sale agent. If you are considering a short sale of yourSanta MariaOrcutt, or Nipomo home and would like a complimentary short sale consultation, please call my office to schedule an in person meeting or a telephone consultation at (805) 938-9950.

Tni LeBlanc is an independent Real Estate Broker, Attorney, and Short Sale Agent. She is a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) and Certified HAFA Specialist (CHS) serving the Santa Maria, Orcutt and Five Cities area of the Central Coast of California.

* Nothing in this article is intended to solicit listings currently under contract with another broker. This article offers no legal or tax advice. Those considering a short sale are advised to consult with their own attorney for legal advice, and their tax professional for tax advice prior to entering into a short sale listing agreement.

Copyright© 2012 Tni LeBlanc *My Bank Sold My Loan – Can I Still Do A Short Sale?*

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Significant Freddie Mac Short Sale Changes

This week I sat in on a webinar offered by Freddie Mac.  The purpose was to educate short sale agents and would be short sale agents on recent changes Freddie Mac made to the way they handle short sales.  It was overall a useful webinar full of lots of great information.   Notably, in some circumstances, Freddie Mac will approve short sales without a missed payment.  And now, Freddie Mac gives delegated authority for short sale approvals to the servicer when the borrower meets one of the “Four Ds” of short sale hardship eligibility.

What are the “Four Ds” of short sale eligibility:

  • Divorce
  • Death
  • Disability
  • Distant Transfer (50 Miles)

What does this mean to prospective short sale sellers?  “Delegated authority” to the servicer means a quicker short sale approval time frame.  So, now when you apply for a short sale with Bank of America or CHASE or another servicer, if you meet one of the 4 eligibility categories, the servicer has the ability to issue a short sale approval without sending the decision to Freddie Mac.  They can make the decision at the servicer level using Freddie Mac’s well established guidelines.  If the reason for hardship does not fit without the “four Ds,” the borrower may still be able to qualify for a short sale without a missed payment; however, the approval decision will have to be forwarded to Freddie Mac.

Does Freddie Mac own your loan?  Check here.

Before deciding whether to short sell your home, it is essential that you obtain legal and tax advice, and consult with an experienced local short sale agent.  If you are considering a short sale of yourSanta Barbara County or San Luis Obispo County home and would like a complimentary short sale consultation, please call my office to schedule an in person meeting or a telephone consultation at (805) 938-9950.

Tni LeBlanc is an independent Real Estate Broker, Attorney, and Short Sale Agent. She is a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) and Certified HAFA Specialist (CHS) serving the Santa Maria, Orcutt and Five Cities area of the Central Coast of California.

* Nothing in this article is intended to solicit listings currently under contract with another broker. This article offers no legal or tax advice. Those considering a short sale are advised to consult with their own attorney for legal advice, and their tax professional for tax advice prior to entering into a short sale listing agreement.

Copyright© 2012 Tni LeBlanc *Significant Freddie Mac Short Sale Changes*

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Dear Fannie Mae........

.........if you don't want to do Short Sales then please quit wasting everybody's time pretending you do. On November 1st you implemented the new "streamlined short sale"guidelines. Read the new servicer guidelines here.

Excerpts:

Determining the Market Value of the Property

  • Fannie Mae requires that the property valuation for a short sale be based on an interior and exterior inspection of the property which can be either a broker price opinion (BPO) or, if licensing requirements in the state dictate use of an appraisal for these purposes, an appraisal (performed in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice(USPAP). The property valuation must be dated or have been refreshed by Fannie Mae within 90 calendar days of the short sale approval

Evaluating Short Sale Offers

  • The property valuation is the basis for the determining the minimum net required (MNR) proceeds and list price guidance from Fannie Mae. The servicer can only approve a short sale if proceeds from the short sale meet or exceed the MNR. The servicer must document Fannie Mae's MNR in the mortgage loan servicing file. The MNR must be kept confidential and must not be shared with interested parties to the transaction (for example, the buyer, seller, or real estate agents).

From the Federal Housing Finance Authority:

  • These new guidelines demonstrate FHFA’s and Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s commitment to enhancing and streamlining processes to avoid foreclosure and stabilize communities,” said HFA Acting Director Edward J. DeMarco.

Well Edward, it all sounds great on paper but know that Short Sales are far more difficult now than they were prior to November 1, 2012.

Fannie Mae is now making getting a Short Sale approved very, very difficult. I guess they forgot to mention that even though it is now easier to qualify for a Short Sale it won't happen because Fannie Mae will only accept deals that are far higher than market value.

Why do you continue to keep agents in the dark about the value of the property? Why not sort out the price first and then let us do what we do to find a buyer. After all we are the experts when it comes to pricing and selling property.

Countering every contract we submit at far more than market value achieves nothing. And it's funny that this issue didn't exist until you decided to make Short Sales "easier".

And did you know that your servicers are giving us "approved" listing prices, based on your criteria, only to have you counter the price? We find a buyer at the approved price or higher and yet you, Fannie Mae, decide the price you gave us 30 days ago is no longer any good.

Here's a recent example of a failed Short Sale due to Fannie Mae's incompetence. You recently denied one of my Short Sales over price. We priced at $88,000 based on a full blown appraisal ordered by the servicer that was only 45 days old. Seemed like this price would be acceptable since it was also very much in line with market value. You countered at $125,000!! This over priced property now sits on the market. Maybe in 4 months time you will consider taking a deal at $88,000?

Sorry, Fannie Mae but your new  property valuation method is not working. Properties are not going to sell at the prices you want. So save us all a lot of frustration and time and just move straight to foreclosure. Why continue to make us go through the motions?

Short  Sales would not happen without hard working experienced agents pushing the deal forward. And that's a fact. Lenders, servicers, investors and the borrowers would all fail at getting the deal done. Yet you continue to crap on is.

Selling properties multiple times is not an efficient method of disposing of a non performing asset.

Fannie Mae please get your act together. The market is turning and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Let's work together to clean up the rest of this mess so we can all move towards a brighter future.

I call the new streamlined Short Sale process BS. Please get your act together while us agents are still willing to help you unload these bad debts. Is that asking too much?

Here's a good discussion on this issue at http://ShortSaleSuperstars.com 

 

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Seemed illegal to me so I did some research in anti-competition law and it seems to me that Nationstar's request would be an anti-trust violation. I am guessing there is some banking law that was violated as well. How can the seller's lender or servicer have a rule where they will not pay credits to buyer at closing unless the buyer uses their bank. Whether it not an investor pays closing credits is normally by guideline and it would need to be applied across the hoard, with no exceptions. Has anyone else heard of this?
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Just received a charming Christmas Eve short sale "decline" after patiently waiting since August 2012 for an approval.  Reason - "strategic default" - DECLINED.  

This loan is through the SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union formerly the OCFTCU.  My seller had to relocate her mother and father to care for them as her mother was diagnosed with cancer early last year.  She and her parents purchased a home together where they live now.  She is $150,000 upside down on her existing home.  She has a tenant in the home but it does not pay the mortgage with a $1,000 negative each month.  She cannot afford to keep both homes and pay for her mother's care.  

This hardship is not considered a hardship in the eyes of the CU.  It breaks my heart to tell her the news the day before Christmas.  No one expected this.  The credit union obviously ran her credit and found the new mortgage and made their decision.  We explained the situation just as I have here.  The new mortgage has all three names on it.  

Be careful of the strategic default!

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Dedicated to bringing homeowners across the nation the latest news on short sales, we’ve discovered new information on the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program (HAFA) for 2013. Let’s explore the updates on HAFA’s success for 2012, what these new policies are for 2013, and when they will be in effect.

For those who do not know what HAFA is, it is a short sale program that is a part of the Making Homes Affordable (MHA) program run by our Government. Their success has been increasing with the latest data showing completed short sales for October at 38,518 which is a 13% increase from September. New and improved policy changes continue to incentivize lenders and homeowners to complete short sales through HAFA.

What Are These New Policy Changes?

Data provided from dsnews.com

Here are some of the significant updates:

  • The decision on a borrower’s request for a short sale must be made by the servicers within 30 days as opposed to the previous 45 day policy.
  • Introduction of the “pre-determined hardship.” If the borrower is delinquent on payment 90 days or more and has a FICO score less than 620 (probable if 90 days late), then they are considered to have a pre-determined hardship. However, they still need to execute a hardship affidavit prior to closing the sale. Lenders will not have to further validate the hardship.
  • HAFA provides short sales for non-delinquent borrowers who own non-owner occupied properties and offer relocation assistance to the tenants who are occupying the space at the time. This is an old but modified policy.
  • Another change involves the solidification of the sale to be an “arms-length” transaction. This means no money between the buyer and seller is given or received without it being reflected on the HUD 1 Settlement statement.
  • Treasury increased reimbursement amounts to up to $5000 (increase from $2000 previous) to primary mortgage investors for payments to the subordinate lienholders.
  • Fraud prevention is increased by stating a resale of a HAFA short sale cannot be made 30 days after closing. Also, HAFA short sale resale’s of more than 120 percent are not allowed if they occur between 31 and 90 days after closing.
  • Certain HAFA documents are now optional such as the SSA, DIL agreement, Request for Approval of Short Sale (RASS), and Alternative Request for Approval of Short Sale (Alt RASS).

When will these updated policies go into effect?

The HAFA policy updates are set to be in effect February 1, 2013 but changes may be implemented earlier by servicers.

Hope this helps!

Peter

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B of A...Equator...? Why do they make this process so damn difficult!If anyone has a suggestion to help expedite the approval of he net sheet please advise! B of A approved the short sale last week and the buyers signed right away (cash sale) the estimated settlement statement was sent out (on Equator) 5 days ago and we still do not have anything.The buyers just want to be in by Christmas...and this final delay is frustrating.Happy Holidays!
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Whether you are dealing or have dealt with a short sale, foreclosure, BK, delinquency on your mortgage payments, or have a number of late payments elsewhere, your credit score is damaged and your finances are most likely in lockstep. However, recovering with bad credit will be difficult as interest rates inflate the cost of living and affect various other facets of your life and naturally you get caught in a downward spiral of poverty.

The best example of this is a home mortgage. Do not even consider pushing for another home without rebuilding your credit prior. The figures below will show you why.

The Ding Of A Delinquent Payment, Short Sale, Foreclosure, and/or Bankruptcy

Take a look at the impact of each situation on your FICO score. As you can see, regardless which consumer type you are, you will have incurred a significant ding on your credit score.

http://seattleshortsaleblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/impactoficoscore.jpg

Can You Obtain Credit?

There are great deals out there on the housing market but a big problem these days is the inability for homeowners to obtain credit to finance their home. Large agency investors such as Fannie Mae changed their minimum credit score requirement from 580 to 620. Anything under 620 is considered high risk. Your local bank may require a credit score of up to 660 or higher. The question is, even if you were able to qualify for a mortgage, should you finance with sub-par credit?

A Bad Credit Score Will Cost You!

These figures are based on rates from 9/12/11. The example below clearly shows you how much you will be affected from obtaining a mortgage without an outstanding credit score.

 

How Can I Quickly Rebuild My Credit Score?

Whatever situation you may be in, the longer you are stuck in a bad credit rut, the more exacerbated your financial situation may get. Here is how to prepare: If you have a low credit score and/or want to prepare your credit situation to qualify for excellent loans for your next home purchase, by the end of this article, talk to a Lexington Law credit specialist. I have personally researched and found them to be the absolute best company to work with in rebuilding credit scores. Here is a direct number provided through the short sale blog for a free consultation: 888-586-6113 or you can apply through their website.

Hope this helps!

Peter

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12433927463?profile=original

 

Good morning Superstars.

 

Here are this week's Superstar discussions.

 

DiscussionsRepliesLatest Activity

BANK OF AMERICA SHORT SALE SUCCESS STORIES

I went online to see if I could find a Bank of America, FHA, short sale success story, but I could not find any thing. Everything I read is…

Started by Karen Booker

512 seconds ago
Reply by Bryant Tutas

Is buyer entitled to copy of approval from Fannie Mae

Hello all and happy Holidays. Is the buyer entitled to see a copy of Fannie Mae approval letter?? I feel like before going forward with…

Started by Jeff Kaster

316 hours ago
Reply by Wayne Brooks

How to deal with reluctant short sale sellers?

I am an investor and recently a property caught my eye. A similar property in the same community I really like was available some time bac…

Started by Jack Hampson

217 hours ago
Reply by Thom Colby 888-391-5245 CA Brkr

With all these lower appraisals.....

What is the reason they are coming in so low? I do keep reading how low appraisals are interferring with real estate deals ev…

Started by Lauren O

118 hours ago
Reply by Wayne Brooks

BofA Initiation Docs

On EVERY file I initiate in Equator for BofA, my initiation docs task gets rejected or my docs are unacceptable. The docs are DL'd directly…

Started by Brent Innocenzi

5yesterday
Reply by Patricia Bravo

Chase Recovery Department

We need to escalate on a file. The name of a decision maker in the Chase Recovery Department will be appreciated. Needless to say we will o…

Started by David Zagorsky

5yesterday
Reply by David Zagorsky

Feedback on BMO Harris Short Sales?

Has anybody closed a short sale with M & I Bank / aka now BMO Harris Bank where they forgave the deficiency amount? I see a comment in…

Started by Beth Larsen

0yesterday

HSBC Short Sale Approval letter in 3 days! WOW!

HSBC is a second lien holder on my deal. HAFA approved. Offered $8500 by 1st lien Holder BOA. All they needed was a prelim HUD, listing…

Started by Travis Harris

5yesterday
Reply by Wendy Rulnick

 

 

Learn How to Get More Short Sales Closed in 2013!

12433916279?profile=original Learn marketing, listing, negotiating, escalation tricks, HUDs, junior liens, FHA and VA tips from Bryant and Wendy. Make your Holidays and New Year a success with our Advanced Short Sale Training Webinar. Current $50 off coupon below.

***Each session is 60-90 minutes of audio (MP3) with PDF materials.

Are your short sales declined? Are you losing closings? Are you losing buyers? Losing sellers to foreclosure? Do you have to re-start your short sales dozens of times? Are your short sales taking forever? Are you stressed out over your short sale success or...worse, your short sale failure? And no one seems to be able to show you how to do it quickly, with no stress? UNTIL NOW. WE can HELP YOU Succeed with Short Sales! Broker Bryant and Wendy Rulnick... Real Answers from REAL PRACTICING SUCCESSFUL SHORT SALE BROKERS.

Get More Info

Order Now

***Use coupon code sss10000 for an instant $50 discount

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Divorce & Short Sale

I have an upcoming short sale with Ocwen on the 1st and BofA on the 2nd.  The couple has been divorced for at least 4 years. He is living in another state, she is in charge of the residence.  He has really washed his hands of the house.  I am suspecting it will be like pulling teeth to get his paperwork for submitting the short sale. Can he be quit claimed off title hoping that I only need to get her paperwork?  Your experience will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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Monday and Tues of this week I spend 2 full days at a seminar presented by Alex Charfen of the Charfen Institute.  The seminar is called AgentGPS, which stands for Growth Profitability & Stability.  What a wonderful course.  Instead of a presenter force-feeding you information, Alex presented us with the tools needed to basically either start your business over from scratch or make some minor adjustments to your business to get it to the next level.  The seminar is just the start.  It's not material to memorize, but questions to ask and answer about what kind of business you are looking to create/change to.  Highly recommended! Of course I get nothing from promoting this but I just feel everyone trying to improve their business could benefit from this course.  I hope everyone out there in SS Superstar Land has a great 2013!

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Communities in Beaumont CA

According to a real estate study conducted by USC, the Southern California commercial real estate market is on the rise, which could include the Banning CA commercial real estate market as well.

According to the article:

"The office and industrial real estate sectors continue to improve for Southern California landlords, a report said, but high office vacancy will remain common for the foreseeable future as businesses put more workers into less space.
The regional economy has strengthened the past year and enabled some businesses to hire more workers, according to USC’s annual Casden office and industrial property forecast.

That has resulted in higher occupancy and rising rent for industrial buildings, while office landlords are seeing rising occupancy and smaller declines in the amount of rent they can charge.

“We predict office market rents to stabilize in as little as six months, but a sustained recovery could be many years off,” said Casden report author Tracey Seslen.

Office occupancy probably won’t return to pre-financial crisis levels until some of the region’s office buildings are taken out of commission or converted to other uses.

“A paradigm shift in the way tenant firms use office space will force landlords and developers to rethink their investment strategies even as the economy improves,” she said.

-----------------------------

If you're interested in buying, selling, renting or leasing Banning CA commercial real estate,

call us and let's talk: (951) 490-3698.

Or visit our website: Banning CA Commercial Real Estate

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Help from anyone with this experience

I have a buyer that has waited the short sale process out for over 4 months.  We have an approval from Wells Fargo until 12.4.2012, however, the negotiator won't give us an extension.  We have everything ready, but she is getting a downpayment from FHLB and that needs 48 hrs to approve HUD, then 48 from Wells to approve that HUD, which will allow us to close by Wednesday of next week.  What can I do?  I have escalated, sent her supervisor and email.

HELP!!!!!

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12433927463?profile=original

Good morning Superstars.

We are quickly closing in on 2013. Do you know how many transactions you need to close next year to reach your goals?  If not then this will help.

First I want you to punch your numbers into this chart. We are looking for how much GFI (Gross Commission Income) you need to meet your financial obligations based on the lifestyle you want to live.

Gross Commission Income Chart

The amount of GCI (Gross Commission Income) needed is $117,500. So how do you get there?

  • Average sales price in your market area X the average commission X your % split=Your ADPT (Average Dollar Per Transaction).
  • GCI divided by ADPT divided by 12=How many transaction you need to close per month.
  • Active Listings in your Market divided by Listings Sold Per Month=How many listings you need per sale X transactions you need to close per month= How many saleable listings you need to maintain.

The math based on the numbers in my example would be:

  • $125,000 X .0275 = $3,437 X .70 = $2,406 (ADPT)
  • $117,500 (GCI) / $2,406 (ADPT) = 49 / 12 = 4 (need to close per month)
  • 600 (Active Listings) / 100 (Sold per month) = 6 X 4 = 24 (Saleable Listings)

Based on this example you would need to maintain 24 listings at all times and would need to list 4 a month. Throw in some Buyer deals and you could have a fairly decent year.

The point of this exercise is to show you how to lay out your financial map so you can make sure you are meeting your obligations with ease.

A final tip:

There are only three ways to increase your GCI.

  • Increase the number of units you sell.
  • Increase the sale price of the units you sell.
  • Increase the fees that you charge.

We hope this help?

 

Can You Be More Successful In Short Sales?

  12433916279?profile=original  Learn marketing, listing, negotiating, escalation tricks, HUDs, junior liens, FHA and VA tips from Bryant and Wendy.  Make your Holidays and New Year a success with our Advanced Short Sale Training Webinar.  Current $50 off coupon below.

 

***Each session is 60-90 minutes of audio (MP3) with PDF materials.

  

Are your short sales declined? Are you losing closings? Are you losing buyers?  Losing sellers to foreclosure? Do you have to re-start your short sales dozens of times?  Are your short sales taking forever?  Are you stressed out over your short sale success or...worse, your short sale failure?  And no one seems to be able to show you how to do it quickly, with no stress?  UNTIL NOW. WE can HELP YOU Succeed with Short Sales! Broker Bryant and Wendy Rulnick... Real Answers from REAL PRACTICING SUCCESSFUL SHORT SALE BROKERS.  

 

Get More Info

Order Now

***Use coupon code sss10000 for an instant $50 discount

Read more…

Has anyone out there ever heard of a company called JUSTICE ONE FOUNDATION? Here is what I have just experienced. . .I have a negotiator at CHASE that denied my sales price while on a CHASE phone call, then called me the next day from a PRIVATE number, said he wasn't in the office but wanted to refer me to JUSTICE ONE FOUNDATION which is a company that will negotiate my short sale and get my seller more $ at closing and then the seller could give the money back to the buyer after closing. I have been contacted by JUSTICE ONE FOUNDATION and sent a generic 'permission to release information' that they want my client (the seller) to sign and send back to them. The negotiator did tell me this had to be done without CHASE knowing of his involvment! I have tried to get in touch with his supervisor without success, I have called a couple of hotlines and executive offices, this all happened Friday, now today I have the negotiator calling me like nothing happened and saying he is going to deny my file~ any adivce? #'s I can call?? PLEASE HELP~Janie

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Before you go back to school, take this quiz.

Before you go back to school, take this quiz. 

My academic pedigree has always been something I make light of, but it has served me well over the past couple decades.  I've always said, "With all of the education behind me, you would think I'd be smarter than I am."  Well, there's a lot of truth in that.

I'm starting to find this in real estate too.  The learning never ends.  I've been in and out of real estate Back to Schoolclasses all week this week.  Ironically, I already have all of my CEUs for my next license renewal in Virginia and West Virginia, but there are topics I'm just attracted to that all showed up in available classes at the same time.  Fortunately, most of the studies have been in my community, but today I was off to Richmond, VA for a class.

Getting up at 4:45 am and heading down the highway just after 5:00 am was not my idea of a great way to start the day, but I learned a long time ago that education that is valuable is worth a little sacrifice.  Not only is it exercise for the brain, but it sharpens you like the tip of a sword.  I'm not a big fan of voluminous certifications and long strings of initials behind a name (even though I have a number of them), but I am a huge fan of smart, timely and effective information.

A certification, or a class that can immediately help me be a more efficient business person is a class I view as well thought out and well taught.  Before you sign you up for a class, webinar, seminar or a certification, ask yourself:

  • Will this make me a better Realtor?
  • Is this something I can't learn at the level I need outside of the classroom?  One class I took this week failed this test.  
  • Will this make me a more confident and proficient professional? Too many webinars, seminars and certifications only skim this question positively.
  • Is the education I'm about to receive worth the price?  I went to a seminar in the summer that ended with a sign-up phase that was so expensive that I couldn't justify it on a good year.  If I'm going to spend five figures for the education and service, it better produce a six figure result.  There were no guarantees or refunds.  I have over 230 graduate and post graduate credits in the degrees I hold.  I could have bought a house with the tuition I've paid, but the value added impact on my life has far exceeded the money spent.  Is it worth the price?
  • Will the information I'm learning be valuable a year from now?  You can pretty much guarantee that certain phases of the industry are going to change nearly every year.  You wouldn't need to attend a seminar on the value of using a fax machine in real estate.  That is so last decade.  What about the value of using email?  The majority of my clients want me to text updates.  Email is quickly becoming irTime, Money, Valuerelevant.  Is the information you're about to pay for with your time and money going to matter a year from now?  You're tech savvy enough to know if something is passe.

Everybody has a product to sell, but not every product will make you better at your job.  Do your homework before you sign on to a product or service.  Talk to others who have experienced the class or product.  Pick and choose wisely, and get your money's worth so you reflect your investment by your competence and performance. 

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12433927463?profile=original

 

Good morning Superstars.

 

Here are this week's Superstar discussions.

Sellers Bailing on SS last minute, need some advice!

I have a BOA approved SS that is set to close. The second lien was removed due to national mortgage settlement act and the file is in BOA's…

Started by Derik Bjorgo

 

Am I wasting my time? Flagstar Short Sale

Hello all, I have been reading posts on here for a while and I thought I'd post on my situation to see if you think I am wasting my time an…

Started by Erik

Servicer Release impact on title, incorrect discharges, servicer authority, etc...

I have been running into title problems with servicers such as Green Tree and Seterus who are negotiating on behalf of entities like BOA. B…

Started by Marty Macisso

GreenTree Gets Their Jollies One More Time

I haggled with GreenTree since July, with more than 2 dozen contact notations in the file. We got our approval to participate in August, bu…

Started by Harry Clay

CHASE SKEWING HAFA GUIDELINES???

Seller listed with another agent July 31, 2012. Received low offer, CHASE requested comps to support offer, agent did not and after waitin…

Started by Mary Ann McKinnon

7 Tips To Help Ensure The Short Sale Buyer Stays On Board

Good morning Superstars. So you have been working for 4 months to receive short sale approval only to have the buyer walk. As a short sale…

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FHA waivers

What's the likelihood of getting an FHA approved waiver to pay closing costs for buyer that is either non-FHA buyer or needs more than the 1…

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Advance Your Career - Advanced Short Sale Training

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