MODIFICATIONS (6)

The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 is set to expire!!

The window is closing rapidly on one of the most important tax-relief provisions enacted by Congress during the housing crisis to help financially strapped homeowners. Time is running out to Short Sale your house. Although the 2007 law that allows taxpayers to exclude from income the amount of debt that is forgiven or canceled by their lenders doesn’t expire until Dec. 31, it’s likely to take every bit of the coming months to persuade your bank to either foreclose or allow you to sell your house for less than it’s worth (Short Sale).

While owners who are struggling to hold onto their homes shouldn’t throw in the towel solely because of the pending tax bite, it is certainly something to consider.

Under the tax code, borrowed money need not be reported as income because you have an obligation to repay. But if the lender subsequently cancels what you owe, the IRS requires that you report that debt as income because the duty to repay it no longer exists. So, if you owe $250,000 and your lender forgives $50,000 of that debt in a $200,000 refinancing, that $50,000 is considered income. If your combined federal and state marginal tax rate is 36 percent, you would owe $18,000 in taxes.

Under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, though, taxpayers are allowed to exclude from income the discharge of debt on their principal residence when they do a short sale— at least until 2013.

So when your lender agrees to a short sale, there is no tax on the difference between the selling price and the amount you owe. When your lender forecloses, there is no tax on the canceled debt. Even when you refinance at a lower loan balance, there is no tax on the difference between what you owed on the old loan and what you now owe on the new one.

But unless Congress extends the law — and there is no indication lawmakers are even thinking about that — all residential mortgage debt relief that takes place on or after Jan. 1, 2013, will once again be considered taxable income.

Why worry about this now, Because the timelines on debt forgiveness decisions by lenders are absolutely horrendous.

Of course, each state has a different timeline. But the shortest is 463 days in Minnesota, according to Lender Processing Services. So the tax absolution window may already be closed for foreclosures.

There are no hard-and-fast numbers when it comes to short sales or loan modifications. But they also can be long, drawn-out transactions.

According to a nearly year-old survey by Equi-Trax Asset Solutions, a Santa Barbara, Calif., analytics company, it can take anywhere from four to nine months for underwater borrowers to persuade their lenders to sign off on a deal in which the lender will net less than what the borrower owes (Short Sale).

Eighteen percent of the 600 agents polled said short sales can be closed in less than three months if the stars line up just right. But almost 10 percent said these transactions require more than 10 months to complete.

There are many factors besides a tax break to consider when deciding whether to give up your house. What will a foreclosure or short sale do to your credit score? How long will you be precluded from buying another house? Will the extra income push you into a higher tax bracket? How long will it take before the amount I owe is on par with what is owed? Is it worth being tied down to one property for many years or should I just short sale and be back in the market within 2 years and probably buy more house for way less.

Consequently, as always when it comes to such matters, you should consult a tax professional before making any decisions.

At Trinity Homes & Investments we discuss all available options with our clients before deciding which course of action to take.  Our mission is to find dignified solutions to foreclosure.

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I have read several news and Blog pieces about 2012 being the bottom of the market and how the best time to purchase a home is now. In good conscious I cannot sit idly by without voicing my opinion.

The news and columnists have based their analysis on the low number of inventory currently on the market for sale and the fact that it is 22% less than this time last year. They further site a 30% increase in property searches on Realtor.com which is one of the top search websites where consumers make purchase decisions. The reporters further substantiate their point by stating that interest rates are the lowest they have been since the great depression. Well folks, I am here to let you in on a few things. I am a distressed property real estate broker and live in the numbers and happenings on the ground. Last year alone I personally closed $17 Million in real estate. More than three quarters of my sales were short sales and bank owned property sales. My job revolves around tracking properties that have defaulted on their mortgage payments and listing the property for sale before it ends up in foreclosure. When properties do end up going to foreclosure the banks also contacts me to sell the properties back into the marketplace as a bank owned property. This is also known as a REO (Real Estate Owned) property.

In dealing with the lenders on a daily basis I have the ability to see how many mortgages are current or behind in any part of California. The numbers are staggering! One in three properties in San Diego County is currently underwater (owe more than what the property is worth).
Many of you may have heard of the “Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007” which is set to expire at the end of 2012. This means that anyone wanting to do a short sale has until the end of this year to get it done to avoid the enormous tax and deficiency implications. As homeowners scramble to do short sales, the banks are absolutely inundated with files. Banks have increased their loss mitigation departments to handle the amount of short sale requests as the deadline draws near.

So to shed further light on the subject of a “recovery,” I would have to say that the reason there is a 22% decrease in inventory on the market for sale is due to the “Robo-signing” debacle which simply held up the foreclosure process for a few months. Furthermore, the lenders have started issuing three month extensions to foreclosure sale dates rather than the standard 30 day extensions. The numbers are artificially adjusted to modify the supply and demand ratio. Also, the news columnists have stated that the average nationwide sales price has started increasing and the market is recovering. This is not quite correct because the number of higher end distressed sales has dramatically increased. In other words, if 100 homes sell at $200K and 900 homes sell at $500K, the average home price may have increased.  However, what they are not saying is that the home that is currently selling at $500K was purchased in 2005 for $900K.  See how they are messing with the numbers. Just because the average nationwide sales price has increased, does not mean we are recovering.

So I would maybe agree that the lower end has reached the bottom whereas the middle and higher end have room to fall.  Far be it from me to state that 2012 is the “Big Housing Recovery.” New young families or recent college graduates will also add to the lower end recovery as they will need to purchase in this range.

The number of Baby Boomers now wanting to downsize will further hamper the prices of the middle and higher end as they add to the supply. There are currently 30 million Americans in this segment of the market.

The FED made an error in judgment a month ago when they stated interest rates would remain low through the end of 2014, which took away the immediate driving force to purchase now. If interest rates would remain low for an extended period of time, why would anyone be in a hurry to purchase when they know how much shadow inventory the lenders are sitting on?

As the world has become a global economy, few have shed light on the fact that China has begun their housing crisis with more than half the cities reporting huge decreases in home prices. This may have an influence on our economy further down the road as this may affect the cost of consumer goods locally.

Gas prices are at an all-time high and could further contribute to inflation and gyrations in the consumer price index.

Unemployment is still stubbornly above 8% and steam rises from the printing presses at the Fed.

I don’t know folks. Recovery 2012?  I am not so sure. And over the years I have learned that in the long run it pays to be honest rather than bending a situation for personal gain. There is a reason I am renting right now. Though the rents are higher, cash will soon be back on the thrown to be crowned King. Don’t be in any hurry to purchase unless you find a great deal.

This is my honest humble opinion.

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Loan Modifications can be a recipe for disaster



The Star Tribune, a newspaper in Minneapolis, recently ran a story about loan modifications. Here is an excerpt from the article:

“Many people who sought help under a federal program created to keep them from losing their homes are instead getting saddled with huge, unexpected bills.

Thousands now face a stark choice: Go deeper into debt, or foreclosure.

Lenders routinely approved short-term "trial" loan modifications that reduced payments for desperate borrowers under the umbrella of the Obama administration's Home Affordable Modification Program. But lenders continued to count the mortgages as delinquent or in default.

Now instead of granting permanent modifications, lenders often are reinstating the original loan terms and demanding big back payments.

Carl Christensen, a Minneapolis real estate attorney, said he is getting 15 telephone calls a week from shocked borrowers.

"The banks put out their hand and say, 'We're going to help you,' and then stab people right in the back," Christensen said.

Patti, 51, and Scott Weddle, 57, of Harris, Minn., were ecstatic when J.P. Morgan Chase offered in November 2009 to cut their monthly mortgage payments by about 20 percent under a trial modification. Patti was out of work with a neck and back injury, and the Weddles were having difficulty making ends meet.

Nearly a year later, the Weddles were told that their application for a permanent modification was denied and that they would have to pay $24,228 to bring their mortgage current and avoid foreclosure.

The Weddles insist the demand came as a shock, because they had made all their payments on time under the trial modification. "We did everything that was asked of us, and it only pushed us deeper in the hole," Patti Weddle said.

A growing number of critics contend the loan modification program, known within the industry as HAMP, may be doing more harm than good. Many homeowners are draining their savings and incurring new loans to make the temporary payments only to end up in foreclosure anyway when they can't afford the large, lump-sum payments demanded at the end of the process.

When the Weddles got turned down for permanent relief under HAMP, they decided to stop making their monthly payments. They expect to receive foreclosure papers any day and most of their belongings are packed. "If we had $24,000 lying around, then we wouldn't have sought help to begin with," Patti Weddle said.

A spokesman for J.P. Morgan Chase said the risks were disclosed to the Weddles. Under the trial modification signed by the couple, J.P. Morgan reserved the right to terminate the plan at any point and begin foreclosure. The bank also reserved the right to determine the final amounts of unpaid interest and any other delinquent amounts.

"We work with customers to try to keep them in the home whenever possible," said Thomas Kelly, a bank spokesman. "And the HAMP documents clearly explain the steps along the way."

Paula Viehman, 60, recalls the day she was approved for a trial modification in June 2009. After a 30-minute conversation, a CitiMortgage representative agreed to cut her monthly payment by half to $929. "It was the answer to my prayers," said Viehman, a state employee who lives in Minneapolis.

Fifteen months later, CitiMortgage sent two letters claiming she was in default on her mortgage and owed $13,569 in back payments, late fees and other charges. When Viehman called to complain, she learned that CitiMortgage had denied her application for permanent relief under HAMP, though the bank had never notified her.

Viehman refuses to make the lump-sum payment, largely on principle, because that would mean accepting Citi-Mortgage's claim that she's in default. Though she continues to make monthly mortgage payments, she suspects the bank will eventually foreclose on the house where she's lived for 25 years.

"The longer I go through this, the madder I get," she said. "I did everything they asked and more."

Citigroup, CitiMortgage's parent company, declined to comment about Viehman's complaints because of privacy concerns. However, in a written statement, the bank said the original terms of a mortgage remain in place during a trial modification. Borrowers only receive relief from delinquent payments if they get permanent modifications.

Many borrowers say they never would have signed up for HAMP had they known the risks.

Lynda Devine, 49, of Faribault, said she had not even heard of HAMP until she called her mortgage servicer, Aurora Loan Services of Colorado, about a routine matter. While on hold, she found herself listening to a recorded message that said she might qualify for HAMP. She checked it out and learned it was a program sponsored by the Obama administration. "It all seemed very legit," she said.

Aurora agreed to cut her monthly payment to $1,400 from $2,000 under a trial modification. But Devine, a children's mental health social worker and waitress, soon found herself mired in a bureaucratic nightmare. As she sought permanent relief, Aurora kept asking for the same documents -- including bank and tax statements. Devine estimates she has faxed documents to Aurora more than 60 times.

Nonetheless, she received notice in July that she was in default. Soon after, she got a letter from Aurora's law firm saying she would have to come up with $13,496 or face foreclosure. Devine couldn't stomach the idea of losing her 1920s-era farmhouse and her 35 acres, where she keeps three beloved horses.

Aurora did not return repeated calls seeking comment.

Devine borrowed against her truck and horse trailer to pay the $13,496, but she's considering suing Aurora to get the money back.”

I think that what these banks are doing is pathetic. In my opinion, half the reason that loan mods aren’t approved is because the lenders are too lazy to process the files.

In fact, the article continues and tells us how the lenders are actually rewarded for not processing loan modifications. Here is what it says.

“Incentives favor foreclosure. It would seem to be in a mortgage company's interest to modify a mortgage, because lenders often recover only a small fraction of a loan after a foreclosure. But only 12 percent of all delinquent mortgage borrowers are receiving permanent relief under HAMP.

Last month, a congressional panel predicted it would prevent just 700,000 to 800,000 foreclosures -- far fewer than the Obama administration's original goal of 3 million to 4 million.

Some lending experts argue that the root of the problem lies in the complicated way in which mortgages are bought and sold. Most end up with institutions or investment trusts that hire servicers to collect monthly payments.

Servicers, unlike lenders, don't generally lose money on a foreclosure. In fact, servicers actually can collect more in fees on a foreclosure than from modifying a mortgage, according to a 2009 study by the National Consumer Law Center.”

I think the entire system is flawed. The only people that get relief are people that fight for it. If you feel like you have been turned down for a loan modification, then I would recommend that you protest in front of the lender’s local branch.

Nothing is going to change until people know about what is happening. Thinking about a short sale?

I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at bion@bionsellshomes.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 770-875-4268

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Powder Springs loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Bion Grady.

Bion is a Real Estate Agent at Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta. Powder Springs Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: 770-875-4268. bion@bionsellshomes.com.

A Better Solution

View My homes for sale at www.bionsellshomes.com.

Bion Grady specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Powder Springs Georgia. Powder Springs Loan Modification Help, Powder Springs Short Sales. Powder Springs Short Sale Realtor , Short Sale Realtor. Powder Springs GA Short Sales. Powder Springs Realtor.

Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Bion Grady's personal views and do not reflect the views of Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta.

This information on Powder Springs Short Sales: Loan Modifications can be a recipe for disaster is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.
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Renters Trashed my house. What should I do?



The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Richard. “I accepted a job transfer and had to move. Unfortunately we were upside down on the house.

I decided to rent it out rather than short sale it. The renters just moved out. I just checked the house. They trashed it!

I could rent the house out again, but I would have to spend several thousand dollars fixing it up first. What would you recommend that I do?” Richard asked.

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here.

Here was our recommendation. That is a tough situation. You could fix up the house and rent it out again. But, you risk having the same thing happen all over again.

Here is the other problem. The amount you can charge for rent has gone down in most areas. This means you will probably have to write a check every month.

If you are able to rent it and cover all the costs, then I would recommend you keep the home. If not, then I would recommend you short sell it.

Here is why I recommend that. If you can break even, then the house will be a good investment as the real estate market recovers. However, you will always risk large unexpected costs like the one you are experiencing right now.

If it the rent does not cover all the costs, then more than likely you are in an area where the housing prices are still dropping. This means the burden will only get bigger as time progresses.

Costs will keep on going up. Rent might drop even more. The housing market could decline even further. It would be better to just get rid of the liability now, once and for all.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at bion@bionsellshomes.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 770-875-4268

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Powder Springs loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Bion Grady.

Bion is a Real Estate Agent at Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta. Powder Springs Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: 770-875-4268. bion@bionsellshomes.com.

A Better Solution

View My homes for sale at www.bionsellshomes.com.

Bion Grady specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Powder Springs Georgia. Powder Springs Loan Modification Help, Powder Springs Short Sales. Powder Springs Short Sale Realtor Short Sale Realtor. Powder Springs GA Short Sales. Powder Springs Realtor.

Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Bion Grady's personal views and do not reflect the views of Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta.

This information on Powder Springs Short Sales: Renters trashed my house. What should I do? is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.
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We get this question a lot from people. “I am upside down and need to move. I would like to buy another home. Can I do that?” they ask us.

Today they can. FHA (the Federal Housing Administration) has a new program that enables you to short sale your existing home and buy a new home at today’s reduced prices.

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here.

The home you purchase would have to meet FHA’s standard lending guidelines. FHA is a great mortgage program.

In fact, more people buying a home in today’s market are getting an FHA loan.

Here is what you would need to do to participate in the program:

1. Determine if you qualify to participate in the program. We have been told that you will need the following.

(Guidelines can change at any time, so make sure you check them with a Mortgage Professional familiar with the program.)

A. A 640 FICO credit score or better.

B. You must be current on all installment payments and your mortgage.

C. No bankruptcy or foreclosure on your credit in the last 7 years.

D. The home you are purchasing must be inferior to the one you are selling. I don’t know the exact guidelines, but I think it means it is a smaller home, or it has less bedrooms or a lower price.

E. You will need the 3.5% down payment for the new purchase.

2. Continue making your mortgage payments each month.

3. Talk to a Mortgage Professional and fill out FHA’s Short Sale and Buy Application.

4. Get pre-approved for your next home loan.

5. Put your home on the market with a licensed short sale realtor.

6. Once the short sale is approved, then you can start looking at other homes.

7. Close on selling your home and on purchasing the new property.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at bion@bionsellshomes.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 770-875-4268

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Powder Springs loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Bion Grady.

Bion is a Real Estate Agent at Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta. Powder Springs Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: 770-875-4268. bion@bionsellshomes.com.

A Better Solution

View My homes for sale at www.bionsellshomes.com.

Bion Grady specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Powder Springs Georgia. Powder Springs Loan Modification Help, Powder Springs Short Sales. Powder Springs Short Sale Realtor Short Sale Realtor. Powder Springs GA Short Sales. Powder Springs Realtor.

Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Bion Grady's personal views and do not reflect the views of Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta. This information on Powder Springs Short Sales: Can I buy again right after a Short Sale? You Decide is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.
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Financial Storm Looming on the Horizon for 2011!

LPS Applied Analytics recently announced that there are $464 Billion in mortgages currently in Foreclosure and that Americans are now behindon mortgages worth $1.4 Trillion. Several economists believe thatsomething really bad could be coming down in the coming months. Infact, leading economists are warning of a new financial crisis brewingthat could possibly be worse than the crisis we faced in 2008 and thatwe could see a collapse of some BIG U.S. banks.


Chris Whalen, the Managing Director for Institutional Risk Analytics stated recently in a Politico article, "Non-payment by borrowers andmounting foreclosure backlogs are creating the conditions for thecollapse of some of the largest U.S. banks in 2011."


Many say that there are banks too big to fail an that we cannot allow them to. But we know now that T.A.R.P. didn't work. Those 6 or 7"too-big-to-fail" banks control over 1/2 of all deposits and most ofthose were made even larger by T.A.R.P. But there's another issue withthe smaller Savings and Loans that exist in our communities. When thoselittle banks face both residential and commercial mortgages failing, wemay see a wildfire spread of enormous consequences that the Fed won'tbe able to contain.


Several government and large banks stated this week that they were going to freeze foreclosures for the next few months. This is great forhomeowners during the holidays and comes as good news to thosehomeowners wanting to do the honorable thing and try every option theycan to keep from going into foreclosure. However, with loanmodifications being rare and/or unappealing, this is only prolonging theinevitable and making it worse. Case in point, if you make $115,000income a year and you owe $550,000 there's no rework for that scenariounder the President's program that will makes sense. And what happensin the first few months of 2011 AFTER the freeze is lifted and all thosestalled foreclosures start moving forward again? With an average of180,000 to 200,000 foreclosures a month, how are we going to accommodatethe flood of a million or more homes hitting the market? The good newsis that the freeze may help many who are conducting Short Sales ontheir homes and who are feeling the time crunch.


Time will tell, however we should all be looking to the horizon because a huge storm is looming and time is running out!

By the way, if you or someone you know is at risk of losing a home to foreclosure, please know that there are new options available to avoidthis devastating occurrence. And know that there is someone here you cantrust to help. As a Certified Pre-Foreclosure Specialist, I understandthe ins and outs of Short Sales and Loan Modifications. I am also aWachovia and World Bank trained Pre-Foreclosure expert and well educatedin the Government’s new H.A.F.A. and H.A.M.P. programs for helpinghomeowners facing foreclosure.


CLICK HERE TO AVOID FORECLOSURE


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