We are happy to announce that last week we had another successful Wisconsin short sale closing, this time in Marshall. As you have likely heard, short sale transactions can be complex, and an experienced Short Sale Realtor® is a must.

This was a great home that the new owner is sure to enjoy! If you are thinking of selling or buying a short sale home in Wisconsin, our short sale specialists would be happy to assist you. Give Rock Realty a call at 877-774-7625.

Or, if you are considering a short sale for your home, feel free to fill out our no obligation

Short Sale Home Evaluation Form

The Wisconsin housing statistics are now in for May of 2012. Here is an excerpt from what the Wisconsin Realtors Association (WRA) had to say:

“Wisconsin home sales recorded strong growth again in May, continuing the trend that began last summer. Sales of existing homes were up 18.9 percent in May 2012 compared to May 2011. In addition, median home prices in the state rose 1.5 percent to $138,000 relative to the same month last year"

“It’s good to see Wisconsin’s housing market continuing a robust rebound from the depressed levels of the recession,” said Rob Keefe, Chairman of the WRA board of directors. He noted that the monthly growth rates have been in the double digits since July 2011, and that year-to-date home sales are up over 20 percent in the state. The South-Central region was up 18.5 percent.

Below are the number of Home Sales and Median House Prices for the state of Wisconsin, Rock County, and Dane County. These stats include Janesville and Madison. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions pertaining to these figures. As you can see, home sales have been increasing substantially this year. Both Dane and Rock counties are showing marked improvements in the number of homes sold.

If you would like some insight into how much your home is currently worth, I would be happy to provide you with a free comparative market analysis. This is a report that gives a close estimate to what your home might sell for in your current local Wisconsin real estate market. Has your home value fallen below what you currently owe? A short sale may be right for your situation. Visit the following page on Wisconsin Short Sales.

The Wisconsin housing statistics are now in for June of 2012. Here is an excerpt from what the Wisconsin Realtors Association (WRA) had to say:

“Wisconsin home sales continued to grow at a robust pace with sales of existing homes up 19.3 percent in June over June of last year... June median home prices increased 1.4 percent to $142,000 relative to the same month last year which is the fourth straight month of increasing median prices."

“In a national economy that has not yet seen the kind of growth rates that typify most economic recoveries, it’s encouraging to see such strong growth in home sales over the last 12 months,” said Rob Keefe, Chairman of the WRA Board of Directors.

Below are the number of Home Sales and Median House Prices for the state of Wisconsin, Rock County, and Dane County. These stats include Janesville and Madison. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions pertaining to these figures. As you probably have heard, home sales have been increasing substantially all year. Both Dane and Rock counties are showing marked improvements in the number of homes sold.

If you would like some insight into how much your home is currently worth, I would be happy to provide you with a free comparative market analysis. This is a report that gives a close estimate to what your home might sell for in your current local Wisconsin real estate market. Has your home value fallen below what you currently owe? A short sale may be right for your situation. Visit the following page on Wisconsin Short Sales.

I listed a short sale with 2 loans serviced by Chase. CLTV is LESS that 50% of market value. Submitted a CASH buyer and assigned a negotiator in less than 3 weeks. Today, he is submitting my package to the investor. 

We'll see...NOD in May 2012 but nothing posted in public record. Negotiating to include payoff to release an abstract of judgement from a deceased husband over a year ago. 

Scheduled to close AUGUST 30. 

Buying a house is a very serious matter that comes in to people’s lives. It is very risky to invest your money in buying just any house you find. You must have some guidelines that can help you decide which house is the best for you. Here are some:

1. Determine your rights

When you are ready to buy your own house, be sure you understand your rights as a homebuyer. Knowing the process of buying a house prevents you from getting scammed. You can personally do your home work or seek for a knowledgeable person like a real estate agent or a broker. Make sure that the agent you hire is licensed and have a wide knowledge regarding the area.

2. Make sure you can afford it

Your budget is really a big deal in buying your own house. What you want is different from what you need, so be practical. You don’t really need a big house if you’re just one person that travels everyday, right? Make sure that you make the best for your money. Seek help or ask for suggestions especially for those who have knowledge in real estate prices. If you can’t stay for at least a year, buying a house is inappropriate for you. You may save a whole lot more of money if you sell it urgently.

3. Make sure it fits your lifestyle

Make your house a home. Be sure it really fits your way of life and you are comfortable with it. A good example of this is if you’re working in an office, a good place to find is near or in the vicinity of your office. If you love nature, a good place to find is outside the city with clean air, near parks, has a mountain view or near at the beach. Your personality really matters in finding a good house. Make sure to look at its suburbs first and try to gather some information about the area and its surroundings. Try also to consider the kind of neighbors you will have.

4. Consider your future plan

If you’re newly married, you might to consider how many kids you want to have. You can assume the number of rooms or the home space you need. If you can afford a house that is near to a good school, it is better. School districts are more important to home buyers, therefore, it will increase your property values.

5. Be organized

It is very important to make your document files organized and safe. Because it will prove that you own the house. It will help you a lot especially when it comes in paying your house payments (taxes and amortization).

If you're are planning on 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.

A young family sold their home in California, before they determined how to buy their next house. All they thought about was moving into a larger home for their growing family.

Two years before, after this young couple purchased their first home, they bought a minivan with payments and increased their credit card debt with home furnishings purchases. Then, the wife quit working and decided to stay home with their baby. The family still had sufficient money to make all payments on time. They fell in love with a larger new model home in a nearby tract home development. The sales agent convinced them the new home would only cost them another $200 per month.

The family had no problem selling their home. To qualify for the new mortgage payment, they had to pay off the minivan, student loans, and the credit card debt. Out of their home sale proceeds, these payoffs left less than a 10% down payment for their new home.

Because of their changed income and low down payment, they didn't qualify for the new home of their choice. With only 5% down, the couple had to pay higher interest rates on a second to avoid mortgage insurance. Without the wife's second income, the total payment meant that they only qualified for a new mortgage for a home which cost less than the one they sold!

Before you put your home on the market, make sure you can buy the home you want.

Consider the following financial concerns:

Talk to a loan officer and check your credit. Don't get caught after selling your home, when it's too late, to repair any credit issues. Of course, you may have a great down payment from the sale of your home, but other bills like credit card debt, auto loans, and student loans may need to be paid off so you qualify for the new mortgage payments.

Find out how much of a monthly payment and the down payment amount you'll need to buy the home of your choice.

Do the math. How much can you expect to net from selling your home?

1.  Do you have a mortgage prepayment penalty that could eat up a significant amount of your equity?

2.  Determine selling commission expenses. Can you sell your home effectively on your own or do you need to pay 6% of your selling price for a real estate agent's expertise?

3.  Estimate your closing costs. Ask a local closing or escrow company for an estimated closing cost amount for a home in your price range.

4.  How much work does your home need to ready the property for a top-dollar sale? Which upgrades or redecorating expenses make sense financially?

Consider all the expenses of selling, determine your actual profit, match that amount to your down payment, and see how much of a home you can buy with your qualified monthly payment amount. After you do your math homework, you'll be ready to think about selling your home. Don't get caught like this young family and be forced into a lesser home.

Selling your home | Lawndale | Antonio Atoche

Your home is undoubtedly the most valuable asset for the vast majority of us and selling it will cost thousands. Using the money saving tips in this article should reduce the cost of moving home.

Estate Agent fees vary, so shopping around and don’t forget to haggle and pay one off against the other. You should aim for 1% commission, also push then to limit the tie-in period to no more than 6 weeks, this gives then enough time to sell the house, but if they can’t you can move to another agent without going “multi-agent” which will increase the fee to about 3%+, a big no-no! Ensure you get a fair valuation, never tell an estate agent what other agencies have valued your house at. They will use this to manipulate its offer, often resulting in wide distortions.

It is false economy to go for the cheapest solicitors, so get recommendations from all the estate agents you speak to and remember to ask for the name of specific people, rather than just the legal firms. Give them a call and ask what their charges are, also note whether they are they friendly, helpful, and most important efficient? Fees are negotiable so haggle! Play off each one against the other to get yourself the best service at the best price.

Selling you house privately can save thousands. One in twenty vendors are now taking the DIY route which could save you thousands. That is a massive money saving tip, but there are a couple of downsides, basically “time and effort”. You could consider newspaper advertising, flyers and signs. Newspapers usually charge per line or per word so try to keep your advert as brief as possible without making it uninteresting. The simplest way would to sell your house yourself is to use one of the many online house selling service.

Obviously it is best to sell your house when the market is strong and demand is high, so keep an eye on the local property market. Generally, the market tends to be stronger in early and late summer than the rest of the year, so aim to sell your house then. Also avoid completing with your neighbours so if there are already a few “For Sale” signs on your street, it might be better to wait a bit.

Research has shown that a poor presented house can take longer to sell and may reduce the price by thousands. So get your paint brushes out, give your home a lick of paint and finish all of those DIY jobs which are outstanding. Also talk to the estate agent about adding value to your property it maybe worth spending a bit of cash to make some more. However, be careful not to over spend, you might not get your money back, so talk all planned improvements through with your estate agent.

Antonio Atoche

310-345-1513

antonio@atocheralestate.com

www.upsidedownlosangeles.com

For more information visit https://www.google.com/

Selling your home | Lawndale | Antonio Atoche

Selling your home | Lawndale | Antonio Atoche

Selling your home | Lawndale | Antonio Atoche

Selling your home | Lawndale | Antonio Atoche

Selling your home | Lawndale | Antonio Atoche

Selling your home | Lawndale | Antonio Atoche

How to sell your home | Gardena | Antonio Atoche

For most people, the prospect of selling their home can be positively daunting. First of all, there are usually plenty of things to do just to get it ready for the market. Besides the traditional clean-up, paint-up, fix-up chores that invariably wind up costing more than you planned, there are always the overriding concerns about how much the market will bear and how much you will eventually wind up selling it for.

Will you get your asking price, or will you have to drop your price to make the deal? After all, your home is a major investment, no doubt a rather large one, so when it comes to selling it you want to get your highest possible return. Yet in spite of everyone's desire to get the top dollar for their property, most people are extremely unsure as to how to go about getting it. However, some savvy sellers have long known a little financial technique that has helped them to get top dollar for their property. In fact, on some rare occasions, they have even sold their properties for more than they were worth using this powerful financing tool. Although that might be the exception rather than the rule, you can certainly use this technique to get the most money possible when selling your property.

Seller carry-back, or take-back financing, has proven to be a surefire technique for closing deals. Even though most people do not think about when it comes to selling a property, they really should consider using it. According to the Federal Reserve, there are currently over 100 Billion dollars of seller carry-back (seller take-back) loans in existence. By any standard, that is a lot of money. But most importantly, it is also a very clear indication that more people are starting to use seller take-back financing techniques because it offers many financial benefits to both sellers and buyers. Basically, seller take-back financing is a relatively simple concept. A seller-take back loan is created when a property is sold and the seller performs like a lender by assisting in financing all or part of the total transaction. In effect, the seller is actually lending the buyer a certain amount of money toward the purchase price, while a traditional mortgage company usually funds the balance of the purchase price. A seller take-back loan is secured with the property. The loan then becomes the primary mortgage and is fully secured by the property. In most seller take-back financing transactions, the buyer repays the seller with interest in accordance to mutually agreed terms over a period of time. Usually, the terms call for the buyer to send the payments, consisting of principal and interest, on a monthly basis. This is advantageous because it creates a steady monthly cash flow for the note holder. And if the note holder decides to cash out, he or she can always sell the note for a lump sum cash payment.

Regardless of market conditions, seller take-back financing makes sound financial sense; whereas, it provides both buyer and seller with flexible financing options, makes the property easier to sell at higher price and shortens the sales cycle. It also has the added advantage of being an excellent investment that generates a steady cash flow and high return. If you ever need immediate cash, you can always sell the note through our office. If you are planning to sell a property, then consider the many benefits of seller take-back financing.

Antonio Atoche

310-345-1513

antonio@atocheralestate.com

www.upsidedownlosangeles.com

For more information visit https://www.google.com/

[caption id="attachment_30" align="alignnone" width="150"]How to sell your home | Gardena | Antonio Atoche[/caption]

How to sell your home | Gardena | Antonio Atoche

How to sell your home | Gardena | Antonio Atoche

How to sell your home | Gardena | Antonio Atoche

How to sell your home | Gardena | Antonio Atoche

How to sell your home | Gardena | Antonio Atoche

How to sell your home | Gardena | Antonio Atoche

A short sale happens when a lender is willing to accept a lower pay off on a loan than what is currently owed. In a short sale, the borrower will owe more on the property than the home is worth at its current state, however, a short sale happens only when a homeowner qualifies through some kind of hardship.

Atlantic Coast Title Group is South Florida's Premier Title & Short Sale Processing Company, Located in Jupiter Florida. 

Why choose ACTG for getting your short sale approved? 

Most short sale processing companies have 100-150 files per processor and many companies have multiple personnel working in each file. This leads to in efficiencies, miss communications, and delay's in getting short sales approved. 

At ACTG we have one highly experienced individual handle the file from start to finish. This allows for greater efficiency and faster approvals. 

The negotiators tend to react better when you respond quickly to their request. Waiting days or weeks to upload documents or answer questions is a sure way to place the negotiator into a complacent attitude which slows down the desired result of a approval. 

At ACTG we have the ability to review each file daily! This allows us to keep the negotiator on task and moving forward without having to stop and start and the end result of our system is faster approval!

Considering buyers walk from short sales due to a lack of activity and by allowing us to get approval faster the likelihood of a successful close is greater with our proven system

Learn More Here

 While lenders have become more lenient in recent times, there are typically three qualifications required for a short sale.

1. Financial Insolvency (no other major assets),
2. The proceeds from the sale of the property, after all closing costs are paid, are less than the amount currently owed on the property, and
3. Financial hardship. Acceptable hardships may vary, but some common ones are; loss of income or employment, divorce or separation, relocation or job transfer, property in need of repairs without recourses to make repairs, major illness and medical expenses, death of a family member, vacant rental properties, etc. In most cases, a short sale is not for those who want to sell, but only for those that have to sell.

Here is today's market listings update for Active short sale single family homes located in Janesville Wisconsin. This information was pulled from the South Central Wisconsin MLS on 5/31/2012 at 10:30 A.M.

• 39 total short sale single family homes are listed in Janesville, WI
• Low listing price: $34,000
• High listing price: $399,900
• Average listing price: $109,992
• Median listing price: $84,900
• Average days on the market: 186

Of course these numbers change on a daily basis, so to obtain the most up to date information on current short sales for sale, please contact us directly at 608-921-8536. We would be happy to customize the search further for you to find the home that is just right for you.

As an extra benefit to Rock Realty home buyers, we offer a 1% broker commission rebate after closing. This could mean $1,500 back on a home purchase of $150,000. We love to hear how these rebates help our clients. Some use them for home improvements, while others simply put it in savings for future needs. It is a great option that we are happy to offer. Contact us for further details and limitations.

At Rock Realty, we currently have 4 great short sale homes listed for sale in Janesville. Feel free to visit our listings page linked below:

Wisconsin Home Listings 

Additional Short Sale Information

• Benefits of Buying an Owner-Occupied Wisconsin Short Sale
• Tips for Buying a Wisconsin Short Sale
• Buying a Wisconsin home after a Short Sale or Foreclosure
• What is a short sale?
• Is a Short Sale right for my home?
• Half of Homeowners Underwater on their Mortgage

Understanding your Home Owners Insurance Policy

There is no doubt that an insurance policy on a home can be tough to understand. However, going over the policy and making sure you are comfortable with the important parts can payoff down the road. Here is an overview to make sure you have the basics covered.

The Home

It is important to know that in the event you lose your home to some sort of accident or force of nature that the insurance plan will provide enough funds to rebuild the home. This goes beyond the selling price of the home when you bought it. You need to know that the home can be replaced at today's costs. Construction costs and materials tend to rise over time. It is important to have replacement cost as part of your insurance policy.

Replacement of Belongings

Besides the actual structure of the home you should also consider your belongings. This can really mean anything such as furniture, dishes, picture frames, electronics, clothes, jewelry and a host of other items.

Try to stay away from the “current market” clause. This means that your 5 year old couch would be replaced at a price that assumed 5 years of use. The same concept would apply to any item that you have owned for a considerable amount of time. Also, ask the insurance company about their process for allowing you to replace items. For instance, if your home burned down and you are staying in a small apartment, do you really want to replace your giant screen TV right now? If the insurance company only gives you 60 days to replace an item, where will you store the products? Does the company demand that you buy an item, provide a receipt and then get reimbursed? All of these items should be covered prior to getting a policy.

Deductible

The deductible for a home insurance policy works in the same manner as an automobile insurance plan. Higher deductibles will result in a lower monthly premium. However, a high deductible assumes that you have the funds to pay the amount in the event of an emergency. A smart financial move would be to save up a good amount, such as $2000, and then change your plan to a deductible of $2,000.

Liability

It is always a good idea to have a strong liability plan in place. For instance, if you have guests for a backyard barbecue and someone falls at the party, your liability policy should cover the expenses for the fall. This could be the cost for the ambulance, any stay at the hospital and possible rehabilitative therapy that is necessary after the injury.

Day to Day Expenses

Some insurance companies will reimburse you for your expenses while you are awaiting for your home to be rebuilt. Make sure you understand the circumstances surrounding this type of expense and how the insurance company will reimburse you.

A lot of the terminology used in the insurance plan is unique to the insurance world and may take a conversation with an agent to understand it properly. Understanding the policy before purchase will help you to feel confident that you are covered in the event of a major crisis.

Understanding Home Owners Insurance 

The real estate industry is just like any other major industry segment. The people that work within the industry use specific phrases and words that are not too common in other types of work. Understanding some of the common jargon will help first time buyers feel a little more comfortable with the process.

Mortgage – This is a loan that provides the financing for the purchase of a home. Buyers will sign a promissory note that explains the terms of the loan. The interest rate, amount borrowed and number of payments required to repay the debt are all laid out in this document. A mortgage is different from a car loan or a credit card since a piece of property is used as collateral for the loan.

Appraisal – This is a report that explains the home's value. A professional appraiser will inspect the home and then compare it to other similar homes in the nearby area. Based on common criteria such as location, square footage, age and amenities the appraiser assigns a market value to the property. This is slightly different from a home inspection. A home inspection is designed to point out any areas in need of repair or replacement. An appraisal simply decides how much a home is worth as it currently stands.

Contingency – These are requirements spelled out in the real estate contract that must be completed or met in order for the sale to go through.

For instance, most contracts will have a contingency concerning the appraisal. If the home is not worth the sales price then the buyer may be able to get out of the contract.

Escrow – This refers to the funds, assets or securities being held by a third party separate from the buyer and seller. The buyer will place funds in escrow as proof that they wish to go forward with the sale. Once the seller has met the conditions of the contract the funds will be released.

Disclosures – The buyer must be informed of various details by the seller prior to the purchase. Each area will have slightly different requirements for the disclosures in their location. An example would be the location of a home in a known flood zone. This would affect the homeowner's insurance and could affect the buyer's ability to pay.

Closing – This is the last phase of the property purchase. All parties involved in the transaction will meet at either an attorney's office or an escrow agent's office (title company). The seller, buyer, and any attorney will typically attend the closing. At the closing the seller will receive funds for the transaction and the buyer will sign the necessary documents for the loan. The deed will be transferred from seller to buyer. Finally, the closing costs will be paid based on the agreed terms in the contract.

Rent rates are continuously increasing in our country while home prices and mortgage interest rates have hit unprecedented lows making home buying more feasible. Home buying now would be a great investment if your specific financial situation permits but let’s explore the time frame of this window of opportunity.

Am I losing my chance to snatch me a discounted home?

To be blunt, NO ONE can say for sure where the direction of the market will go. However, you may infer predictions based off a few key factors:

• Overall health of the economy – i.e. employment (or lack thereof –un and -under)
• Interest Rates
• Supply & Demand of the Housing Market

Keep in mind there are a number of other factors that affect the housing market such as demographics, government policies, consumer confidence, and etc.

Mortgage rates have consecutively hit lower percentages for some time now. Based off data from bankrate.com (last checked 8/8/12), 30 yr fixed rate had a slight increase to 3.81% and a 15 yr fixed at 3.00%. These are premium low rates and it is unlikely that it will move further down than the current rates.

Meanwhile, based off information from dsnews.com, unemployment rates stands at 8.3%. There are also issues with underemployment. For more information, please read the article Economy Surprises with 163k New Jobs in July, Unemployment Rate Up from dsnews.com.

Supply and Demand is also big factor for the fluctuation of home prices. Supply has decreased especially in this 2012 year as properties flew off the market by investors. However, there is a worry about the ominous shadow inventory that experts are afraid will drag prices even lower (supply increase, demand & prices decrease). The influx of distressed properties is largely due to the robo-signing scandal which occurred earlier this year. This incident caused many lenders to lag behind in listing their foreclosure properties and ultimately pushing them through. Still, Freddie Mac gives assurance by saying the “shadow” over the housing market is not as long as some may think.

Bottom Line: Again there is no way to give a 100% accurate prediction of where the housing market will go. Based off a few factors such as interest rates being low, -un and –underemployment rates remaining constant, and supply & demand showing positive signs exempting the shadow inventory fear, one can be optimistic about the housing market now.

In my personal opinion, I believe that although the housing market is rebounding, we will not, as Robert Shiller stated in the video above, be expecting a U shaped recovery. Although history doesn’t repeat itself exactly, based off the historical housing cycle, we have time with this window of opportunity.

The worst thing an individual can do is purchase a home without being financially prepared. We will be regressing into the subprime mortgage crisis era if we are purchasing homes we are not able to afford. Just because someone is able to afford the mortgage payments, does not mean you are able to afford a home. In fact, the monthly mortgage payment amount should be a third of a homeowner’s monthly income. We should also take into consideration taxes, insurance, HOA dues (for condominiums), maintenance costs, upkeep, and more. Lastly it is wise to have accrued 3-6 months’ worth of emergency prior to purchasing. These are all factors to consider prior to looking into homes. A great place to start would be www.daveramsey.com.

Do not rush into a home just to seize the opportunity. Make sure you are able to afford the opportunity first and then move forward.

If you believe you are able to afford purchasing a home, contact our distressed properties experts in Washington State for more information on these cream of the crop properties! Submit your information here and our experts will get in contact with you within 24-48 hours.

Peter

Full article at:www.seattleshortsaleblog.com

Next Article: Is A Short Sale or A Foreclosure/REO property a better deal?

May 2012 Could Signal a Turn Around for Housing Market

There is some hope for the real estate market. According to a report published by the Commerce Department the number of homes purchased in May of 2012 was the highest number in over two years. The number of purchases increased from April to May by 7.6%. That number is the best increase since April of 2010 when the tax credit for purchasing a home was still in effect.

Areas of Highest Growth

The places that saw the largest increases were the South and Northeast. The number of homes purchased in the South grew by 12.7% while the growth in the Northeast was 36.7%

Although the total number of sales across the country seems to be off pace from the 700,000 transactions favored by economists, the market is showing other signs of improvement.

Strong Signals from the Market

First and foremost, builders have begun to increase production. More construction is always a positive sign, no matter how small the increase. Second, interest rates for mortgages are still at historically low levels making it easy to afford a home. Third, and this is important too, is the stabilization of home values. Most regions around the country have noticed home values finally holding steady. All of these factors have lead to people buying up existing homes, paving the way to build more properties.

More than Just Statistics

The main reason why economists and financial analysts pay so much attention to new construction comes from their overall economic impact. Building a new home normally produces about three new year-long jobs. It also leads to an increase in taxable revenue by an average of $90,000. Although new homes are only 20% of the entire housing market, the numbers above show how constructions helps the economy thrive.

Supply is Down

At the end of May it was reported that a total of 145,000 new homes were on the market throughout the entire country. Based on current sales numbers the market should go through the existing inventory of new homes in about 4.5 months. Economic experts feel that a 6 month supply of new homes keeps the economy healthy. With a lower than average supply it is possible that home prices could go up simply because demand will be higher.

Prices Already Higher

Speaking in general averages, the price of a home bought in May of 2012 was down ever so slightly from the average price in April. However, when looking at sales from one year ago shows that average prices have gone up by 5.6%.

Rock Realty Client Testimonials

"My first listing contract (with another agency) expired without a single showing. I contacted Mike Collins hoping to get some straight advice about whether he thought the property would ever sell versus letting the lender foreclose on the property and save my mortgage payments for legal counsel. He was upfront from day one. He told me that it would take a while and that I'd probably have to hold it through the winter (I called him in September) but it would probably sell in the spring. His honesty made me immediately willing to hire him. He found a buyer in May and worked with my lender to close the sale in record time."

Drew V.(Marshall, WI)
Rock Realty Client

The National Association of Realtors and the U.S. Department of the Treasury are collaborating to help Realtors better assist distressed homeowners who are struggling to Selling Your Home Through a Short Sale - Avoid Foreclosure.

Realtors who attend upcoming Making Home Affordable "Help for Homeowners" outreach events, sponsored by the Treasury Department, will learn insights to help them navigate the short sale process and have the opportunity to meet directly with loan servicers on their clients’ behalf for assistance with difficult transactions, according to a statement.

"As the nation’s leading advocate for homeownership and housing issues, Realtors are working hard to keep more people in their homes, and when a family is absolutely unable to keep their home, Realtors specializing in short sales, short sale specialists are there to help homeowners by facilitating a loan modification or short sale," said NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Assoc. inc. in Miami.

"Help for Homeowners" community events will take place throughout the year; the first sessions are in Miami today and Tampa, Fla. on Feb. 24. Additional events are scheduled in Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, Calif.

The sessions for real estate professionals are not open to homeowners, but borrowers who are in financial distress and concerned about losing their home to foreclosure are encouraged to attend the free homeowner sessions. Homeowners who are having difficulty paying their mortgage will be able to meet one-on-one with loan servicers and housing counselors to explore foreclosure prevention options and work toward solutions to their mortgage problems. Real estate professionals are encouraged to invite homeowners and their clients to the events and are welcome to accompany their clients in conversations with the servicers.

The Opland Group Specializes in Real Estate Sales, Luxury Home Sales, Short Sales in;  Bexley  Columbus  Delaware  Downtown  Dublin  Gahanna  Grandview Heights  Granville  Grove City  Groveport  Hilliard  Lewis Center  New Albany  Pickerington  Polaris  Powell   Upper Arlington  Westerville  Worthington