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My fellow Short Sale Superstars how many times can you shake your head? 5 and even 10 Short Sales(COMPLETED) Doesn't make you an Expert... agents are playing with someones biggest investment...and biggest loss; agents should know what you are doing when they take on a short sale, PERIOD...So again I hear the tale of a listing lost to a Very Good Agent...who sucked at short sales....by the time the potential client realized it...it was too late to re-list and get it sold....UUGGHHH

So the story goes of a great couple needing to complete a short sale with 1 lien(we all know how rare and what a dream it is to just have 1 lien)with Wells Fargo...mind you the agent originally taking the listing was well known in that area...BUT, that agent also knew my team...it was not long after taking the listing that the essential hardships of having a short sale starting popping up, paperwork, participation requests, title searches, etc., etc...so we know...that is truly when the Agents that aren't in the trenches with this stuff every day start to flounder...which happened here...

Where the client needs HELP and someone who can maneuver ins/outs of a short sale, can knock down doors and get this transaction done...A Short Sale Superstar...you know by now if you are one or not...I am not knocking anyone, we all have strengths in our job abilities...I say stick with those, Maybe you can wing showing luxury homes if your just a "newbie"...maybe you can get that listing even if you have never listed in that neighborhood before...BUT DON'T TAKE A SHORT SALE LISTING IF YOU TRULY HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT DOING THEM....

I'm happy to pay a referral, I'm happy to help be brought in on the deal...I am happy to help them, BUT THEY NEED YOUR EXPERTISE AND HELP, DIRECTION, KNOWLEDGE REGARDING POTENTIALLY LOSING THEIR HOME...

If you don't have that, move over...But do it before they call me and realize...IT WAS TOO LATE!

Too often, many homeowners doing a short sale read up on the internet and speak to friends, coworkers, relatives and anyone else whose done a short sale, about how they received $3000 relocation assistance by doing a HAFA short sale.

Sadly...this is NOT always the case. Simply going into the HAFA short sale program here in CA does NOT guarantee you will walk away with money.

Case in point.....First your realtor needs to determine if your servicer(the one you normally make or made your mortgage payments to for your 1st lien)participates in the HAFA program. Many servicers DO NOT!.

Also, even if your servicer(1st mortgage lienholder) participates in HAFA, the INVESTOR who is above your servicer and has final say so...may NOT be a HAFA participant.

Many 1st mortgage liens are SOLD to a private investor or group of investors that DO NOT belong to HAFA, nor do they have to abide by HAFA's guidelines and rules. 

OK, so let's say your 1st lien holder and their investor DO participate in HAFA and allow you to do a HAFA short sale.

If you have a 2nd lien, you need to also find out if THEY participate in HAFA...for if they DON'T...then guess what may happen when you go to close? Your 2nd lien holder could see the $3000 monies awarded to the seller(YOU) by the 1st lienholder and decide to GRAB or TAKE any monies on the table. Thereby preventing YOU, the homeowner from getting ANY MONIES awarded to you. Don't say NO...because I've seen it done.

Also...here's the kicker....and even better than the above. Let's say..Mr and Mrs Seller had a 1st and a 2nd on their home, and the 1st even agrees to a HAFA short sale, and so does their investor.And let's say your 2nd lien servicer WAS a participant in HAFA and agreed to participate. *  If your 2nd in this process gets SOLD OFF or CHARGED OFF during this process to a collection co. for x amount of months of NON PAYMENT on your part, then that COLLECTION co is NOT HELD to HAFA's rules and can collect the relocation monies at funding. The collection companies ARE NOT SERVICERS...and therefore they DO NOT belong or partipate in HAFA's rules or programs...so  since they are a collection company..they can TAKE the monies left on the table. Remember people...they are a COLLECTION company...they don't call them a collection company for nothing!!!!

Remember the 2nd lien holder, whether it be a servicer or now a collection co...has begrudgingly accepted what the 1st will give them, and they are NOT happy.

Please make sure when doing a short sale that you interview an agent who has done them extensively and has much experience in negotiating short sales. Please don't assume EVER that because an agent has these CDPE or SFR designations...that they KNOW or are VERSED in NEGOTIATING short sales. These companies handing out designations are PRIVATE COMPANIES charging realtors a $500 or more fee to take a 1 day or sometimes just a several hour course in short sales. THIS DOES NOT mean your realtor knows in the slightest how to navigate and negotiate the slippery slope of short sales. Many of these realtors who have gotten their licenses not that long ago or get these designations because they know that 50% of the market is upside down and if they want ANY business, they better get with the program and start handling short sales.

I am not knocking these designations....there are agents who have them and legally have experience and know how to handle short sales... the main thing is to check for experience in how many short sales they have done...and if they have DONE it themselves. Farming it out to 3rd party negotiators or attorneys, does NOT guarantee success.

Please ask many questions about the short sale process and scenarios. There is no magic wand that anyone can wave to make sure your short sale goes smoothly, for many things occur as roadblocks to navigate along the way. But with a strong negotiating agent who is familiar with all the ins and outs and possible scenarios that the banks, lenders, servicers, investors,and collection agencies throw our way....hopefully having this extensive knowledge and experience can help you obtain a successful outcome.

I always check out the List Agent before I take a buyer to a Short Sale Listing.  Why?  Because an inexperienced List Agent can KILL the deal!

Submitted an offer under pressure from my Buyer.  I knew the Agent had never done a Short Sale, but I spoke with him and he seemed amenable to trying to work with me to get an offer to the Lender, Chase.

Chase is one of my more favorite lenders to deal with and there is only one note.  Shouldn't be that hard, right?

Wrong!  As we went along (2 weeks total is all), The list Agent disclosed to me that..

1.  His Seller had an Attorney, but he had convinced the Seller that he (list agent) would handle it and so his Seller had fired the Attorney.

2.  His Seller already had a contact at Chase that he was working with..phone # and everything!

3.  His Seller would not sign the RPA and SSA because the Chase negotiator said they didn't need it and just wanted a HUD-1.

Alarm Bells here..

OK..turns out the Attorney never did go away.  Also turns out the Seller is convinced his property will sell for more and therefore he will be 1099'd for less.  I don't think he's clear that he'll be 1099'd for a Foreclosure also here in California. 

How's it going?  Well..the List Agent called me to tell me that he was raising the price because the Attorney/Seller told Chase that it is worth more than the list Price..$150,000 more, and the List Price is about $150,000 over what it will bring.  So..I am just watching the home and showing my Buyers anything else that is comparable to it. 

Turns out, the Agent didn't even know what an Agent Authorization doc was..eek!

And so the Short Sale wheel turns..Experienced Short Sale List Agents rock!!!