Should I Go For a Short Sale or a Foreclosure

Dec 13
14:19

2008

Karen Bellas

Karen Bellas

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Many homeowners are walking away from their homes. You may have other options. Read on to learn more.

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Statistically,Should I Go For a Short Sale or a Foreclosure Articles foreclosures and short sales have engulfed the housing market as homeowners anxiously seek for ways to assuage their own financial difficulties. As jobs vanish and hours are cut back, many people are confused and wonder if the right plan of action is to sell or relinquish their home. The first thing to look at is the distinctions between a foreclosure and a short sale, including advantages and drawbacks for each.

The Mechanics of a Foreclosure

A foreclosure results when a mortgage lender obtains a court order. Such a court order terminates the mortgagor's equitable right of redemption. This denotes that the borrower has failed to pay their loan and has lost the ability to pay the outstanding debt to the lender. The borrower's house has been recovered by the lender, and the borrower will have to move from the property when the home is bought by someone else. In spite of this, some states give borrowers from four months to a year to reside in their foreclosed homes free-of-charge. Regrettably, this has been the fate of thousands of Americans, who in the last couple of years, have failed to make payments and are faced with the painful task of waiting for their home to sell before they move.

If you are a person who is having trouble paying your mortgage, prior to letting your home go into foreclosure, bear in mind whether your financial dilemma is temporary. If so, you may be able to refinance your mortgage to your benefit, enabling you to keep your home.

How Short Sales Work

If your lender decides to cut its losses, it may agree to a discount on a mortgage to escape a foreclosure. This procedure can only succeed when the person and bank work together to sell the home. Some lenders will reject a short sale, which makes it crucial to hire either a lawyer or a realtor to help you. Also, if you have cash assets, the lender may take those assets to reimburse for the defaulted loan. A short sale does not ensure that your house will not fall into foreclosure but may be the best alternative to paying off some of your mortgage. In a short sale, if you owe $500,000 on your mortgage and you negotiate with the lender to give them $430,000 from the sale of the home, then if the lender accepts this proposal you can walk away from the home. But why would the lender decide to lose $70,000? At this juncture, a lender only wants to salvage as much of its funds as it can and not become responsible for the maintenance of a home.

After Foreclosure or Short Sale, What Happens to Your Credit

It may astonish and dismay you that your credit score will be changed by a foreclosure and a short sale in a very negative. However, the time that it takes for a lender to loan you money for a new home is considerably shorter when you achieve a short sale. A homeowner who has undergone a foreclosure will have to wait up to 24 to 75 months to be able to take out another loan. Conversely, a homeowner who has gone through the short sale procedure will only have to wait 18 to 27 months.

In brief, it is wise to assess your financial crisis before making such a significant decision and get advice from a real estate agent experienced in short sales will help you make the right decision.

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