A bank short sale is not the only way to get out of foreclosure – but it might be the best way. If you’re already in this situation, you’re already straining under intense financial pressure. Much of this anxiety should be alleviated if approved for a short sale, because you’ll be in the best position possible to purchase another home.
It is extremely difficult for us as homeowners to accept the fact that our home may be lost, but if it’s going to happen, avoiding foreclosure is the highest priority. It’s important for us to understand clearly that a short sale is not the”only” way out, but it may be the “best” way out. If we foreclose, the lender can sue us, garnish our wages, put a lien on other property, and hound us for years. All this in addition to the destruction of our credit rating. With a bank short sale – if handled correctly, we’re making an agreement with our lenders beforehand to settle most of these issues now.
A bank short sale can cause high levels of stress and anxiety. It’s easy to feel overpowered by all of the accountants, tax issues, lawyers, forms, legal jargon, and phone calls. This is not even considering the financial difficulties we’re experiencing in other areas. It is in this situation that we must not forget that all parties involved in our short sale are trying to get as much money as they can. They may make surprise requests in the final weeks/days. Prepare yourself for this possibility – don’t be bullied.
These last second surprises can be avoided if we seek expert advice from the outset. We don’t want to attempt a bank short sale without expert assistance of some kind – and should not procrastinate in acquiring it. Throughout the process we’ll deal with complex issues of property taxes, our loan, and real estate. We’ll need an expert in each of these areas. If you look in your area you should be able to find services that provide you with the expert assistance of qualified accountants, lawyers, and real estate agents – who will be paid by your lender. As with any type of service you need to exercise discretion in order to get the best assistance available.
A bank is losing money with a short sale and are not necessarily enthusiastic about doing them. They avoid a foreclosure – yes, but their attitude is not to be considered enthusiastic. They can be difficult to deal with at times because they’re trying to get back as much money as they can. For this reason they might not always move as fast as we want – although we know they can. Patience is a valued virtue here – so practice it and keep cool. If you’ve ever had to work with the government you know exactly what dealing with these banks will be like.
Although a bank short sale is a tenuous process and all parties may not always see eye to eye, in the end, we’ll be the winners. We may lose our home, but we’ll be considered winners if we can get the debt forgiven, come out without any unpaid property taxes, without a bankruptcy, and be free and clear. This is the beauty of a bank short sale. It’s not all roses – no, but the ultimate objective is to end up in the best position to purchase another home. The successful completion of this process puts us in a great position to succeed in this area. A bank short sale is not the only way out – but it is definitely one of the best ways!