Short Sales in Texas

Texas Short Sales | 3 Most Aggravating Parts for a Listing Agent

1) A lender that does not care and shows it by not returning phone calls or emails, and lets a property to go into foreclosure due to their lack of responsiveness;

2) Uneducated real estate agents that perform BPO's for lenders.  The majority of these agents have no real experience in pricing distressed properties, yet the lenders are relying on the agent's valuation as if it was gospel.  To be a BPO agent, you do not need any formal training (other than a real estate license) and they are paid in the range of $40 to $65 to perform this extremely critical service); and

3) Buyer Agents that have no clue as to what they are doing when it comes to being involved in a short sale transaction. 

Now that I have ranted, I feel better...thanks for listening.  Yes, it has been one of those weeks...and it's only Monday!   :-)

Making a Texas Short Sale Offer

Although some of your initial offers will be accepted, you must also be prepared if the lender rejects your offer. Just because your first offer is denied does not mean that the deal is dead. This is now the perfect opportunity to learn precisely what you have to do in order to close the short sale.

The first thing you will want to do before making another offer is find out from the lender exactly why the first offer was rejected. Here are several key factors that may result in your offer being rejected.

• They will not net the required amount needed to justify accepting your short sale offer. Simply speaking, your offer was too low!



• The lender is adamant that they can do better waiting for a better offer or foreclosing on the property.



• They do not agree with the terms of your contract or net sheet.



• The loan is government insured and therefore they are protected against a foreclosure.



• The investors of the loan are asking for more money to close out the loan.



• You tick the loss mitigation rep off so bad that the last thing they want to do is help you.



• The hardship was not proven enough to persuade the lender to accept a short sale.



• The lender would like to explore alternative payment options with the homeowner instead of doing a short sale.



• Your offer was much lower than what the BPO assessed the house for. This is another example of your offer being too low.

These are just some of the reasons you may get from the lender for your short sale being rejected but the main thing to remember is that you must at least probe and find the exact reason why. I can confidently say that the main reason your short sale offer will be rejected will be because the offer is too low. Remember, the lender’s number one priority when doing a short sale is how much money they will net. The best way to find out how much the lender needs to net is to just ask! Once you identify the right loss mitigation rep you can simply ask:

"How much do you need to net if we agreed to a reasonable short sale offer?” Will the lender tell you how much? That is to be determined after you ask the question. The point is that you will never find out unless you throw it out there. Even if you don’t find out initially, the next best time to ask is prior to the counteroffer. You want to start and maintain a constructive dialogue with the loss mitigation rep where you are constantly probing for information that will determine what your best offer will be.

When I do short sales, I mainly develop my initial offer based on how much equity or profit I want to make with each deal. However, from time to time when I’m preparing a counteroffer I use a formula to help me come up with the most accurate guess on what I think the lender is willing to accept. If used correctly, this formula alone will more than pay for the price of this course 1000 fold.

Here it is…

Step 1: I take the estimated or actual BPO amount or the value of the house, based on the comps then multiply that number by 85%.

Example:

$175,000 (Estimated BPO value) X 85% = $148.750


Step 2: I then take the number I got and multiply it by 92%

Example:
$148,750 X 92% = $136,850

If this were an actual deal, I would use this final number or something close to give me my counteroffer amount. Although I have reason to believe that the lenders use a similar formula when they determine the amount they are willing to accept on a short sale, I cannot say that this is exactly it.

I do know that this formula does two things.

It gives me a calculated number to use for my initial offer or counteroffer.

It allows me to breakdown to the lender how I came up with my offer.

Be resilient yet realistic when making your counteroffers. Understand that it may not stop with the first counteroffer. You may have to counteroffer a 3rd or 4th time just to get the amount down to where the lender feels comfortable to accept. At times it may only be hundreds of dollars that you are negotiating. If you are game for a strategic a methodical approach to negotiating your offers you can always use my 3 step approach to getting your offer accepted.

Step 1: The first offer will be used to get the number that you and the lender are negotiating down to tens of thousands.

Step 2: The first counteroffer will be used to either close the deal or get the number that you and the lender are negotiating within thousands.

Step 3: The second counteroffer will be used to either close the deal or get the number that you and the lender are negotiating within hundreds. Usually at this point, the lender is the most flexible and the loss is obviously not as great.

Another thing to consider when determining your counteroffer is if in fact it even makes sense to offer one. Sometimes the lender is non-negotiable and will only accept what they will accept. Period! If this is the case does it make sense to continue trying to persuade someone who is not willing to work with you? You have to make that decision on a case by case basis. The most important thing to remember when making your counteroffer is that the deal has to make sense for you. I’ve seen investors get their short sale accepted but fail to agree to an amount that is highly profitable.

Like I mentioned, I cannot determine the value of your time and effort. That is something that you must decide, but I can say that short sales are big money deals and if you are making offers that do not put a lot of money in your pocket you are probably leaving it on the table for someone else to enjoy.

Texas Short Sale Exit Strategies

I know what you are thinking... "The title of this blog does not make sense. How can you leave a place before you ever even arrive?" Please allow me to take the next few moments to discuss how exiting before entering is not only possible but should be considered as the single most important aspect of a short sale transaction.

The motivation to write this article came from the countless amount of feedback that we have received from readers regarding Short Sale Exit Strategies. I will soon make available more detailed information on specific exit strategies. These will be methods that I strongly suggest you follow depending on your individual geographical market and more importantly your realistic goals and expectations.

For now, what I'm about to share is focused on the importance of making sure that your exit strategy is formulated before you begin the negotiation process. It is counter-productive to do it any other way. Let me explain.

1. The main reason is although your goal is to make a profit, you should always consider the fact that the homeowner is putting a part of their well being in your hands. You do have a moral requirement when doing short sales. The last thing you want to do is put an individual or family in a risky or uncompromising position. Suppose you don't close the deal? Who does it affect more? Therefore, it's extremely essential that you have a game plan before you assume that type of responsibility.

2. The next reason is that once you have the acceptance letter in your hands you will be working with a limited amount of time. You will want to spend your time working on your next deal or preparing the house for sale or rent, not putting together your exit strategy. Be proactive not reactive.

3. Lastly, if you determine what your exit strategy will be ahead of time and begin putting it together you are more likely to close your deal for maximum profit within a timely fashion (45 days max.). It's always possible that the deal falls through your hands because of lack of preparation.

All three of these reasons help to justify the importance of a well thought out plan. What's the purpose of getting the acceptance letter if you can't close?

I also want to remind you that you are not allowed to assign a short sale. So if you expect to negotiate the deal and then pass it on to another investor don't waste your time. It will always be stated on your acceptance that the agreement is not transferable or assignable, therefore you must come up with another option if you want to do a quick sale of the property. I've shared a few creative ideas related to quick sales or flips that has worked for a select few individual investors. I'll also be sharing these ideas with you in the near future.

Too many times investors make the mistake of going through the entire negotiating process without even considering what the possible options are for the property. I emphasize the "s" because one of the major benefits of exiting before entering is that you will often come up with multiple exit strategies. You increase the chances of having more than one way to profit from your hard work.

I personally feel that it gives me more of an edge as I begin my discussions with the lender. I also gain a better understanding of my earning potential because I've taken the time to estimate the numbers based on what exit strategy I'm using. All exit strategies do not breed the same amount of return. Consequently, you may find that although it is possible for you to negotiate the short sale it may not be a deal worth pursuing. There may not be enough profit on the table once you exit or the deal is just too risky for you to invest in.

Short Selling Second Mortgages

Many of the properties that you come across will have two mortgages with two separate banks. If you are just getting started, I strongly recommend that you target properties with single mortgages. Negotiating one mortgage is always easier because a second mortgage means that you are now responsible for negotiating two short sales instead of one. However, if finding homeowners who only have a single mortgage is not a realistic option, you must be prepared to successfully discount two properties.

The first thing you will need to know is that in the event of a foreclosure, the bank who holds the 1st mortgage is considered the primary lien holder and will always receive the proceeds from the sale. If there is a second or third mortgage on the property these banks are considered secondary lien holders and will not receive anything from the sale.

With that being said, your negotiating power is much greater when attempting a short sale on a second mortgage. If the secondary lien holder is made aware of an upcoming foreclosure and you make it clear to them that the primary lien holder has already accepted a short sale the ball is now in their court to decide whether they are willing to accept a discounted payoff to salvage something from the mortgage instead of possibly receiving nothing. The reason I say “possibly receiving nothing” is because it is also possible that once the secondary lien holder realizes that the primary lien holder has accepted a short sale they may attempt to go behind your back and negotiate their own deal with the primary and cut you out of the transaction. To help avoid any unethical business practices do not reveal who the other mortgage company is, just provide the necessary proof that a short sale has been accepted by the primary lien holder and begin your negotiating from that point.

The second thing you need to do is compile a list of all of the reasons why the lender may consider your discounted offer. You will want to particularly make a note of any repairs, decrease in property value, other foreclosures in the area, crime and vandalism, and slow or no market activity. At this time you can also prepare a hardship letter for the homeowner to help justify the short sale.

Next make copies of the homeowners W-2, tax returns, bank statements, and pay stubs. There is a chance that the lender will not ask for these documents since they are the secondary lien holder. However, they may ask for a copy of your acceptance letter that you received from the 1st lien holder along with a sales agreement and net sheet. If you have an acceptance letter from the 1st lien holder you can fax it to the 2nd lien holder as proof but be sure to white out the name of the lender, the discount amount, and any other information throughout the document that may disclose who the 1st mortgage holder is and how much was accepted. Although the 2nd lien holder will request and often demand to know the exact payoff, do your best to keep this information confidential. Let the lien holder know that you respect the homeowner and the 1st lien holder and it would be unethical to disclose personal information. The lender often will understand and appreciate your business ethics and not push the issue. Other times they will be very firm on their requests and it will be your job to be creative enough to give them what they want and still not put yourself in a compromising position by sharing the wrong information.

If you have not received your acceptance letter from the 1st lien holder, prepare an alternate letter stating that you have verbally received acceptance of the short sale along with the estimated date that the deal will be closed. Sometimes a letter like this will be sufficient but if it doesn’t you may be forced to come up with an actual acceptance letter.

Even if you have an acceptance letter it is still a good idea to send a personalized offer letter along with you proposal.

Lastly, you will now need to prepare your sales contract and net sheet. You will write up the contract the same way you did for the first mortgage the only difference is that the total percentage of your discount will be significantly higher. With the first mortgage you will want to discount the mortgage 30-50%. However, with the second mortgage you will only want to offer a small percentage of what is owed. For example, if the second mortgage has a total balance of $35,000 you will only want to offer $1,000. As a rule I start my offer around 3% of the total balance and work my way up from there if necessary. A large percentage of my deals with second mortgages are accepted on the first offer. If the bank rejects my offer I counter by increasing my original offer by 1-2%.

Example:
$40,000 (second mortgage balance) X 3% = $1,200 initial offer
$40,000 (second mortgage balance) X 5% = $2,000 counteroffer offer

It is possible that both the 1st and 2nd mortgage can have similar balances. If this is the case the same strategy will apply. The only difference will be the amount that each lien holder receives from the short sale.

At first it may be hard to grasp the concept that the 2nd lien holder would accept such a small amount to release their mortgage. The reason they are typically open to making a deal is because being in a secondary lien holder position is always risky. Since a foreclosure basically assures that they will get nothing, the lender is usually motivated to try and salvage something out of their investment and will strongly consider accepting a short sale.

Negotiating a Successful Texas Short Sale

Anyone who has ever profited from doing a short sale has also without a doubt had one or two rejected at some point. Guess what? It is just the nature of the beast…As with all types of sales you’re playing a numbers game.

There are very few investors who truly know how to successfully negotiate a Short Sale. We find that most investors have the perception that all that is necessary is to submit an offer and wait for the bank to give you an answer. If all goes well the offer will be accepted but in many cases it’s not that simple. That’s why a strategic plan is necessary. A strategic plan means making the deal go your way by persuading the lender to agree with your offer.

There are several steps that will ensure your success when negotiating with lenders:

First of all, you must be able to determine if you indeed have a short sale opportunity on your hands. Many investors are under the misconception that every homeowner facing foreclosure is a good short sale candidate. This could not be any further from the truth. One of the most common mistakes made by investors is attempting to fit a square peg into a round hole. Not all deals are good short sale opportunities. You must know the difference between a good and a bad deal. Period! You’ll have to analyze the deal and develop an excellent plan of attack if you want to truly master the art of the Short Sale.

Second, you must not take no for an answer. No can never be the final chapter to your negotiation. If the lender says no you must ask yourself why. There must be a reason. Why did they say no? Is there anyone else I can speak with? Was my offer to low? How does the lender determine their bottom dollar? What else can I do? What was the BPO amount? These are just a few of the questions that need to be addressed each time you are met with some resistance from the lender.

Remember, the next time you are putting together a short sale offer, be prepared and take control of the deal. Never take NO for an answer. Be proactive not reactive. Don’t just submit offers without having a game plan. Do yourself a favor and take advantage of the opportunity to make lots of money in an industry where great deals are hard to come by. We hope that you have learned something and are on your way to much success.

Texas Short Sale Fraud | Are You Committing It?

Given increased defaults and declining property values in certain locations, the mortgage industry is experiencing an increase in short payoffs, sometimes called short sales. In fact, over the last two years, short payoff volume at Freddie Mac has grown more than 1,000 percent (2007-2009). This upward trend in volume leaves the market ripe for incidences of short sale fraud.

What is a short sale?

A short sale occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage on his or her property and is permitted to sell the property for less than the total amount due, at a loss to the lender, investor and/or insurer. All parties consent to the mortgage being paid "short," primarily because the property does not need to go through foreclosure. Please note that many legitimate short payoffs take place in the real estate market.

What is short sale fraud?

According to a member of Freddie Mac's Fraud Investigation Unit, a slight variation of our general definition of mortgage fraud also defines short payoff fraud – "Any misrepresentation or deliberate omission of fact that would induce the lender, investor or insurer to agree to the terms of a short payoff that it would not approve had all facts been known." Misrepresentations in these schemes may include the buyer of the short payoff property, a subsequent transaction at a higher price, and/or the selling borrower’s hardship reason used to qualify for the short payoff. In many instances, the short payoff fraud will involve a "facilitator," engaged by either the listing agent or the selling borrower, to assist with negotiating the transaction.

How is short salefraud committed?

There are many variations of short payoff fraud. The example below is just one way this type of mortgage fraud can occur.

• A seller (delinquent borrower) owes $100,000 on a property that is worth $80,000.
• The short payoff facilitator negotiates with the bank to accept a $70,000 offer to purchase the property. In several instances, Freddie Mac has seen that this offer will be made directly by the facilitator or through an entity under his/her control.
• The lender/investor accepts the offer for $70,000.
• The facilitator neglects to disclose to the lender/investor that there is an outstanding offer between the facilitator and a second end-buyer for $95,000.
• Both transactions close on the same day with the net difference being pocketed by the facilitator and increasing the lender/investor’s net losses.

At first glance, this may look like a legitimate short payoff. However, in this example, the fraud is the failure to disclose the second, higher offer. The facilitator is willfully withholding important information the same way a scam artist would, and the lender does not realize they are walking into a premeditated short payoff fraud scheme. Because the facilitator is deliberately withholding the higher offer, Freddie Mac also experiences a larger than necessary loss on this sale.

Short Sale Fraud Prevention Red Flags

Remain alert to the following flags, which may suggest short payoff fraud:

• Sudden borrower default, with no prior delinquency history, and the borrower cannot adequately explain the sudden default.
• The borrower is current on all other obligations.
• The borrower’s financial information indicates conflicting spending, saving, and credit patterns that do not fit a delinquency profile.
• The buyer of the property is an entity.
• The purchase contract has an option clause to resell the property.

Short Sale Fraud Prevention

The following protective measures are recommended in order to detect and mitigate the severity of short payoff fraud:

• Review all short payoff documentation carefully, including the sale contract. This helps determine if there is an option clause to resell the property at a higher price without notifying the lender.
• Draft a short payoff arm’s-length affidavit/disclosure notice for all parties involved in the short payoff to help avoid any hidden contracts, or side agreements. The parties involved should be, but are not limited to: the buyer, seller, listing agent, selling agent, short payoff negotiator(s)/facilitator(s), and closing agent.
• Solicit information from your borrower.
• Inquire if the borrower is aware of any other parties involved with the short sale other than real estate professionals.
• Is there a short sae negotiator/facilitator involved?
• Is the borrower aware of any other purchase contracts on the property?
• Require an executed and signed IRS Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return,from each borrower and process the form to determine if the borrower’s qualifying income is accurate.
• Order an interior Broker Price Opinion (BPO) and review all other BPOs that have been ordered on the property (drive-bys and full interiors) to establish a high/low value variance. The BPOs should include a past and present Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listing history, as this will determine if the property was relisted in MLS while the short payoff is being processed.
• Review the Freddie Mac Exclusionary List to see if the parties to the short payoff are on the list. Seller/Servicers can access the Exclusionary List via the selling system, MIDANET®, MultiSuite®, and Loan Prospector®.
• Immediately notify Freddie Mac if you are aware of a second purchase contract for a higher price.

Influencing the BPO

Ok, so you've received the short sale requirements from the lender and you've made friends with the loss mitigation's rep that's assigned to your potential deal. Next, you are now ready for the lender to order a BPO on the property. Notice that I emphasize "you", this is because I don't want you to miss out on a key opportunity to influence the overall outcome of your short sale.

Although many investors are aware of the benefits of influencing the BPO, few know exactly how it's done. The BPO is the single most influential component that the lender considers when deciding how much they are willing to accept as a reasonable short sale offer. If your offer is not in the ballpark of the BPO it will most likely be rejected. Many investors give up at this point and assume that the lender is not willing to accept a short sale. It's not that the lender is not willing to accept a short sale, it's that the short sale offer does not come close to the amount of the BPO. It's just that simple. There is a big difference between a lender not accepting a short sale and a lender not accepting the offer.

What Exactly Is a BPO?
BPO stands for Broker's Price Opinion. All this means is that a real estate agent or broker will assess the property and give their professional opinion of it's value to the lender. The closer that number is to your offer the better. You want the BPO to be as low as possible. Listed below is a snap shot of a BPO requirement.

1.) Run comps and take pictures of the surrounding neighborhood, subdivision, or area.
2.) Inspect the overall condition of the home and estimate the cost of repair. Take pictures.
3.) Formulate their "opinion" of the property's value based on the information that was gathered.
4.) Submit a detailed report of their research to the lender.

Here Are 5 Necessary Steps to Influence the Broker's Price Opinion (BPO)
Step 1:
Before your package is submitted ask your loss mitigation's rep to order the BPO. Let them know that there is not a lockbox on the door and you have the only key. Give them the best number to reach you and have the agent doing the BPO call to set up an appointment. You must be present for the BPO.

Note: There are two types of BPO's:

1.) Full BPO - The agent does a full inspection of the home.

2.) Drive-By BPO - The agent only takes pictures of the outside and other homes in area.

Always request a full BPO. If a drive-by BPO is done, you will not have any one-on-one time with the agent, therefore eliminating any possibility of influencing the outcome.

Step 2:
Compile comps, estimated costs of repair, and any other relevant information that will justify a discount. If possible, visit the property prior to the BPO or at the least a half hour before the agent arrives. Make two lists for repair costs. One with all of the obvious repairs such as wall damage, carpet, paint, etc. The first list will be mostly cosmetic repairs. Make a second list of all repairs that the agent will not see with their naked eye (i.e.: roof and water damage, faulty plumbing or electrical fixtures, pests, mold, etc. This list will contain more serious problems. Be sure to have an itemized breakdown of the costs involved. Bring this information with you to the BPO appointment. Be prepared to explain in detail how you came up with your estimates.

Step 3:
Make sure if the house is occupied that the homeowner is not present during the BPO. You do not want the agent asking the homeowner any questions about the property or offering any unwanted information. All communication must be between you and the agent. Follow this rule each time and you will maintain leverage during your negotiation.

Step 4:
On the day of the appointment shadow the agent as he/she does their assessment. Bring a camera and take pictures of every room in the house. The agent will only take a limited amount of pictures and may miss something important. As you are walking throughout the house, point out the most important repairs only. Take notes and make them aware of other homes in the area that are comparable to your offer. Share with the agent the information about the house that you've compiled. Doing these things will help establish you as a well-prepared professional and help you earn respect with the agent.

Step 5:
Before the BPO is complete, ask the agent if they have a ballpark estimate in their head. They will most likely tell you that the numbers will be determined once they complete their report. At this time, ask when they will be finished and if you can give them a call at a specific time to get their final numbers. Note: The agent works for the lender and more than likely they will inform you that their report is proprietary to the lender. You have to feel that person out and see if they may be willing to share that information with you. It doesn't hurt to ask more than once if necessary.

Let the agent know that you are very familiar with the neighborhood and tell them what you think the property is worth. The agent doing the BPO knows only what they have researched and what they discover once they actually see the property. You will be surprised as to how much your opinion matters. I like to call it YPO (Your Price Opinion). If the agent views you as someone who is educated about the property and the activity in the neighborhood, your opinion will be valued and taken into consideration when they make their report to the lender. Hopefully, I've helped shed some light on this most important area of short sale negotiations and that you are able to apply what you've read to your next deal.

10 Frequently Asked Texas Short Sale Questions

Here are 10 frequently asked short sale questions that are very helpful especially if you are just getting started or considering short sales as a means to acquiring pre-foreclosures.

1. What happens to the seller's credit rating when they allow an investor to short sell their property?

What typically happens is the loan will show up as "paid" on their credit report; however there will be a notation that says "settled for less than originally owed" or something along these lines. It is more favorable for a homeowner to short sell than to have a foreclosure on their credit report.

2. Where do you find investors for short sales?

Depending on where you live, you may see investors who advertise with bandit signs or in your local newspaper. Call the investors directly and ask them if they are experienced in doing short sales and if they would be interested in working with you. Another good place is your local real estate investors club meeting.

3. Define a short sale?

A short sale is really a form of pre-foreclosure sale and occurs when the mortgagee agrees to accept less than the loan amount to avoid foreclosure. A negotiated short sale results in a discounted purchase price for the buyer. The buyer would finance the acquisition much the same as in any conventional realty acquisition... but without the luxury of time.

4. Can an owner profit from a short sale?

The seller cannot profit (monetarily) from a pre-foreclosure short sale.. But there are always exceptions to the rule.

5. How does bankruptcy affect the possibility of doing a short sale?

Most mortgagees won't consider a short sale if the homeowner is in bankruptcy...why? Because negotiating a short sale payoff is considered a collection activity. Collection activities are prohibited in bankruptcy.

6. Can somebody tell me what documents do I have to include in a short sale package?

Documents depend on the lender. Each lender has different requirements. It is typical to require hardship letter, purchase and sales contract, ECOR, settlement statement (HUD 1), net sheet, pay stubs, bank statements, personal financial sheet (monthly budget), amongst other things.

7. What percentage of mortgage companies send someone out for an appraisal on a possible short sale?

All lenders order a BPO or full appraisal of the property before making their decision to accept or reject the short sale offer. This is there only way of assessing the value of the property.

8. How late in the pre-foreclosure process can you start a short sale?

Try to allow a window of at least 90 days to effectuate a mortgagee approved, pre-foreclosure Short Sale.

9. What is a Due on Sale clause?

"Due on Sale" Clause (DOS) Provision in a mortgage or deed of trust calling for the total payoff of the loan balance in the event of a sale or transfer of title to the secured real property. A contract provision which authorizes the lender, at its option, to declare immediately due and payable sums secured by the lender's security instrument upon a sale of all or any part of the real property securing the loan without the lender's prior written consent.

For purposes of this definition, a sale or transfer means the conveyance of real property of any right, title or interest therein, whether legal or equitable, whether voluntary or involuntary, by for deed, leasehold interest with a term greater than three years, lease-option contract or any other method of conveyance of real property interests. Standard language which states that the loan must be paid when a house is sold.

10. Will banks allow a short sale when the owner has some or a good amount of equity?

If a property has what the lender would consider a substantial amount of equity, chances are they would consider allowing the property to foreclose and then reselling it closer to the retail value. Focus on homes that do not have much equity. Your job will be to create the equity in the home by negotiating a successful short sale.

Prevent Foreclosure

There are many Texas homeowners looking to desperately prevent foreclosure of their home. There aren’t many options that people can take to prevent foreclosure, but doing a short sale may save a home from being foreclosed. The first thing homeowners should do to prevent foreclosure through a short sale is to look for a Dallas Short Sale Realtors or investor and get them to put a bid on their home. The bid, of course, will be a lot lower than what the house is worth or what it owes, but this is not a problem. Once the homeowners get their offer, they need to contact their lender’s short sale mortgage department and inform them of the offer. The bank will either approve or disapprove the offer, but if they do, the owner can sell the house to the agent and prevent foreclosure of their home. With the current economic problems, having good credit is indispensable and even though doing a short sale might put a dent on a credit report it’s a hundred times better than not being able to prevent foreclosure. There are many investors buying short sale homes all over the nation. Homeowners have a good chance of finding someone who is willing to bid on their home and help them to prevent foreclosure on their home.  

FHA 90 Day Rule

For those of you who have not heard, the FHA has suspended the 90-day anti-flipping rule for 1 year, effective February 1, 2010. So for at least the next dozen months, FHA buyers can obtain loans on properties that have been recently purchased by investors.

This is great news for investors trying to flip properties to FHA Buyers! For the next year at least, you wont’ have to sit on your laurels waiting for 90 days on title before you can even GO TO CONTRACT with a buyer.

• Here’s the first article I read about it: “HOUSING: Feds suspend anti-flipping rule”

• And here’s the actual PDF from HUD that makes it official and takes you through the grueling details…if you like that sort of thing.

So with this, maybe the FHA just got a little less sucky.  For now.  And just a little.

Apparently there are a few details to be aware of, such as if the resale is 20% higher than the investor’s purchase, you’ll have to pony up some proof to an independent appraiser that renovations and repairs justify the higher price. But that’s just good standard practice to have handy as a flipper these days anyway.