Understanding Short Sales - Reasons & Benefits
For those who are facing foreclosure on their home, often the options become quite
limited. If you are in this situation, there is one important option you need to be
aware of - a short sale. Not sure what this is? Well, let's take a look at a short sale,
what it is, reasons to use this option, and how it can benefit everyone involved.
What is a Short Sale?
Wondering what exactly the term "short sale" means? Well, essentially a short sale
is what occurs when your lender agrees that they will accept less than you owe one
your mortgage when your property sells. They lender agrees to allow you to sell the
home, accepting the amount that it brings.
Reasons to Go with a Short Sale
You'll find that there are a variety of reasons to go with a short sale. Here are just a
few of the reasons you may want to consider this option yourself.
- Reason #1 - You're Facing Foreclosure - One of the main reasons to consider
going with a short sale on your home is that you are facing foreclosure. Foreclosure
can stay on your credit for years and it can be a long and frustrating process to go
through. The short sale offers you the ability to avoid the foreclosure proceedings.
- Reason #2 - You Owe Fees and Back Payments - Another reason for sellers to go
with a short sale is because this may be a way to avoid paying fees and back
payments. If you are in trouble financially and you've defaulted on your mortgage,
more than likely you not only owe the lender quite a bit in back payments, but you
may owe a lot of money in late fees, fees for property inspection, and even fees for
attorneys as well. The short sale should help you to get out from under all these
fees and back payments.
- Reason #3 - The Responsibility of the Home is Taken Away - If you've found
yourself in a financial crisis, more than likely your home has become more of a
burden to you than anything else. There are times when your best option may be to
get rid of the house and the best way for you to do so is to go with a short sale.
Benefits for Sellers
When you decide to go with a short sale, you'll find that there are a variety of
benefits that you can enjoy as a seller. First of all, you can avoid a foreclosure,
which is definitely a huge benefit. In many cases that debt will be essentially wiped
clean, although it still may affect your credit. It gives you another option to consider
and can give you the opportunity to start again.
Benefits for Lenders
Lenders can also benefit from a short sale. When people they lend to have to go
through foreclosure, it really ends up costing the lender in a variety of ways. It costs
in time, since foreclosures can take many months or even as long as two years in
some areas. Foreclosing also costs the lender money, since they may never see
any of the money that they are owed on the home. With a short sale, at least they
are able to recover some of their money, although they may not get paid in full.
Lenders are usually willing to agree to this option because it usually will help them
avoid the expense as well as the time of going through a foreclosure.
Benefits for Buyers
Even buyers out there today can enjoy benefits from a short sale. For those that
are interested in purchasing a home, a short sale allows buyers to purchase a
home for a price that is far below the market price. This is a wonderful option for
people who are renting. It's much cheaper in the long run for renters to instead go
out and purchase a home by way of short sale. You'll get a great deal on the home
and save a lot of money over time. It's far more cost effective than renting. You'll
finally be able to have a place of your own.