If you are in the Orlando area, and would like to find a real estate agent that has experience handling short sales, we can help.

Avoid Foreclosure

If you fall behind in your mortgage payments you will receive a lot of mailers offering to help you get out of your unfortunate situation. Many of these people are looking to take advantage of someone in a difficult situation. Often, the reason someone falls behind on their mortgage is due to a situation they had little control of. Jerry LaRose is here to work with you and make sure that before you do anything, you know all of your options. We have helped many clients work through difficult issues with their home and help them find the solution that makes the most sense.

The # 1 thing you need to make sure you never do is sign anything you are not familiar with. DO NOT SIGN anything with ANYONE offering a service that seems too good to be true. Many people are forced into doing something they don’t understand and it often puts the homeowner in a very vulnerable position. Don’t Do It, Don’t Sign Anything!

Options to Consider When Facing Foreclosure

Option # 1    Sell Your Home

Depending on the market and area you live in, you may consider selling you home if you have enough equity to pay off your existing liens. However, you may not be able to do a regular sale if you owe more than what your home is worth. Using an experienced Realtor that works closely with banks will give you the time needed to sell your property at the highest price possible. We can help with this process and provide our many years of real estate experience.

Option # 2    A Short Sale – Not a Typical Sale

Refinancing your home and paying off the existing loan sounds easy and it may be an option that you have already pursued. In this current real estate market it has become almost impossible to refinance your home if you have less than 10-20% of equity. We may be able to show you some loan options that you have not been presented with but it’s probably likely you have already explored this option and will not have many if any refinancing options available. Jerry LaRose works with many different lenders and has access to many different types of loan programs but the refinance market has become very limited. Contact Us today, we would be happy to provide you a quick, accurate loan quote. If your ultimate goal is to stay in your home and you can’t refinance your home your best option may be a loan modification.

Option # 4    Negotiate a Forbearance Agreement

The advantages for the homeowner are to avoid foreclosure and not go through the difficult process that it entails. It will release all or most of the liability from the homeowner and allow the bank to turn around and sell the property much sooner without the bank having to spend additional time and money going through the foreclosure process. This would be a good option to consider if you feel that there will be no benefit from you selling your home or doing a short sale.

Option # 6    Do Nothing – Just Let it Go

You can always let your home go into foreclosure and do nothing. Sometimes the situation seems so overwhelming and this may be a good option. We don’t recommend that you do this, and would suggest that you talk to someone so you can determine if any of the options above would make more sense. Please feel free to ask any questions you have in our real estate forum. We have agents that will provide you with answers to all of your real estate questions. You can also contact us if you feel more comfortable. It’s important that you talk to someone that you can trust, and not someone that is looking to take advantage of someone in a difficult situation. There are many real estate scams and you don’t want to become a victim because you didn’t seek a second opinion. You may have some options that you are unaware of.

When is Foreclosure Removed from Your Credit Report?

Use this handy guide to figure out how quickly you can buy a home after a major financial setback when applying for a loan through FHA, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac. Read

Foreclosure Help: 5 Pros You Need on Your Team

Know which experts provide foreclosure help—often at no cost to you—and how to find them. Read

Foreclosure Alternative: The Short Sale

A short sale is far from hassle-free, but it’s a better alternative than foreclosure. And now you’ve got a little help from your friends in D.C. Here are the facts about short sales and how to get started. Read

Facing Foreclosure: What to Do Right Now

If you’re facing foreclosure, don’t panic: Take steps right now to save your home or at least lessen the blow of its loss. Read

Please call us today if you have any additional questions.

Jerry LaRose is an Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of Real Estate in Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, East Orlando, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Maitland, Winter Park, Oviedo, Apopka, Lake Mary, Clermont, Ocoee  Florida or any place in the country. Jerry has created a team of professionals throughout Orlando and the country to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area.

Download our 5 Fastest Ways to Stop Foreclosure Booklet - Download Here   

Please visit:

Avoid Foreclosure / Short Sale Help  http://OrlandoShortSaleExpert.com, or http://ShortSellMyOrlandoHome.com

Our Website http://JerryLaRose.com or www.JerrySellsOrlando.com,  or http://OrlandoRealEstateVoice.com ,

If you’re a Buyer looking for Great Deals –  http://InvestmentPropertyDealsOrlando.com

Please give me a call if you have questions about the Orlando and Central Florida real estate market.

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in Orange, Seminole, Polk, Lake  or Osceola County Florida and Orlando, East Orlando, St. Cloud,  Davenport, Clermont, Longwood, Windermere, Winter Garden,  Kissimmee, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Maitland,  Apopka,  Lake Mary, Oviedo or Ocoee Florida make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done. We are doing successful short sale packages. Call us at 407-580-7011 or email at jerry@JerryLaRose.com to find out more about Orange County Short Sales and Orlando Area Short Sales.

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Jerry LaRose is an Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Expert and Foreclosure Specialist who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of Real Estate in Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, East Orlando, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Maitland, Winter Park, Oviedo, Apopka, Lake Mary, Clermont, Ocoee  Florida or any place in the country. Jerry has created a team of professionals throughout Orlando and the country to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area.

 Please visit:

Avoid Foreclosure / Short Sale Help  http://OrlandoShortSaleExpert.com, or http://ShortSellMyOrlandoHome.com

 Our Website http://JerryLaRose.com or www.JerrySellsOrlando.com,  or http://OrlandoRealEstateVoice.com ,

If you’re a Buyer looking for Great Deals –  http://InvestmentPropertyDealsOrlando.com  

 Please give me a call if you have questions about the Orlando and Central Florida real estate market.

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in Orange, Seminole, Polk, Lake, Osceola and Brevard County Florida and Orlando, East Orlando, St. Cloud,  Davenport, Clermont, Longwood, Windermere, Winter Garden,  Kissimmee, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Maitland,  Apopka,  Lake Mary, Oviedo or Ocoee Florida make sure you hire an agent and realtor who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done. We are doing successful short sale packages. The short sale process is complicated and we can help simplify it.

We also have now expanded to help homeowners to Stop Foreclosure in Brevard County Florida. Servicing Melbourne, Coco, Coco Beach, Satellite Beach, Palm Bay, Indian Harbour Beach, South Patrick Shores, Palm Shores, Rockledge, Cocoa West, Merritt Island, Port Saint John and Titusville Florida

 Call us at 407-580-7011 or email at jerry@JerryLaRose.com  to find out more about Orange County Short Sales and Orlando Area Short Sales.

Orlando Short Sales, expert, specialist, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty, agent, broker, short sale, stop foreclosure

Jerry LaRose, P.A., ABR, GRI, e-PRO, CLHMS, REALTOR® 407-580-7011

Orlando Short Sales

 

The ABCs of short sales

A short sale is what I like to call a “less bad” alternative to foreclosure.  It works like this: the homeowner sells the home for a market price that is less than — short of — the amount the homeowner owes on the mortgage.  The owner then pays the lender — who, of course, must agree to the deal — and the lender forgives the difference between the sale price and the mortgage amount (so the homeowner doesn’t have to come up with, say, $30,000 in cash).

Why would a lender agree to such a deal?  Because the actual process of foreclosing on a home is very expensive for the lender – often costing upwards of $25,000 and a lot of time (time that the lender isn’t getting paid interest and principal on the loan). So it can often be in the lender’s best interest to simply cut its losses and sell short.

You can invest in short sales

A short sale can be a real win-win-win for you — the investor, the homeowner, and the lender.  When you buy a house after the owner is already delinquent (meaning more than 90 days past due, and/or the lender has already started the foreclosure process) but before the lender actually forecloses on the home, it’s called a pre-foreclosure, and you’ll be part of a short sale.  Here’s how to do it:

1. Know your market.  If you don’t already live where you plan to invest, make sure you get to know your investment market well – what neighborhoods you should stay away from, where great hidden deals might be, where the hottest new development is, etc.

2. Develop an investment strategy.  Pre-foreclosure investing is like any other type of real estate investing – develop a strategy for what you want to accomplish, the risks you are willing to take, and how long you plan to be investing and then stick to that strategy.

3. Develop your best practices.  There are a lot of pre-foreclosure buying techniques out there. Decide which is best for you, given your investment strategy.

4. Be a bit skeptical.  Just because a home is in pre-foreclosure doesn’t mean it’s automatically a good deal.

5. Ask for help.  Pre-foreclosure investing takes a lot of work. Invest in the help of a trustworthy team.  Leverage a real estate agent experienced in short sales to help you determine how to make an offer that’s fair for you and the seller (the bank), based in part of what other similar pre-foreclosure or foreclosed homes in the same neighborhood have recently sold for.

6. Make friends with mortgage lenders. Often, you’ll get the best deal if you can negotiate a good purchase price with the seller and get the lender to forgive a portion of the debt (the difference between the sales price and the loan balance, for example).

7. Move fast, but not too fast.  You’ll need to act quickly once you find a pre-foreclosure property that you want to buy – before other investors beat you to it. At the same time, you don’t want to be too rushed or you may make a decision you’ll regret later.

8. Be committed.  Pre-foreclosure investing is not for the weekend investor. It takes discipline and commitment. Even with the help of foreclosure listing services such as RealtyTrac and Yahoo! Real Estate Foreclosure Center, you’ll still have to do a lot of legwork to contact the owner, arrange the deal, fix up the house, and re-sell it before you see your investment return.

9.  Know the law.  There’s more legalese involved in a short sale than in a traditional home sale.  Plus, foreclosure laws differ from state to state.  Read up on your state’s foreclosure laws and ask your real estate agent to recommend a good real estate attorney with experience helping people purchase homes in pre-foreclosure.  According to a November U.S. News article, a detail as tiny as the wrong font size on your documents could hold up the transaction or — worse — land you in legal trouble.

10.  Remember price + 5% (at least).  Pre-foreclosure homes tend to need repairs– sometimes minor, sometimes major.  Always, always have the home inspected by a professional home inspector before you sign a sales agreement and add in the cost of the repairs the inspector recommends.  If you only think about the purchase price when you’re calculating potential return on your investment, you’ll be sorely disappointed.  Add at least 5% — or better yet, get a quote on repair costs from a professional contractor.

About the author: 

Jerry LaRose is an Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida or any place in the country. Jerry has created a team of professionals throughout Orlando and the country to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.JerrySellsOrlando.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Orlando and Central Florida real estate market.

 Jerry LaRose, P.A., ABR, GRI, e-PRO, CLHMS, REALTOR® 407-580-7011

(Copyright © 2008 By Jerry LaRose, P.A. All Rights Reserved.)

Short Sale will in NO Way affect your Credit as much as a Foreclosure will!!

Don’t let the bank force you into foreclosure, a deficiency judgment, wage garnishments, asset liens, and bankruptcy.

Our Service is totally FREE to You — The Bank Will Pay Us!

We operate in Orange, Seminole, Lake, & Osceola Counties

Your credit will recover in as little as 2 years.  This is far better than the 7 to 10 years that most homeowners in your situation will face.

Below is the most common elements of the short sale process.

•  List the home
   Bank authorization forms signed
   Send bank authorization to the bank(s)
   Market the home
   Follow up with bank(s)
   Fill out financial form(s)
   Gather proof of financial information
   Send BPO, financial form and financial information to bank(s)
   Find a buyer
   Negotiate purchase price/terms with buyer
   Prepare net sheet for bank(s)
   Send purchase contract, listing agreement, net sheet to bank(s)
   Follow up with bank and gather other bank requested information
   Send bank requested information back to bank(s)
   Finalize short sale with the bank(s)
   Order payoff letter from bank(s)
   Close the property

About the author: 

Jerry LaRose is an Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida or any place in the country. Jerry has created a team of professionals throughout Orlando and the country to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.JerrySellsOrlando.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Orlando and Central Florida real estate market.

 Jerry LaRose, P.A., ABR, GRI, e-PRO, CLHMS, REALTOR® 407-580-7011

(Copyright © 2008 By Jerry LaRose, P.A. All Rights Reserved.)

Thirty-year mortgage rates fell last week to 4.92% and the low rates that have persisted for the last month attracted thousands of homeowners hoping to refinance to Zillow Mortgage Marketplace in December and early January.

Requests to refinance normally make up about one-third of all loan requests on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace, but in December they made up 67%. So far in January, they have made up 62%. The total number of requests also increased more than 150% from November to December.

The weekly average rates for 30-year fixed mortgages decreased to 4.92% last week, down from 5.10% the week prior, according to the Zillow Mortgage Rate Monitor, compiled by leading real estate website Zillow.com(R). Meanwhile, rates for 15-year fixed mortgages decreased to 4.58%, down from 4.79% and 5-1 adjustable rate mortgages decreased to 5.35% from 5.62%.

Mortgage Type Average Rate Average Rate % Change
Week ending 1/11/09 Week ending 1/4/09
30-year fixed 4.92% 5.10% -3.6%
15-year fixed 4.58% 4.79% -4.5%
5-1 ARM 5.35% 5.62% -4.8%

Rates for 30-year fixed mortgages fell far below 5.00% again on Monday evening, with the average rate on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace at 4.86%.

At a state level, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate in Maryland and Virginia had the biggest decreases, dropping from 5.26% to 4.97% and 5.21% to 4.93%, respectively. Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages were lowest in the states of Arizona (4.80%) and Texas (4.84%), while Maryland (4.97%) and Michigan (5.05%) had the highest rates.

State Average 30-yr. Fixed Average 30-yr. Fixed % Change
Rate Rate
Week ending 1/11/09 Week ending 1/4/09

About the author: 

Jerry LaRose is an Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida or any place in the country. Jerry has created a team of professionals throughout Orlando and the country to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.JerrySellsOrlando.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Orlando and Central Florida real estate market.

 Jerry LaRose, P.A., ABR, GRI, e-PRO, CLHMS, REALTOR® 407-580-7011

(Copyright © 2008 By Jerry LaRose, P.A. All Rights Reserved.)

Interest Rates down in Orlando

In case you had not heard, on Tuesday the Federal Reserve lowered its key
interest rate to  0.25% — the lowest level ever “MSN”.  Several banks have
announced they are lowering their rate to 3.25% in light of the Fed’s
decision.  Typically the prime rate is 3 percentage points higher than the
fed funds rate  ”CNN MONEY”.  This will trickle down into mortgage rates
soon resulting in historic low mortgage rates.

For you as a homeowner or an investor this means the time to buy is now.

  In the words of Donald Trump, “Buy, Buy, Buy, now is the time to Buy” House prices are at there lowest and the fed just cut the rates.  Pool your money, borrow from your family talk to your accountant, whatever it takes, get in the game now!”
Take a minute to give me a call, I am available discuss an approach that
makes sense for you.  Together we can make 2009 the year you move from
working for your money to the year you start making your money work for you!

I look forward to hearing form you soon.

About the author: 

Jerry LaRose is an Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida or any place in the country. Jerry has created a team of professionals throughout Orlando and the country to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.JerrySellsOrlando.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Orlando and Central Florida real estate market.

 Jerry LaRose, P.A., ABR, GRI, e-PRO, CLHMS, REALTOR® 407-580-7011

(Copyright © 2008 By Jerry LaRose, P.A. All Rights Reserved.)

Buyers:

1. First understand that this process may take 90 days after you’ve submitted your offer. Don’t go into a short sale if you have a specific timeframe that you must have the home closed.

2. Understand that there are no guarantees in a Orlando short sale.

3. The lender may require more cash or a higher price up to the actual moment of closing.

4. The lender will most likely not allow the seller to pay any of your closing costs or give allowances for repairs. Typically, all deals are “AS-IS”.

5. There is likely no certainty of the final price or closing date until just before closing. When the final word comes down from the lender that they’ll accept the offer, typically they’ll want to close in a week or less. Have your inspectors and lender ready to move forward.

6. Be sure there’s an out for the buyer if the contract is not approved by a certain date. You don’t want to be stuck in limbo waiting for the lender. Make it contingent upon some reasonable date.

7. Don’t pay for inspections or any other expenses until you know the lender has accepted your offer.

Short Sales could be a great way to purchase property at a discount as long as you have patience.

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Jerry LaRose is an Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of Real Estate in Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida or any place in the country. Jerry has created a team of professionals throughout Orlando and the country to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.JerrySellsOrlando.com for your real estate needs. Please give me a call if you have questions about the Orlando and Central Florida real estate market.

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in Orange County Florida and Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden, or Ocoee Florida make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done. We are doing successful short sale packages. Call us at 407-580-7011 to find out more about Orange County Short Sales and Orlando Area Short Sales.

1. Your credit score may fall 100 points or more.

2. You may be asked to sign a note or take a new loan for the amount of the short fall.

3. The lender may get a judgement against you for the amount of the short fall.

4. You may have to pay income taxes on the amount of the shortfall – it could be taxed as income to you.

5. Understand that you will have to prove that you cannot pay. Similar to how you qualified for the loan, but now you have to prove that you cannot afford this loan. What’s changed/

6. Understand that big discrepancies or a big gap between your income/assets used to obtain the loan may indicate mortgage fraud, unless employment or expense circumstances have drastically changed.

7.You will need to get in writing from the lender that they will approve your contract for a lower payoff.

8. Some lenders won’t talk to you until you’re behind in payments on your mortgage.

9. Make sure you and your realtor disclose everything to the buyers on the front end.

10. Contract must contain ad addendum stating that the sale is contingent upon approval by the seller’s lender of a reduced loan payoff.

11. Property should be sold “AS-IS” to make it as simple as possible for the lender.

12. The home should be listed for sale close to market value at first and the price reduced over several weeks, showing the lender that you tried to sell higher and no one bit on the higher price.

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Jerry LaRose is an Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of Real Estate in Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida or any place in the country. Jerry has created a team of professionals throughout Orlando and the country to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.JerrySellsOrlando.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Orlando and Central Florida real estate market.

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in Orange County Florida and Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden,  or Ocoee Florida make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done. We are doing successful short sale packages. Call us at 407-580-7011 to find out more about Orange County Short Sales and Orlando Area Short Sales.