The-Short-Sale-Expert.com

Negotiating a short sale between the borrower and the lender takes skill, patience, and expertise. Everyone involved in the transaction needs to know what to expect.  The Bradenton Florida Short Sale Expert is here to help Bradenton - Sarasota, Florida homeowners understand short sales. If you live outside the Manatee County, Florida area you will also find this information to be helpful.

Here’s What Bradenton - Sarasota, Florida Sellers Need to Know about Short Sales:

1. Your credit rating will drop after a short sale, but not as much as with a foreclosure. I have seen estimates of a drop of 80-100 points off one’s FICO score. That kind of drop is far less damaging than what a foreclosure does to one’s credit score.
2. You will receive a 1099 for forgiven debt and may owe taxes on the amount. That may change soon.  At the time of this writing there is a bill before the Senate that, if passed, will eliminate the taxed owed on this type of forgiven debt.
3. If the Seller meets the IRS definition of insolvency, (debts exceed assets), they will not have to pay taxes on the forgiven debt. I am not giving you tax advice, that’s not my expertise.  I am encouraging you to talk with a competent tax accountant about how a short sale may affect your tax situation.
4. The lender may ask the seller to sign a promissory note for all or part of the forgiven debt as a condition to the short sale.  This could be attached to other assets if the note is not paid when due. This may be rare, but it has been known to happen.  Remember, everything is negotiable.
5. The US House of Representatives has passed the Mortgage Cancellation Tax Relief Act (H.R. 1876), which would eliminate taxes on any forgiven debt on a principal residence through a short sale or foreclosure.
6. Chances of getting a mortgage during the next 12 months are almost zero. However, if you have paid all your other bills on time, your credit score will probably improve rather quickly.
7. The short sale process may take months. This is no quick process.  It can easily take three to four months at least.
8. Buyers may not have the patience to wait for the lender’s approval and may back out. This is a risk the seller takes when a contract is signed.  It is advisable to make sure the buyer understands the short sale process and is willing to hang in there for the time it takes.
9. All commissions, expenses, fees, and closing costs can be wrapped into the short sale so the seller has no money out of pocket at closing.
10. There is virtually NO COST associated with the short sale transaction for the seller.

I hope this information is helpful to you. The more you know, the better decisions you will make.

(Copyright © 2007 By Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved.)