What Should I Expect When I Sell?
1. A less severe hit to your credit history than what you'd experience with a foreclosure.
2. You continue to live in your house until the sale takes place.
3. In some cases, banks are offering homeowners cash incentives to do a short sale (to help with sales and moving expenses). Because your credit history won't take as long to recover with a short sale as it would with a foreclosure – an average of two years versus seven years – the short sale option is great for sellers who want to own a home again in the near future. Has your bank already contacted you? Some banks have launched programs to prequalify homeowners for short sales. Through their records and housing data, they identify borrowers on their books who are in negative-equity situations. In this case, some are reaching out to borrowers in an attempt to further streamline the short sale process. This makes it much easier for you, the seller, to proceed with a short sale.
Compiling your short sale package
Short sales require different paperwork than a normal home sale. In some instances, as mentioned above, your bank may have already qualified you for a short sale. In other cases, you and your agent will need to submit certain paperwork to your lender. Your lender then decides whether or not to approve your request for a short sale.Just what goes in a short sale package? Each lender is different, but in general, you will need:
Completed financial statement
Letter of authorization to let your agent speak to the bank
Letter that explains your financial hardship
Two years of tax returns
Two years of W-2s
Last two months of bank statements
Recent payroll stubs or other proof of income
Comparative market analysis or list of recent comparable sales Keep in mind that banks' processes vary, and the above list is a general representation of what many will want to see.
New federal guidelines shorten the wait
In the past, the notoriously long waiting game for short sales deterred many buyers from attempting them. But times have changed. Many banks have streamlined the process and removed the barriers that have hamstrung short sales in the past. Some are even prequalifying borrowers to get the ball rolling faster. In addition, federal guidelines have helped shorten the wait for mortgages owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These are great changes for buyers and sellers, because it means there are regulations in place to help shorten the process.
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Local Expert Updates
Aaron Jones
Cell: 712.320.9442
Janie Eick
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Brooke Jones
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Brooks Golf
Enjoy an Unparalleled Golf Experience at Brooks Golf featuring 27 holes and immaculate bent grass fairways and greens!
Nestled among the Iowa Great Lakes is Brooks Golf. Originally constructed as an 18 hole layout by Val Brooks in 1932, the course attracted many famous players such Sam Snead, Walter Hagen, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias for exhibition matches and hosted the Iowa Open. In more recent times, Brooks has hosted the Iowa PGA Section Championship and the Barb Thomas Pro-Am.
Always known for its beauty and excellent course conditions, Brooks has matured into an excellent parkland layout for Midwest vacationers. In 1995, Brooks began an expansion to 27 holes, thus beginning one of the most aggressive improvement projects for golf in Northwest Iowa. Brooks Golf blends masterful design with superb playing conditions featuring bent grass fairways and greens. We welcome you to play and enjoy your stay in Okoboji.
Beware the (I'll get your home sold in a week) agent
I hear this one all the time from prospects looking to list their house. "Well, agent xyz told us that if we listed with her, she'd have it sold in a week." This would fall into the category of "If it sounds too good to be true, the probably is." The majority of agents are not going to make this claim, but rather will give you an honest market analysis, inform you as to how weak or strong the market is, especially the market in which your home resides, and present the objective facts. A good agent will then lay out an effective marketing plan, where the majority of the focus should be on "online marketing". Be careful to not get caught up in empty promises, reduced commissions, and being talked in to lowering your price below market value (unless you must have a quick sale). The key to choosing a good listing agent is to objectively determine who is going to provide you the best opportunity to sell your home. Will your listing agent also aggressively work to find buyers, or will they just list your home and wait for another agent to do the work.