Columbus Short Sales: Renters trashed my house. What should I do?

Columbus OH – The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Richard. “I accepted a job transfer and had to move. Unfortunately we were upside down on the house.

I decided to rent it out rather than short sale it. The renters just moved out. I just checked the house. They trashed it!

I could rent the house out again, but I would have to spend several thousand dollars fixing it up first. What would you recommend that I do?” Richard asked.

 Here was our recommendation.  That is a tough situation. You could fix up the house and rent it out again. But, you risk having the same thing happen all over again.

Here is the other problem. The amount you can charge for rent has gone down in most areas. This means you will probably have to write a check every month.

If you are able to rent it and cover all the costs, then I would recommend you keep the home. If not, then I would recommend you short sell it.

Here is why I recommend that. If you can break even, then the house will be a good investment as the real estate market recovers. However, you will always risk large unexpected costs like the one you are experiencing right now.

If the rent does not cover all the costs, then more than likely you are in an area where the housing prices are still dropping. This means the burden will only get bigger as time progresses.

Costs will keep on going up. Rent might drop even more. The housing market could decline even further. It would be better to just get rid of the liability now, once and for all.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 614-741-2495.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Columbus loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank.

Thanks for reading this, Robin Lemmons.

Rick & Robin Lemmons is a Real Estate Team at Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

Phone: 614-741-2495 

Email: robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com

A Zest For The Best

View My homes for sale at  www.rickandrobin.com. 
 
Columbus Loan Modification Help, Columbus Short Sales, Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor.

Copyright 2012 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Important Notice

Rick & Robin Lemmons, Coldwell Banker King Thompson, and the Stop Foreclosure Institute are not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the government. Our services have not been reviewed or endorsed by the government or your lender. Most lenders willingly work with agents on short sales. Why?

Because most short sales are beneficial to a lender. If you accept our offer to help you on a short sale, your lender may not agree to a short sale or to modify your loan. We do offer a loan modification kit.

However, the likelihood of negotiating a modification is like everything else in life. It takes work and persistence to convince your lender to modify your loan. No matter what you or we do, your lender may not approve a loan modification.

We do not recommend that you stop paying your mortgage, because this will cause damage to your credit and could cause you to lose your home. Because we know avoiding foreclosure is so important to any homeowner, we recommend that you speak with the appropriate legal or tax advisor before making any decision.

This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing.

You have the option to reject a short sale or loan modification from your lender if it does not meet your approval. If you decide not to go thru with the short sale, then you do not have to pay us our fee. We normally make a real estate sales commission for helping you on a short sale.

The views expressed here are Robin's personal views and do not reflect the views of Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

This information on Columbus Short Sales: Can I buy again right after a Short Sale? You Decide is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Columbus Short Sales: Will I Owe Income Tax After A Short Sale?

Columbus OH – This is one of the first questions potential short sale sellers ask us. “I heard of something called “forgiveness of debt income and that it is taxable. How does that work?” they ask.

The following article is my personal opinion only. I recommend that you consult with a competent legal or tax professional before moving forward with a short sale.

In most cases the answer is that a short sale will usually not cause you to owe income tax.

It used to be that you owed income tax on any forgiveness of debt.

When a lender decides to forgive all or a portion of a borrower's debt, the forgiven amount is considered as income for the borrower and is liable to be taxed.

Here are the following ways you can qualify to short sale a property without any tax liability. 

Short Sale of a Primary Residence.  The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 (and it’s extension in the 2008 Federal Bailout) now allows you to short sale a primary residence without any tax liability.

Today when a homeowner short sales a primary residence, they can file a simple form and the forgiven debt is no longer taxable.

The amount of forgiven mortgage debt allowed to be excluded from income tax is limited to $2 million per year.

Short Sale of a Non-Primary Residence:  If the property you are selling is not a primary residence, then you may be eligible for tax relief if you are considered insolvent.

I don’t know the exact guidelines, but insolvent is usually considered when your total gross debts are more than your total gross assets. I’m sure a good tax professional can give you more information.

http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=179414,00.html Click here  to view the IRS’s website about the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation.

http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=179073,00.html Click here to view the article on the IRS’s Website: Mortgage Workouts Now Tax-Free for Many Homeowners.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 614-741-2495.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Columbus loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank.

Thanks for reading this, Robin Lemmons.

Rick & Robin Lemmons is a Real Estate Team at Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

Phone: 614-741-2495. 

Email: robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com

A Zest For The Best

View My homes for sale at www.rickandrobin.com.
 
Columbus Loan Modification Help, Columbus Short Sales, Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor.

Copyright 2012 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Important Notice

Rick & Robin Lemmons, Coldwell Banker King Thompson, and the Stop Foreclosure Institute are not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the government. Our services have not been reviewed or endorsed by the government or your lender. Most lenders willingly work with agents on short sales. Why?

Because most short sales are beneficial to a lender. If you accept our offer to help you on a short sale, your lender may not agree to a short sale or to modify your loan. We do offer a loan modification kit.

However, the likelihood of negotiating a modification is like everything else in life. It takes work and persistence to convince your lender to modify your loan. No matter what you or we do, your lender may not approve a loan modification.

We do not recommend that you stop paying your mortgage, because this will cause damage to your credit and could cause you to lose your home. Because we know avoiding foreclosure is so important to any homeowner, we recommend that you speak with the appropriate legal or tax advisor before making any decision.

This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing.

You have the option to reject a short sale or loan modification from your lender if it does not meet your approval. If you decide not to go thru with the short sale, then you do not have to pay us our fee. We normally make a real estate sales commission for helping you on a short sale.

The views expressed here are Robin's personal views and do not reflect the views of Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

This information on Columbus Short Sales: Will I Owe Income Tax After A Short Sale? is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Columbus Short Sales: How To Lower Your Mortgage Payment Without A Refi

Columbus OH – A lot of people in today’s lending market are stuck. They locked in their interest rate when rates were higher. Now, they are barred from refinancing because they are upside down on their house.

Whenever they apply for a new loan, the first thing the lender says is, “The current property value is less than what you owe. We can’t lend you enough money to pay off your old lender.” Do they have any options? 

Their best option is probably a loan modification. Their lender is more than likely to work with them since their home dropped in value.

They may have to stop making payments before their lender will approve a loan modification. But, some lenders are even modifying loans that are current.

I’ve heard of homeowners stuck with a loan where the payments are going to gradually increase over time. Their current interest rate is 6%. But, it is going to increase by 1% a year until it hits 9.5%.

They can afford the home at the current interest rate. But once it goes higher, they will have to do something. Why not do it now?

Take the onetime credit hit and lock in a reasonable interest rate.  Some people have been able to get their interest rates on jumbo loans reduced to between 4% and 5%.

Many loan modifications will even reduce your interest rate as low as 2% for 5 years. But, stick to your guns and lock in a reasonable rate for the remainder of the loan.

You don’t want to have to apply for another loan mod in 5 years.  (Most people don’t see how interest rates could possibly go any lower.)

We offer a loan modification guide to consumers. Here is what we cover in the Stop Foreclosure Institute's Loan Modification Insider Secrets Guide.

* An easy to understand, Step By Step Guidebook.

* How to write a Hardship Letter that gets your loan modification approved.

* Three big loan modification mistakes and how to avoid them.

* Loan Modification from the lenders point of view.

* How the Making Home Affordable Program can help you.

* What not to do so you don't risk being carted off to jail.

* How to calculate your budget properly to increase your chance of success.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com>. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 614-741-2495.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Columbus loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. 

Thanks for reading this, Robin Lemmons.

Rick & Robin Lemmons is a Real Estate Team at Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

Phone: 614-741-2495

Email: robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com

A Zest For The Best

View My homes for sale at  www.rickandrobin.com.

Columbus Loan Modification Help, Columbus Short Sales, Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor.

Copyright 2012 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Important Notice

Rick & Robin Lemmons, Coldwell Banker King Thompson, and the Stop Foreclosure Institute are not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the government. Our services have not been reviewed or endorsed by the government or your lender. Most lenders willingly work with agents on short sales. Why?

Because most short sales are beneficial to a lender. If you accept our offer to help you on a short sale, your lender may not agree to a short sale or to modify your loan. We do offer a loan modification kit.

However, the likelihood of negotiating a modification is like everything else in life. It takes work and persistence to convince your lender to modify your loan. No matter what you or we do, your lender may not approve a loan modification.

We do not recommend that you stop paying your mortgage, because this will cause damage to your credit and could cause you to lose your home. Because we know avoiding foreclosure is so important to any homeowner, we recommend that you speak with the appropriate legal or tax advisor before making any decision.

This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing.

You have the option to reject a short sale or loan modification from your lender if it does not meet your approval. If you decide not to go thru with the short sale, then you do not have to pay us our fee. We normally make a real estate sales commission for helping you on a short sale.

The views expressed here are Robin's personal views and do not reflect the views of Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

This information on Columbus Short Sales: How To Lower Your Mortgage Payment Without A Refi is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Columbus Short Sales: Is this a reasonable offer from a buyer of a short sale property?

Columbus OH – Some buyers think that since it is a buyer's market, then they can make any crazy demand of a seller. And they can't understand when the seller isn't excited by their lowball offer.

Here is an example of a recent story where this happened. A buyer makes an offer on a short sale.

1. The buyer puts no money in deposit for the home.  In other words, they have about zero risk.  (Meanwhile, the seller is still risking foreclosure.)

2. They are putting $150,000 down on the property, but won't bother putting any more than $1,000 in escrow and only after the short sale is approved.

3. They are only allowing 30 days for short sale approval. (News flash: Most short sales take an absolute minimum of 60 days to be approved.)

4. They are demanding the seller take the property off the market and not accept backup offers.

Is this a little one sided or what? If you are a short sale seller, then the agent representing you should ask for a better offer. You need the buyer to have a little skin in the game.

If not, then you dramatically reduce the odds of successfully short selling your property. Thinking about a short sale?

I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 614-741-2495.

Thanks for reading this, Robin Lemmons.

Rick & Robin Lemmons is a Real Estate Team at Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

Phone: 614-741-2495

Email: robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com

A Zest For The Best

View My homes for sale at www.rickandrobin.com.

Columbus Loan Modification Help, Columbus Short Sales, Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor.

Copyright 2012 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Important Notice

Rick & Robin Lemmons, Coldwell Banker King Thompson, and the Stop Foreclosure Institute are not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the government. Our services have not been reviewed or endorsed by the government or your lender. Most lenders willingly work with agents on short sales. Why?

Because most short sales are beneficial to a lender. If you accept our offer to help you on a short sale, your lender may not agree to a short sale or to modify your loan. We do offer a loan modification kit.

However, the likelihood of negotiating a modification is like everything else in life. It takes work and persistence to convince your lender to modify your loan. No matter what you or we do, your lender may not approve a loan modification.

We do not recommend that you stop paying your mortgage, because this will cause damage to your credit and could cause you to lose your home. Because we know avoiding foreclosure is so important to any homeowner, we recommend that you speak with the appropriate legal or tax advisor before making any decision.

This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing.

You have the option to reject a short sale or loan modification from your lender if it does not meet your approval. If you decide not to go thru with the short sale, then you do not have to pay us our fee. We normally make a real estate sales commission for helping you on a short sale.

The views expressed here are Robin's personal views and do not reflect the views of Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

This information on Columbus Short Sales: Is this a reasonable offer from a buyer of a short sale property? is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Columbus Short Sales: Is My Hardship Legitimate For A Short Sale?

Columbus OH – The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Dan. Here was Dan’s Question.

"I recently purchased another home and tried to sell my former home. It isn’t selling and I can’t afford to make both payments. The home won’t rent for even 1/2 of the mortgage payment.

An agent told me the house is worth about $50K under the mortgage amount. Is it realistic for me to try the short sale?  The only hardship created was when I decided to move to a larger home for family. Dan."
 
Here was our answer to Dan’s Question.

Dan, I think you can short sale your house. Do you have a legitimate hardship?

I know you said you needed a larger house. However, if you also moved for a job transfer, then most lenders would consider that a legitimate hardship.

A hardship is not black and white. Some lenders would consider your situation a hardship. More often than not they will approve the short sale.

Others would not and won’t work with you on a short sale. In addition, the lender may not work with you until you have missed a payment or two.

Whether or not you miss a payment is your decision. You should weigh your options and decide whether or not you can live with the resulting credit damage.

Many lenders will work with you on a short sale even before you have missed a payment. If you were working with us, then we would help you. But, we would have the expectation that it would be a 6-12 month process.

Make sure that you work with a competent short sale agent. Look for someone that is a short sale expert. Ask them how many short sales they have sold.

Ask them if they have worked with your lender in the past. Then you will be able to judge whether they are qualified to help you. Thinking about a short sale?

I can help you short sale your property and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at 614-741-2495.

Thanks for reading this, Robin Lemmons.

Rick & Robin Lemmons is a Real Estate Team at Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

Phone: 614-741-2495

Email: robin.lemmons@kingthompson.com

A Zest For The Best

View My homes for sale at  www.rickandrobin.com. 

Columbus Loan Modification Help, Columbus Short Sales, Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus Short Sale Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor. Columbus OH Short Sales. Columbus Realtor.

Copyright 2012 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Important Notice

Rick & Robin Lemmons, Coldwell Banker King Thompson, and the Stop Foreclosure Institute are not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the government. Our services have not been reviewed or endorsed by the government or your lender. Most lenders willingly work with agents on short sales. Why?

Because most short sales are beneficial to a lender. If you accept our offer to help you on a short sale, your lender may not agree to a short sale or to modify your loan. We do offer a loan modification kit.

However, the likelihood of negotiating a modification is like everything else in life. It takes work and persistence to convince your lender to modify your loan. No matter what you or we do, your lender may not approve a loan modification.

We do not recommend that you stop paying your mortgage, because this will cause damage to your credit and could cause you to lose your home. Because we know avoiding foreclosure is so important to any homeowner, we recommend that you speak with the appropriate legal or tax advisor before making any decision.

This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing.

You have the option to reject a short sale or loan modification from your lender if it does not meet your approval. If you decide not to go thru with the short sale, then you do not have to pay us our fee. We normally make a real estate sales commission for helping you on a short sale.

The views expressed here are Robin's personal views and do not reflect the views of Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

This information on Columbus Short Sales: Is My Hardship Legitimate For A Short Sale? is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.