The term ‘real estate short sale’ is being bandied about more and more as of late. Real estate short sales serve as an alternative to foreclosures in an increasingly declining real estate market. The time it takes to sell a property is extremely high, and the prices on real estate have reached a considerable low. Throughout the country the crisis is so bad that many places are experiencing what is fair to call a market meltdown. It is because the market is so inhospitable that the need for short sale real estate has gone up so dramatically.
Real estate prices have dropped dramatically, and the sell time has risen as well. Detroit and similar regions are, it is fair to say, experiencing a full real estate market meltdown. These declining real estate markets are the main reason for the rise in short sale real estate.
For instance, an owner might have used an adjustable rate mortgage to buy a home for the price of 217,000 dollars five years ago. Two years after purchasing their property, the owners also took an additional mortgage out, to the price of 10,000 dollars. In five years, the percent that the mortgages have actually been paid off is likely to be an insignificant amount. Let’s also believe that the property is in a part of the country where the market values have fallen to 215,000 dollars for similar properties, and that the adjustable mortgage interest rate has risen from seven to eleven percent. Finally, add the fact that one of the owners has just lost her job and the makings of a real estate short sale situation become apparent.
In the same amount of time, the market values for similar properties are going for 215,000 dollars, while the adjustable rate has risen from 7 percent to 11 percent. Additionally, we end up with a real estate short sale situation once one of the owners has lost their job.
The bank may decide to save expenses and time delays that a foreclosure would cost by simply allowing a short sale. Banks do this because it allows them to accept a definite amount of money and because it allows them to get the property off their books. If the lenders and owners do not agree on the terms of the sale, complications can result, but in general, that is how the real estate short sale works.
Admittedly, many owners may find the real estate short sale a very painful experience, but things could be much worse for them. A foreclosure, for example, would be far worse to have on your credit report. On the other hand, a truly savvy investor can take advantage of these short sales for excellent buying opportunities.
