Dallas Short Sales | DFW Short Sales Expert Realtor

Short Sales in Dallas-Fort Worth

If you are experiencing financial difficulties and are having a hard time paying for your mortgage in the DFW area, a short sale could be the option you’re looking for. We understand that you may be overwhelmed and uncertain on what to do. If you are having trouble making your mortgage payments and potentially facing foreclosure, Nitin Gupta - Dallas Short Sales Real Estate Agent can help.

If you are behind on the payments to the lender, learn more about your options here before you go for short sale>>

As the top short sales real estate agents in Dallas, Texas Short Sales is the best solution for getting your home over the finish line and providing you with expert advice on facilitating the short sale process. Your Dallas Short Sales Expert is the local short sale specialists and we have earned various certifications like GRI, CRS, SRS & ALHS which enable us to represent you as a seller. Our experienced team of licensed real estate agents, attorneys and mortgage brokers are here to help you through the process and to get you over the finish line. Call us for information about short sales vs foreclosures in the Dallas metro area, as well as anywhere else in Texas.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about short sales, discover the differences between a short sale and a foreclosure, learn how the short sale process works, and to determine if you qualify for a short sale. Don't wait until it's too late. Contact us with any questions you have about short sales and avoiding foreclosure. We welcome your phone call and are here to answer your questions. No question is too mundane - we want to help!

What Is A Short Sale

A short sale is when a lender accepts a discount on a mortgage to avoid a possible foreclosure auction or bankruptcy.

If as a homeowner you haven’t made mortgage payments, didn’t qualify for a loan modification, did a bankruptcy, or have a final judgement, it might seem foreclosure is the only option. In fact, you may already have abandoned your house. Did you know you’re still liable if someone get hurts in there?

A short sale may be the answer for you. A short sale happens when you sell your house for less than what is owed to the bank in order to AVOID Foreclosure. We start the process by collecting the information that bank requires to start a short sale. You’ll receive a success check list on the items we need from you. Our short sale expert negotiators check for their accuracy of all forms and items for you. We move forward and submit the short sale package to the bank.

OUR MARKETING PLAN

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How To Qualify For A Short Sale in Dallas, TX

When faced with losing your home to foreclosure, you will surely start considering options to stop the bank from re-possessing your home. Your search for a way to stop foreclosure may lead you to the short sale option. With the growing foreclosure crisis in the United States, the option to do a short sale has become a favorite. If you are unfamiliar with a short sale, here are some of the requirements you must meet in order to qualify.

Your home’s current market value should be less than the outstanding mortgage balance. This balance usually includes penalties and other fees. To be sure, you can have your home appraised and your total unpaid mortgage balance calculated. For example, if your home was appraised to worth $80,000 and you owe a total mortgage balance of $100,000, then you are having met the first requirement.

To qualify for a short sale, you must be in mortgage default. This means you have missed mortgage payments and received a Notice of Default, formally informing you. If not, your lender may not consider a short sale agreement. I can help you with the process.

You will have to prove that you are having long term financial difficulties and not capable of paying the difference once the sale is completed. In most cases, reasons of unemployment, divorce, bankruptcy, medical emergency and death are considered to be valid.

Lastly, you should have no assets that can be used to pay the lender the difference. Your lender will probably ask for your financial statement, income tax returns and other financial documents to support your claim of hardship.

If all these requirements are met, your lender will have to agree on a short sale. You must understand that sellers and lenders do not stand to gain any profit from this transaction. In many cases, the short sale is completed during the pre-foreclosure stage in order for the lender to avoid incurring further foreclosure costs. A buyer, usually a third party, will have to make a purchase offer that is less than the amount of the mortgage debt owed on the property. Some sellers enter into listings agreement in order to find more potential buyers before the reinstatement period is over.

Dallas, Texas Short Sales FAQ

How long will it take? The Short Sale negotiation process can be rather lengthy. It may take several weeks to several months for an approval. Many Lenders will have several layers of bureaucracy, insurers, and investors that we will have to maneuver through in order to get a Short Sale approved. So, it is important to be patient during this long process.

But my house is going to foreclosure, will I have enough time? Maybe, maybe not. Just starting a Short Sale will NOT automatically stop a foreclosure. However, many times we can convince a Lender to stop the foreclosure to let us attempt to negotiate the Short Sale. While there are no guarantees, it is worth the attempt.

How do I know that this will work? Again, there are no guarantees. We cannot, have not, and will not make promises to you that this will work. Once you miss a payment, the Lender is in charge and can proceed to foreclosure if they choose. But we know they do not want to and we are very good at presenting alternatives to the Lender that they often want to accept, as opposed to moving forward with a foreclosure. We are very proficient at what we do, but NO GUARANTEES are being made as to whether or not the Lender will accept the Short Sale.

Will I get any money from the sale? No. A universal requirement of Lenders in granting a Short Sale is that the borrower will not get any proceeds from the sale of the property. Being that the Lender is going to take a loss on your loan, they are most certainly not going to allow you to profit from the situation.

What happens if this does not work? Your house will likely go to foreclosure. A Short Sale is something we try after you have exhausted your other options.

What Happens To The Deficiency In A Short Sale? Typically we are able to negotiate with the banks to release not only the lien on the property so we can sell it through a short sale but also the balance owed (better known as the deficiency). Now, the deficiency is not always waived. Some sellers end up contributing an amount of cash or signing new un-secured loans for part of the balance but this is really only typical on second loans known as junior mortgages.

What is a "release"? A Lender may offer a “release”, which is a security instrument against the property in exchange for less than the total amount of the note. A release will allow the property to be sold without paying off the obligations of the note. However, the note is not satisfied. Advantages: This successful Short Sale will allow the property to be sold and thus avoid foreclosure. Disadvantages: The remaining debt on the property (sometimes called a “deficiency”) still exists. In other words, you are still liable for the note and still owe the money to the Lender. Reality: It is not likely the Lender will purse the deficiency unless you have other significant assets. However, if you chose not to try the Short Sale before going to foreclosure, and then you end up going to foreclosure, it will result in you having a deficiency anyhow.

What is a "satisfaction"? A Lender may agree to accept less than they are owed as complete and total satisfaction of the note and release its lien against the property. Advantages: Your note and obligation to the Lender are satisfied for less than you owed. When the property is sold, the debt is paid off completely. Disadvantages: You may have some tax consequences that you should discuss with your tax advisor due to the fact the Lender is making money you owe them disappear. Sometimes our negotiations are successful in obtaining a satisfaction. However, there are other times where the lender will only negotiate to a release.

How Do I know How Much The Bank Will Accept For The House On A Short Sale? Short answer… you don’t. Banks for the most part (some programs excluded) do not disclose ahead of time how much they will take for the house. However, it is important to know that what is owed on the house does not matter- the home is still only worth current market value.

What If I Just Let The House Go To Foreclosure? We are not attorneys but in many cases the second lien holders especially lines of credit loans, equity lines and second mortgages hold onto many of their rights and may demand payment from you on the entire balance if you abandon the house. This is a situation where a short sale may be the better option.

Do I Need To Pay The Realtor Working The Short Sale? Do I have to pay the short sale listing agent? Usually, no. We do not charge sellers for the short sale service nor do most short sale Realtors we work with. The commissions for selling are negotiated through the bank and come from the proceeds of the sale.

Can I Still Buy A New Home If I Do A Short Sale? It depends …Have you quit making your payments on your current home? Do you have many late payments on your mortgage, and how is your credit? I have done short sales for many people that were able to buy immediately but it depends on the previous questions whether you would be able to or not.

What Will Be Expected Of Me To Do The Short Sale? There are some basic items that your Realtor will need for the bank which will usually include:
- 2 year tax returns
- Last 30 days pay stubs
- Recent 2 months bank statements
- Hardship letter describing why you need to short sale your property
- Financial statement

How Do I Get The Short Sale Process Started? This part is just like any other listing or preparation for the sale of property. Your Dallas short sale listing agent can guide you. The standard listing agreement and marketing is used. The biggest difference is once we get an offer we send it to the bank for final approval. A short sale in Dallas or any other suburb should not be handled by an inexperienced agent. We are short sales experts in Dallas-Fort Worth and all surrounding cities. We have closed many short sales and have an extremely high success rate.

If you’re ready to sell your property on a short sale or, want to speak with a Dallas short sale Realtor call us. We have listed and closed numerous short sales and we can help you through the process and get you moved on with your life. See what other sellers have said about us, who we’ve helped through a short sale, at the bottom of the page.

Dallas Short Sale Process

SHORT SALE STEP 1

Find and contact a licensed, qualified Short Sale real estate team, such as Nitin Gupta, CRS, GRI, REALTOR, experienced short sale experts. We will set up an initial FREE consultation over the phone or in person, whichever is more convenient for you to answer any questions you may have and to set up the game plan moving forward.

SHORT SALE STEP 2

We will provide you with all of the documentation you will need in order to get the short sale officially started. Our Short Sale Welcome Packet is very user friendly and can be filled out on your computer or iPad. We will need a Letter of Authorization signed authorizing us to speak on your behalf regarding all loan matters so that the negotiations with the bank can begin. Your loan information is subject to privacy laws so your lender needs your written authorization to release this data to anyone.

SHORT SALE STEP 3

We will prepare the real estate listing documents and set an appointment with you to meet you at your property in the DFW metro area to present the documents, get them signed, and take pictures of your property. If you are out of state, then we will arrange to gain access with you and complete all necessary paperwork through email/fax, and over the phone.

SHORT SALE STEP 4

Identify your Qualified Hardship and write about it in detail in your Hardship Letter. This is your time to shine and really outline specifically to your lender your situation and why you would like their help in ultimately approving your short sale, accepting less than a full balance payment.

What are examples of Qualified Hardships?

Unemployment
Curtailment of Income
Divorce/Marital Difficulties
Death in the Family
Illness of Mortgagor
Illness of Mortgagor’s Family Member
Excessive Obligations
Abandonment of Property
Employment Transfer/Relocation
Extenuating neighborhood/community circumstances
Loss of Tenants

In addition, you will need to provide a statement of your current income and all of your other assets for your mortgage lender to evaluate. List your other assets, including bank accounts, stocks or other investments, additional real estate, and anything else of value. This information should display that you have neither the income nor the assets to repay your mortgage loan in full. As mentioned earlier, we will have all of the appropriate documents for you to fill out so that we will have everything you and be walked through the entire process with one of our agents.

SHORT SALE STEP 5

We will complete a Broker Priced Opinion (BPO) on your property which is similar but not as in-depth as an appraisal. This analysis will show the selling prices of similar homes in your area for the past 3 to 6 months along with the appropriate adjustments to ensure the market value is accurate. This BPO will reinforce the need for you to request this consideration for short sale.

SHORT SALE STEP 6

We will vigorously market your property in Dallas metro for sale in order to procure the highest market value offer as possible. We also educate the buyers and their agents of the short sale process to ensure they know they will need to be patient as we work with your lender.

SHORT SALE STEP 7

We will package up and deliver your entire Short Sale Package which includes the Purchase Contract, to your mortgage lender. They will want to examine the price, terms, and other conditions of all documents included in this package. This is where having an experienced Dallas Short Sale REALTOR and Top Dallas Short Sale Listing Agent will pay dividends as we will negotiate to get the entire short sale approved from lender from beginning to end (lender approved)

Must-have items in a short sale package include:

Hardship Letter
2 Months of Bank Statements
2 Months of paystubs
2 Years of W2s
Listing Agreement
Purchase Agreement
Comparable Market Analysis
Estimated HUD1
Authorization to Release Information
Repair Estimates
Pictures Supporting Repairs

SHORT SALE STEP 8

Now that the bank has your Short Sale file presented, what happens now?

The file will go through a brief audit to ensure all documents needed are present. Then it is eventually assigned to a bank negotiator or workout specialist who will order an independent Broker Price Opinion and/or appraisal to help them determine the market value of your property. This valuation will dictate the bank’s decision as to whether they accept the offer, counter, or decline.

SHORT SALE STEP 9

If the bank accepts the offer, the bank still may require specific terms they demand from the seller (ie seller cash contribution, a promissory note which requires the owner to pay back a percentage of deficiency after sale of home, mortgage insurance issues, etc). This is where having a short sale team who has experience dealing with all of the different banks, and mortgage insurance companies becomes invaluable as different banks have different tendencies and hot buttons which help reach a win-win solution.

SHORT SALE STEP 10

Closing. Once we have approval from the bank, we facilitate the transaction all the way to closing. Once the short sale closes and records with the county, it becomes official and you are no longer responsible for the property.

Short Sale vs Foreclosure

Whether you should do a short sale or let the home go to foreclosure depends on several factors.

While for some homeowners, it is easier to throw up your hands and let the bank take your home, that might not be the wisest thing to do.

Short Sale Benefits

Here are a few benefits for doing a short sale that may not have occurred to you:

You are in control of the sale, not the bank.
You may sleep better at night knowing who is buying your home.
You will spare yourself the social stigma of the "F" word, foreclosure.
Contrary to popular belief, you can be current on your payments and still effect a short sale.
Your home sale will be handled like any other home sale

Short Sale

Buying Again After a Short Sale

If your payments have never fallen behind 30 days late and the lender does not require that you pay back the loan, Fannie Mae guidelines may allow you to buy another home immediately. Finding a lender who will fund that kind of loan is very difficult. If you are current on your mortgage, you can qualify for an FHA loan immediately as well, but lender requirements can be weird such as you have to move more than 600 miles away.

If your payments are in arrears yet a short sale is granted by your lender, you may qualify to buy another home with a Fannie-Mae backed mortgage within two years, regardless of whether the home is your primary residence. The wait for FHA is 3 years.

Affects on Credit After a Short Sale

A short sale may be considered to be a derogatory mark on your credit even though credit bureaus do not show the word "short sale" on your credit report. It may say "paid in full for less than agreed" or "settled for less," among other categories. Some clients have reported negative FICO score drops from 50 points to 130 points.

Major point drops are typically due to being in default, meaning you have fallen behind on your payments.

Credit Reports After a Short Sale

All lenders report short sales differently, with many reporting "paid in full for less than agreed," and some report the short sale as a charge off. Negative credit, however, stays on your report for 7 years.

Deficiency Judgments After a Short Sale

Judgments are often negotiated between the seller and the short sale bank. It is typical for the lender to give up the deficiency judgement against the borrower in the approval letter.

Loan Application Questions After a Short Sale

Loan applications do not ask questions about a short sale. You may report that you sold your home.

Length of Time to Move After a Short Sale

If you've had a foreclosure notice filed, you may be able to postpone that action while the bank considers your short sale. The wait for short sale approval can be from 2 to 3 months, or longer.

Taxation After a Short Sale

Any debt that your mortgage lender cancels because of a short sale is taxable only if the terms of your mortgage hold you personally liable for the full amount of the loan. Regardless of the tax consequences, your lender will report the debt cancellation on a 1099-C form.

For example, if you owe $500,000 to your mortgage lender and short sale the home for $450,000, your lender will report $50,000 of canceled debt on your 1099-C. Since most mortgage lenders wouldn’t agree to a short sale if the value of the home exceeds the outstanding mortgage balance, usually no capital gains issues exist.

Employment After a Short Sale

A short sale is not an actual item on your credit report. therefore it should not impact future employment.

Foreclosure

Buying Again After a Foreclosure

With certain restrictions, you may be eligible to buy another home in 5 years if the home was your primary residence. Without restrictions, the wait is 7 years.

If you are an investor and do not occupy the home, the wait to buy with a Fannie Mae insured loan is 7 years.

Affects on Credit After a Foreclosure

Depending on your credit history and other guidelines, credit score could fall by 300 points after a foreclosure. Generally, a foreclosure will remain on your credit report in the tradelines section for 7 years.

Credit Reports After a Foreclosure

If a prospective employer runs a credit check on you, your job application may be denied if you have a foreclosure on your record.

Sell your home today with Dallas' short sale specialist!

Deficiency Judgments After a Foreclosure

Banks are generally unwilling to negotiate deficiency judgments with the homeowner after a foreclosure.

In Texas, lenders are permitted to sue for a deficiency judgment after foreclosure but must do so within two (2) years of the sale. Texas Property Code – Section 51.003, which addresses deficiency judgments, contains the following provision:

If the price at which real property is sold at a foreclosure sale under Section 51.002 is less than the unpaid balance of the indebtedness secured by the real property, resulting in a deficiency, any action brought to recover the deficiency must be brought within two years of the foreclosure sale.

Loan Application Questions After a Foreclosure

On the standard loan application 1003, you are required to answer the question: "Have you ever had a property foreclosed upon or given a deed-in-lieu thereof in the past 7 years." If the bank sees you have had a foreclosure, your loan most likely will be denied. If you lie, you may be subject to investigation by the FBI for mortgage fraud.

Length of Time to Move After a Foreclosure

Unless prior arrangements have been made, the bank may want you to immediately vacate the property and can commence eviction proceedings.

Taxation After a Foreclosure

Same as with a short sale. Except some lenders immediately send out 1099s, even if the owner is

Employment After a Foreclosure

Employers check credit history for a lot of jobs today. Foreclosure is one of the most negative items on your credit report. A foreclosure may impact future employment.

TEXAS SHORT SALE HOME LISTING SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE FOLLOWING CITIES IN TEXAS

Abbott, Abilene, Addison, Alba, Albany, Aledo, Allen, Alvarado, Alvord, Anna, Annetta, Anson, Aquilla, Argyle, Arlington, Aspermont, Athens, Aubrey, Aurora, Avalon, Azle, Bailey, Baird, Balch Springs, Bardwell, Barry, Bartonville, Bedford, Bells, Ben Franklin, Ben Wheeler, Benbrook, Blair, Blooming Grove, Blue Mound, Blue Ridge, Bluff Dale, Blum, Bonham, Boyd, Bradshaw, Brashear, Brashear, Bridgeport, Buffalo Gap, Burleson, Bynum, Caddo Mills, Callisburg, Campbell, Canton, Carrollton, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Celeste, Celina, Chat, Chatfield, Chico, Cleburne, Clifton, Clyde, Colleyville, Collinsville, Combine, Commerce, Como, Como, Cool, Coolidge, Cooper, Copeville, Coppell, Copper Canyon, Corinth, Corinth, Corsicana, Covington, Crandall, Cranfills Gap, Cresson, Cross Plains, Crossroads, Crowley, Cumby, Cumby, Dallas, Dallas, Dalworthington Gardens, Dawson, De Soto, Decatur, Denison, Dennis, Denton, Dike, Dike, Dodd City, Dorchester, Double Oak, Dublin, Duncanville, East Tawakoni, Ector, Edgecliff Village, Edgewood, Elmo, Enchanted Oaks, Enloe, Ennis, Era, Eula, Euless, Eureka, Eustace, Everman, Fairfield, Fairview, Farmers Branch, Farmersville, Fate, Ferris, Flower Mound, Forest Hill, Forney, Forreston, Fort Worth, Lucas, Frost, Fruitvale, Gainesville, Garland, Garrett, Glen Rose, Glenn Heights, Gober, Godley, Gordonville, Granbury, Grand Prairie, Grand Saline, Grandview, Grapevine, Greenville, Gun Barrel City, Gunter, Hackberry, Haltom City, Hamby, Hamlin, Happy Valley, Haslet, Hawk Cove, Hawley, Heath, Hebron, Hickory Creek, Highland Park, Highland Village, Hillsboro, Honey Grove, Howe, Hubbard, Hudson Oaks, Hurst, Hutchins, Impact, Iredell, Irene, Irving, Italy, Itasca, Ivanhoe, Josephine, Joshua, Justin, Kaufman, Keene, Keller, Kemp, Kennedale, Kerens, Kirvin, Klondike, Kopperl, Krugerville, Krum, Ladonia, Laguna Park, Lake Bridgeport, Lake Creek, Lake Dallas, Lake Kiowa, Lake Worth, Lakeside, Lakewood Village, Lancaster, Larue, Lavon, Lawn, Leonard, Lewisville, Lillian, Lindsay, Lingleville, Lipan, Little Elm, Log Cabin, Lone Oak, Lowry Crossing, Lucas, Lueders, Mabank, Mabank, Malakoff, Malone, Mansfield, Maypearl, McCaulley, McKinney, Melissa, Meridian, Merit, Merkel, Mesquite, Mexia, Midlothian, Mildred, Milford, Millsap, Montalba, Montalba, Morgan, Morgan Mill, Mount Calm, Muenster, Murchison, Murphy, Nemo, Nevada, New Fairview, New Hope, Newark, Noodle, North Richland Hills, Northlake, Oak Leaf, Oak Point, Oak Valley, Old Glory, Ovalo, Ovilla, Palmer, Pantego, Paradise, Parker, Peacock, Peaster, Pecan Hill, Pelican Bay, Pickton, Pickton, Pilot Point, Plano, Point, Ponder, Poolville, Potosi, Pottsboro, Powell, Poynor, Princeton, Princeton, Prosper, Purdon, Putnam, Quinlan, Quitman, Radium, Rainbow, Randolph, Ravenna, Red Oak, Rhome, Rice, Rice, Richardson, Richland, Richland Hills, Rio Vista, River Oaks, Roanoke, Rochester, Rockwall, Roscoe, Rosser, Rosston, Rotan, Rowlett, Royse City, Rule, Runaway Bay, Sachse, Sadler, Saginaw, Sanger, Sansom Park, Savoy, Scurry, Seagoville, Seven Points, Shady Shores, Sherman, Slidell, Southlake, Southmayd, Springtown, St. Paul, Stamford, Stephenville, Stith, Streetman, Sulphur Bluff, Sulphur Bluff, Sulphur Springs, Sulphur Springs, Sunnyvale, Sweetwater, Talty, Teague, Telephone, Terrell, The Colony, Tolar, Tom Bean, Trent, Trenton, Trinidad, Trophy Club, Tuscola, Tuxedo, Tye, University Park, Valley View, Van, Van Alstyne, Venus, Walnut Springs, Watauga, Waxahachie, Weatherford, West Tawakoni, Westlake, Westminster, Weston, Westover Hills, Westworth Village, White Settlement, Whitesboro, Whitewright, Whitney, Willow Park, Wills Point, Wilmer, Windom, Winnsboro, Wolfe City, Wortham, Wylie, Wylie, Yantis