Dumb, Dumb, Dumb - Charging up front for Short Sale Listings in Santa Clarita Valley CA!

July 31st, 2008 paris911 Posted in Short Sales 1 Comment »


Hey, I have an idea - Let us have these folks lie prostate and kick them in the ribs as well.

I received the call yesterday from a lady that lives locally.  Her life is in shambles, job loss, and a myriad of other problems.  She has spoken with several Realtors some calling themselves friends of her.  They all wanted to charge her up front to help her with her short sale in Santa Clarita.

I am trying to remember who pays commission?  Oh, that is right, the seller.  So on a short sale who is the seller with the final word?  The Bank.  And if the bank does not approve the short sale, listing price, sales price and commission agreement?  - Then the property goes into foreclosure.  What Have I lost by attempting to help out this owner, (the lady caller), out?  I have thought about this and I have determined that I have lost nothing and possibly earned a client for life.

Let us just say that I am unsuccessful at selling the property at a short sale due to the bank not wanting to play ball.  Then I might have just gained a client, that when her credit repairs, will call me to represent her with buying another home.  Yes, I know, I am thinking too far into the future and I should want that commission check in 30 days.  Any longer and I might just starve - Come on, if you are established in this business, there are clients out there that have to buy and have to sell.  The key word in that last statement is "have".  Tax reasons, distressed reasons, changes in life and other "need to do it now" cases.

So why aren’t you out there looking for those types of clients.  It is more work than you are prepared to do you say…  I cannot help you with motivation.  But having left a secure and safe net like a government job after 17 years and three years before being vested in a pension, leaves me no choice.  That being out there without a net is a pretty good motivator.  Furthermore, that decision was between Paris and I.  I continue as a Reserve Office so those out there won’t think I was fired or resigned in lieu of or even received a Medical Pension.  No, Paris and I have been building The Paris911 Team since the 1990’s and it was time I placed both of my hands in a full time manner on the business we have been blessed enough to have.

Soap Box Finished - Have a FANTASTIC day! - Connor MacIVOR - REMAX of Santa Clarita and The Paris911 Team

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Is Foreclosure Creeping Up? Share your Pain!

March 10th, 2008 paris911 Posted in Foreclosures, Paris911 Code, San Fernando Valley Real Estate, Santa Clarita Real Estate, Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate Search, Santa Clarita Valley Schools, Santa Clarita Valley and San Fernando Valley, Saugus Real Estate, Short Sales, Southern California Real Estate Search, Uncategorized 5 Comments »


I am not sure whether or not those that have not been through a foreclosure understand the emotional drain that it is.  If you are single, you have to face friends and family.  If there are children in the equation, children old enough to understand the moving process, then you have a huge amount of stress to deal with.  What I can say is you do need time to grieve, you need time to let it hit you and understand that you are not alone.  I suppose if you were the only person in the world that Foreclosure has happened to, then that might be a different story.  But there are a lot of people that become involved in very uncomfortable circumstances with Death, Divorce, Disease, and Job Loss - the major 4 problems associated with Foreclosure.  I can feel your pain.  You now need to feel your pain, share it with someone that you trust, so you both can come away stronger from the sharing.  Might I suggest a Priest, Confidant, Spouse, Realtor, or maybe even in a anonymous chat room?  But you need to not keep any of this bottled up and get it out in whatever way you can that is healthy and without tragic consequences.
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Foreclosure in the Santa Clarita Valley and Beyond - Be Sure to Share Your Pain!
In a majority of foreclosures, one of the homeowners hides it from the spouse. Usually, the partner keeping the secret is the person responsible for paying the bills and is (or feels) responsible for causing the problem and fixing it. This partner may feel like a failure for not properly managing the finances or for overspending, or the person may be using the family finances to support an embarrassing and costly habit.
Attempting to sweep the foreclosure under the rug can compound the problem in any or all of the following ways:
·         Makes you more susceptible to becoming a victim of foreclosure rescue scams. One of the con artist’s most powerful strategies is divide and conquer. They will offer ways to avoid foreclosure so your partner “never has to know about it.” They are afraid that the more people “know about it,” the more likely they will get caught.
·         Removes one of your pillars of support. As a couple, you have a much better chance of improving the outcome than by acting alone. Your partner may have some excellent ideas and resources to help save your home.
·         Wastes time. The longer you try to keep the secret without taking positive steps to resolve the problem with your lender, the less time you have to save your home, sell it, or pursue other options.
·         Leads to distrust with your partner, who will eventually find out anyway.
Remember, your partner is going to eventually find out about the foreclosure. It’s always better if your partner finds out earlier from you rather than later from a stranger… like when the sheriff shows up to evict you and your family from your home or the person who purchased the home at auction shows up at the front door.
Communication Is Key
If you and your partner can’t have an honest discussion about household finances and troublesome behaviors, then your entire relationship is already at risk. Look at the foreclosure as an opportunity to become open and honest and build intimacy. Either your relationship will not survive, meaning it was not worth trying to save in the first place, or it will deepen and become more rewarding over time.
Financial Setback + Communication Breakdown = Loss of Home and Equity
What is equity? Equity is the amount of money that you get to keep after you sell your home and pay back the debt you owe on it.
Adding communication back into the equation gives you and your partner a much better chance of addressing the underlying financial shortfall and ultimately saving your home or selling it to cash out enough equity to make a graceful exit.
Whether you’re currently facing foreclosure or have just missed one or two mortgage payments, tell your partner immediately. Losing your home in a vain attempt to avoid an uncomfortable discussion with your partner is the wrong approach.
Avoid the Worst Options
The worst option in foreclosure is to try to sweep the problem under the rug. Well, actually there are three “worst” options:
·         The absolute worst option is to deal with a con artist who’s out to steal your home through some foreclosure scam or strip you of the equity in it.
·         The next worst option is to do nothing. When you do nothing, the lender forecloses, the property is sold, and you’re evicted. You can say “so long” to both the property and any equity you built up in it.
·         Another bad option is choose a solution that puts you right back on the path to future foreclosure. Some people, for example, borrow money to reinstate the loan – that is, bring the payments current with the bank. This is a viable solution if the financial setback was temporary and you will have sufficient income to start making payments on your mortgage and on the money you borrowed to reinstate. However, if you are unable to make the monthly payments, you will probably be better off selling the home and finding more affordable accommodations.
Overcoming Your Fears
If you are afraid of telling your partner, then ask another family member, a close friend, a financial counselor, a marriage counselor, or someone else that you and your partner both feel comfortable talking with and that you both trust to help you break the bad news.
An unbiased third party can act as an intermediary, laying out the facts more rationally, so arguments do not get in the way of a full disclosure. You want to come clean and lay all the facts and figures on the table so you and your partner know what you are dealing with.
Remember, what has happened is in the past. You and your partner can do nothing to fix what has already happened. You can only make things better now and for your future together.
About the Author: Ralph R. Roberts, GRI, CRS and his team of foreclosure experts regularly assist families facing foreclosure and have authored Foreclosure Self-Defense For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons).
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It is paramount that you learn to deal with this and make sure you make good decisions.  Realize that you are not alone in this process and that if you have good advice from others that do not want anything but what is best for you, then you are going to become accomplished in the healing process.  Remember, that alone we are not anywhere near as powerful as in numbers.  Together we can bond together and survive any tragedy.  But people that are alone do funny things, and sometimes things that leave a whole multitude of people in pain and that is a Problem - CONNOR with HONOR

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Santa Clarita Valley Short Sale Stats

March 6th, 2008 paris911 Posted in Short Sales 1 Comment »


  • Stevenson Ranch…    .. 122~active….. 14~are short pay…   = 11%
  • Valencia…………………..447~active….. 101~are short pay.  .= 22.5%
  • Saugus………….. ……….357~active…  .99~are short pay.. ..= 27.7%
  • Canyon Country….  ……570~active…. 184~are short pay..   = 32%
  • Castaic……………………194~active…. . 50~are short pay…..= 25.7%
  • Newhall……………………266~active…   .66~are short pay. …= 24.8%
  • Acton Agua Dulce……..158~active….   19~are short pay.. . .= 12%

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  • All SCV……………………2,114 active      533~short pays……= 25%

3/2008 - There you have it folks - Here is where the Short Sales are in the Santa Clarita Valley.  Here are a few words of advice for you.  I do not know of any Real Estate company that has a Short Sale Division.  I have heard of Short Arms - and Long Arms - But a Short Sale Division - That is a new one on me.  Even if they had a "short-sale division" what would their function be?  To streamline the short sale process - That is up to the mitigation department of the banks.  To make you feel better - That is going to be impossible, with this process you are going to be hurting - And it is up to a one on one agent that has built a relationship with you based on trust - Not their Short Sale Division and all those that compose it.  You want to deal with the same person time and time again when you have questions or requests, not a group of people like a HMO!

What you are looking for when and if you are needing to have someone represent you with a Short Sale, which is where you get the bank’s approval to sell your home for less than you owe them, is an agent that will not share your business with the world.  You also need someone that has been through this process time and time again - And has developed relationships at most of the major banks and their mitigation department.

That is very important.  Remember you do not pay the commission of the agents involved, that is a number that the bank will agree too.  Give us a call so we can have you come in to discuss your options with a short sale, renting, etc…

There are a lot of those out there that are wanting to get you to let them handle their short sale.  But you need to choose wisely and not rush to the first agent that sends you something in the mail or the first that contacts you at your doorstep.  You need to take your time to find out what someone is about.  That is the reason for blogging - That Is why I do it, I want you to read some of what I am about and see if that is a fit.  If so, give me a call or drop me an email and I would be glad to protect your interests and fight for you!

-CONNOR with HONOR

  

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Having to Short Sale your home - First Steps

February 24th, 2008 paris911 Posted in Short Sales 2 Comments »


Let me work this question backward.  Notice of Default is what would happen if you were unable to make your payment on your mortgage.  The Note Holder (Bank) would have someone record a piece of paper at the Hall of Records that says you have defaulted on your payment to the bank on your home, condo or other real estate investment.  When can this happen, it could be done at the very moment it is being deliquescent.  But that is not usually the case due to maybe the payment being mailed, processing time and other factors could cause the payment to arrive late.  If a notice of default was recorded at that early stage, then the bank would have to expend money to have it removed as well.  That could be quite costly.  So most banks use some judgment in when they place the Notice Default on a property and have it recorded.  Having said that, it used to take a lot longer than it does now.  With so many properties not having their mortgages paid, that has causes the Banks or mortgage holders to have  itchy trigger fingers.  So they do it a lot sooner than they once did before.

If you are unable to pay a mortgage due to some kind of hardship or something happening in your life that has made it impossible for you to pay your mortgage don’t be too hard on yourself.  Not too long ago, short sales in Real Estate were not very common.  In fact, it had to take all of the variables in this Real Estate market to date to create the venue for the Short Sale once again. 

Here is how they work.  You cannot make your payment.  Usually on the first, if you have a first and a second, the second is usually a wash, but the first is the position that we have to try to get to play ball with us.  The more you contact the bank after you have not been able to make your payment, the harder they attempt to lean on you to get you to make even partial payments.  That is their job, they are going to do whatever it takes to collect that debt from you.  If you are in that position and something, Death, Divorce, Disease, job loss, or some other factor has cause you not to be able to make your payments, call us so we can bring you in and discuss your options. 

We are very well versed at the short sale process and have helped a lot of people through this process and have helped make a lesser of an impact on their credit than a foreclosure.  Also, a Whole Lot less than a bankruptcy. 

What does it take.  We have to sit down and discuss your options.  We have to make sure you under the negative credit implications of conducting a Short Sale, we have to also let you know that we will be dealing with the bank from the point where you are under contract with us and to the point the property closes escrow.  You need to let us handle the whole thing and handle it we will.  We will make sure your bases are covered and all things will go very smoothly for you.  We also need to find out what you are going to want to do after we have sold your home.  Have you made other arrangements for renting or moving in with someone else?  We need you to think all of these things out.

A Short Sale is not for everyone - But they are part of this current Real Estate market in a big way. 

Also, if you owe more money on your property that it can be sold for in the current market and think you have no choice but to walk away, there is the best chance that we can help you out of your current situation.  

Paris and I are specifically trained in the Short Sale process and their negotiations with the banks.  We have proven our place amongst the various mitigation departments of the 10 largest banks and note holders - and we can help you!!!  You will have a damaged credit rating, but not for long - This is a much better option than foreclosure.

We will provide this service to you for free, the bank will pay our fee, so it is off your back.  Don’t forget this as well, it is against the law to charge a homeowner, if they occupy one to four units in the process of foreclosure, in advance for work that will help them with the foreclosure process and possibly avoid or lessen said foreclosure.

How do we get paid, after escrow closes - Again, it is your bank that pays our regular commission fees, If we cannot get this done, then we are without a commission and loose too - So as you can see it is in our best interest that this works out and closes escrow.

You can check back to this location often under the tab of short sales to find out other information about what is going on in the current market. 

If you think this is something you want to consider - Call Connor at 661.400.1720 or Paris at 661.400.3680 or drop us an e-mail at connor@paris911.com and or paris@paris911.comAlso you might want to contact us more sooner than later - The banks have been quicker to change locks and lock folks from their homes with not very much time having lapsed!

Don’t forget all COMMUNICATIONS ARE ALWAYS KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL! - CONNOR with HONOR 

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