The savvy home buyer now knows that prices are on the increase, so much that 1,413 homes were sold in the month of October, just in Lee County.  Based on what we’re seeing, the deals are still plentiful.  We are receiving new notifications of incredible homes for even more incredible prices enter the market daily.

With the first time home buyer credit extension and deals of the decade, we anticipate sales will continue to rise as prices continue to firm up.  If you would like to be notified of the best deals as they enter the market, simply fill out the form on the top right of this page.  We will keep you in the “know.”

1.) Your lender

3.) Your representative handling the transaction.

Lenders are all over in their approach to short sales and can change strategy at any time.  Currently the general environment is that banks and lending institutions see short sales as a better alternative than holding properties through till foreclosure.  Of course they are going to force the homeowner to prove that they cannot honor the commitment they have made.  If you have the means to continue to pay banks likely will not forgive the debt just because home values have dropped.  They are not in the real estate business; they are in the loan business.  Taking back property is a last resort for them.  Currently lenders are ramping up efforts to deal with short sales.  They are finding that it saves money to deal with homeowners that are still living in the homes and caring for them.  Each lender has criterion for their own evaluation and operating structures which govern their actions and response times.

Finally, there is the representative that is handling the negotiation.  I encourage anyone interested in listing or purchasing short sale property to carefully scrutinize your representative.  All are not created equal.  At the Dohack Group we work hand in hand with an attorney negotiator who does nothing but work on short sales.  They deal with all of the lenders and know what is necessary to submit a complete package to their specifications the first time.  This assures that the timeline will be cut to the very minimum.  Additionally, we are finding that many financial institutions are increasingly willing to review the offer early in the process so that buyers know their potential for success in the end.  This is not widespread yet but is an early trend and long overdue.

When you own a Fort Myers FL home and find that a short sale is your only option, procrastination is the WORST possible idea.  The more proactive you can be in working on an alternative to foreclosure, the better. It is worth the effort and in the end it could be the best overall solution to a mortgage that you can no longer afford due to uncontrollable circumstances.  If you find yourself having these considerations I encourage you to act quickly.  The worst response is no response. The earlier you begin the better your chances of a successful conclusion.  We at the Dohack group are here to help you answer your questions and offer whatever help is in your best interest.

One way to accomplish this is to borrow against other assets. Do you have equity in your primary residence? Do you own a piece of property that has ample equity? Better yet do you already have a Line of Credit in place that you can utilize? Borrowing against other assets is wise for other reasons. Other costs associated with the purchase of a new home can be avoided. First and foremost is the Doc Stamp tax on the mortgage. Another is that an appraisal is optional. Add to that a price that will surely be thousands of dollars less and you quickly begin to understand my point. The money you save will pay any costs associated with procuring the loan. Add to that the fact that you can close in weeks instead of months.

What is that worth in saved aggravation? Planning ahead always makes sense, in this case it makes money. Plan ahead and take advantage.

What I recommend is seeking out professional assistance as soon as the problem is recognized or maybe more accurately anticipated.  Here are the first questions you will have to answer.

• Can the house be sold for enough to pay off what you owe on it?
• Do you have the means to solve this situation on your own?  Do you have money sitting in a bank account or equity in another property that you can use to catch up or pay off the mortgage?
• Do you insist on staying in the home even if a solution is found?

If you the answer to any of these questions is yes then you need to implement a plan to resolve the problem according to your means.  If on the other hand you answer no, then do not delay.  Call us or another professional immediately.  Many agents try to manage this process on their own and quite frankly transactions often fail as a result.  We are experts at listing and selling real estate.  We are not attorneys or bank negotiators.  Our approach is very different.  We begin with a dedication to helping you, our client.  The first order of business is to evaluate your individual situation and determine a course of action that will work for you specifically.  Every case is different.  Assuming that short selling your Ft Myers FL Home is indicated we bring in a professional team consisting of professional negotiators, attorneys and clerical staff who work with people like yourself to relieve them of the burden that an unaffordable mortgage creates and at the same time minimize credit consequences.  We do all this at no cost to you.

The short sale process requires a buyer.  No bank is going to negotiate a settlement unless there is a buyer in place.  While our team of professionals are working on negotiations with the bank we are working to put a buyer in place so that the process is rapid and seamless.   Quite simply, this is the best system currently available.  Please do not delay.  Start your journey today to a better life.