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Haggling Makes Winners Out of Buyers

July 1st, 2008

Any consumer advocate will tell you that haggling is something usually encouraged. Some consumers feel like they are forcing the seller to negotiate, but this is not the case. Keep in mind that sellers usually have a wiggle room whenever they put a price tag on their products.

Haggling Makes Winners Out of Buyers

In the same way, buyers of foreclosure properties should understand that there is still room for negotiation even if the asking price has been set. Luckily for you, current market conditions are favoring buyers and sellers are usually more open to negotiations.

When negotiating the sale price, do remember the following:

  • Time is On Your Side – since homeowners of properties facing foreclosure, you should realize that time of the essence. Make an offer that the seller can not refuse and make sure that you do so at the right time. In most instances, the seller will likely accept your offer in order to avoid foreclosure.
  • Go Straight to the Seller – if you are negotiating with a foreclosure broker, you can always try to ask to speak directly to the seller in order to speed up the sales transaction.
  • Determine the Seller’s Needs – if the seller is selling the property in order to enjoy whatever equity is left on the property, you should consider this when making an offer. You will probably understand why the seller would not want to accept your bid. On the other hand, sellers in pre-foreclosure would probably accept the first offer to come their way in an effort to stop foreclosure.
  • Get Pre-Approved – sine there are also buyers on the lookout for foreclosure bargains, you must make sure that you have the advantage by getting pre-approved for a mortgage loan. At the same time, you will also be ready to make a real offer, knowing how much money you will be working with.

Foreclosure Brokers: How to Qualify Buyers

June 30th, 2008

Despite the housing crisis, many brokers have discovered the hidden opportunities offered by foreclosure properties. Unfortunately, it has become quite for a challenge for these foreclosure brokers to separate individuals who are looking to buy and who are just looking.

Foreclosure Brokers: How to Qualify Buyers

Qualifying buyers is actually effective in generating leads. For seasoned brokers, it is also considered to be one of the arts involved in the sales process. Getting excited when a buyer shows interest is normal but sometimes you fail to determine if the buyer is indeed qualified. Experienced brokers often rely on several factors that could help qualify buyers. They include:

  • Motivation – if the buyer has been looking for a foreclosed property in the last six months, it is safe to assume that the motivation is quite low. You should not waste your time trying to convince these buyers to buy immediately.
  • Selling and Buying – some buyers will need to sell their property first before they could afford to buy a foreclosed property. In this case, brokers may enjoy the sale as well as the listing.
  • Working with another Broker – it is important for you to determine if the buyer is already working with another broker. You certainly do not want to waste your time, without earning any commission in the end.
  • Timeframe – if the buyer is looking to move into a new home as soon as possible, then you can be sure that the motivation is quite high. The likelihood of a sale is almost certain.

Selling foreclosure homes is certainly becoming more and more popular among brokers. The key to being successful is being honest to both the buyer and seller. Being knowledgeable about the foreclosure industry will also help, so you must do some research. Of course, professionalism is very important and you should work hard to win over these potential buyers.

Buyer’s Corner: How to Keep Credit Clean

June 27th, 2008

The first thing you should consider when buying a foreclosure property, or any real estate property for that matter, is how good your credit score is. An unblemished credit will usually mean being able to enjoy the most competitive mortgage rates in the market. Of course during these times, your credit report may reflect mortgage provider or lender inquiries, also known as hard inquiries.

Buyer’s Corner: How to Keep Credit Clean

Most foreclosure buyers are worried about the impact of hard inquiries on their credit reports when they are shopping for loans. Fortunately credit bureaus cluster these hard inquiries together since they were obviously requested when the buyer was shopping for a loan.

Instead of worrying about these inquiries, you should probably concentrate more on protecting your personal information. In recent years, the incidence of identity theft has certainly increased dramatically. Many people are not aware how simple it actually is to obtain personal information. Even having an unsecured mailbox will increase your risk of falling victim to identity theft. If unscrupulous individuals got hold of your personal information such as credit card number and social security number, your credit might also be at risk.

Most financial experts recommend that you shred any document that contains personal information, especially those that could be potentially-devastating to your credit. As you know, cleaning your credit will be really inconvenient and it would take some time before your credit score is restored.

Your credit card should also be kept in plain sight at all times especially with the prevalence of skimming. This is a method whereby credit card information is downloaded to a device without your knowledge. Using the same information, the criminals will be able to charge purchases to your account.

As always, it is best to check your credit history if you want to make sure that there are no false entries that could affect your score. By doing this, you are guaranteeing yourself better mortgage rates.

New York Courts Create Foreclosure Prevention Program

June 25th, 2008

According to foreclosure reports, the number of New York foreclosure homes entering foreclosure has risen dramatically over the last couple of years. The counties of Queens and Suffolk seem to be hit the hardest, with their foreclosure rates doubling since 2005.

Continue Reading: New York Courts Create Foreclosure Prevention Program

Foreclosure Option 6: Short Sale

June 24th, 2008

The increasing number of homes for sale in the market has driven down home prices dramatically. To make matters worse, the millions of foreclosure homes have also depressed home values in most neighborhoods. Because of this, may homeowners find themselves with properties whose market value is less than the mortgage debt owed.

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Foreclosure Option 5: Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure

June 23rd, 2008

Selling your home is a good option to explore if you want to avoid foreclosure. But considering that the market is currently unbalanced, with more supply than the demand, it is not surprising that you will be unable to do so.

Continue Reading: Foreclosure Option 5: Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure

Foreclosure Option 4: Sell Now!

June 20th, 2008

Sometimes, homeowners will simply have to accept the fact that they have over-extended themselves and can no longer afford to stay in their homes. But this does not mean that they should simply wait until the foreclosure notices arrive. A foreclosure can still be avoided by deciding to sell the property.

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Foreclosure Option 3: Loan Modification

June 18th, 2008

In the past couple of years, millions of homeowners have started having problems with their mortgage payments, mainly due to the aggressive lending practices that were prevalent in the last home buying boom.

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Foreclosure Option 2: Re-Financing

June 17th, 2008

Another option that troubled homeowners should explore if they can no longer meet their mortgage obligations is refinancing. But before you heave a sigh of relief, you should know that this option is not for everyone.

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Foreclosure Option 1: Repayment

June 16th, 2008

It is not at al surprising that many homeowners are struggling to make their mortgage payments considering the unbelievably-high prices of fuel and increased cost of living. Therefore, it is not remotely impossible to find yourself with no money left to cover your mortgage payment for the month.

Continue Reading: Foreclosure Option 1: Repayment