Posts Tagged ‘Real Estate Attorneys’

There is no doubt that this is a great time to buy a house.  Purchasing a home has remained affordable, primarily because of the extended period of historically low interest rates that has continued for more than two years.  A wide variety of properties from which to choose and affordable prices sweetens the opportunity for homebuyers.

The general public agrees, and so does the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Consider these recent reports:

• According to a recent Gallup poll, 69 percent of Americans believe that now is a good time to buy a house.

• Responding to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, 9 in 10 Americans said homeownership is an important part of the American Dream.

• The National Association of Realtors‘ ninth housing pulse survey showed that the overwhelming majority of Americans (72 percent) say that buying a home is a good financial decision.  Almost two-thirds (64 percent) say that now is a good time to buy a home.

• During a recent interview broadcast on CNN, Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, urged Americans to purchase homes.  He said, “In the long run, it is a good time to become a homeowner because it’s so affordable today compared to where it’s been for generations.”

For more information on Buying and Selling Homes in Bedminster, go to www.Bedminster-Real-Estate.com.

Closed Sales in February

Since my last posting, there are now two new happy homeowners in February in Bedminster.   The following properties have closed this month:

5 BENTLEY CT $309,000    $309,000
335 ENCLAVE LN    $384,000    $372,000

Eleven new listings came on the market this month, and 1 of those listings has already gone under contract.  To see these new listings or to start your search, click on Bedminster Homes For Sale.

Absorption Rate

I explained what the absorption rate is in my last posting, but basically it is a way to help us determine how much market activity there is at a given time in the market.  A market absorption rate of less than 5 months is considered a Seller’s Market, between 5 – 6 months is a Normal or Balanced Market, and inventory levels greater than 6 months indicates a Buyer’s Market.

There are currently a total of 74 listings on the market in Bedminster.  Eleven properties went under contract in the last 30 days, so that gives us a current market absorption rate of 6.7 months in Bedminster.  Which indicates that currently the market in Bedminster is a buyer’s market

If you are considering a move into or out of Bedminster, it pays to plan ahead.  Start your search or understand the value of your home at Bedminster-Real-Estate.com

I posted this about six months ago on my Basking Ridge Real Estate Blog.  In the last few days, I’ve had several inquiries that caused me to go back to that post.  So I thought I would copy it over here.

I recently attended a Weichert sales meeting at which a local real estate attorney was a guest speaker.  He was there to help us help our clients navigate through short sales.  He is one of the only attorneys that I know of who has a dedicated staff member to communicate with the banks and keep on top of each transaction as it works its way through the myriad of steps at each bank.

If you are in a position where you think foreclosure is the only way out – please contact me first – I can put you in touch with the right resources to help you make that decision.  A short sale may be right for you instead. 

(According to Wikipedia, a short sale is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property’s loan. It often occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan on their property, but the lender decides that selling the property at a moderate loss is better than pressing the borrower.)

If a short sale is for you, it is imperative to get the house on the market as soon as possible since the first thing on the following list is an exectued contract of sale!

To move forward with an attorney’s support for a short sale, you will need to have the following documents:

• Copy of fully executed contract.  Don’t worry if the negotiated sale price is lower than the amount of your mortgage.
• Hardship Letter.  This is written by you, detailing the hardship you are facing in keeping up with your mortgage payments
• Copy of the last two years tax returns
• Copy of the last three months pay stubs
• Copy of the lat two months of bank statements
• Written authorization for your attorney to contact the bank and negotiate the short sale
• HUD-1 Statement (the attorney will prepare this)
• Copy of the last two months mortgage statements (for the first and second loan if applicable)
• Copy of the listing agreement
• Complete list of all debts including monthly expenses
• Copy of your 401k and retirement plan(s) statements
• Market analysis prepared by your realtor
• Commission bills provided by your realtor for both the buyer and seller agent
• Back title: includes your deed, the survey and your title insurance policy

The sooner you have all of this information compiled and sent to your attorney, the better. If you want to contact the bank before hiring an attorney you can do that too – the department you want to contact is Loss Mitigation.  I strongly recommend using an attorney with EXPERIENCE in this process – there are lots of phone calls required, things move very slowly and then all of a sudden very quickly.  It is often difficult to stay on top of where things are in the process.  Except for the initial fee, I believe the balance of of the attorney fees as well as the real estate commission will be calculated into the total debt that will be resolved by the short sale.

Information on this post was provided by Rafael J. Betancourt of Triarsi, Betancourt, Walsh & Wukovits, LLC a law firm in Cranford, NJ.

If you are considering a short sale, an estimate of your home’s value in today’s market might help you finalize that decision (you can use this link for a home any area, not just Bedminster).  This information, along with your mortgage history will help you determine the best course of action.