Recently, Bank of America sent out nearly 100,000 solicitations to distressed homeowners offering them a chance at a deed-in-lieu transaction.

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Trulia.com and RealtyTrac recently surveyed U.S. adults to get some insight into what people *think* is involved with buying a foreclosure. Here are the Top 10 Myths that came up, and the facts to set the record straight…

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Is there any way to assure real estate success, to purchase real estate at the bottom of the market, sell at the top and face no risk in between? It would be great to say that the answer is yes, and greater still to have such knowledge, but the central reality of investing is that such certainty does not exist. There’s always risk, including the risk of not doing anything and missing an opportunity.

But if it’s true no form of investing is risk-free, then it’s equally true that there are steps which can be taken to reduce marketplace perils, especially when considering foreclosures, short sales and distressed properties in general.

So what are the keys to foreclosure investing success?

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Q. Why do I have to submit a Short Sale package?

A. In short, because lenders require it. Lenders need to have a compelling reason to work with the seller. By providing tax returns, bank statements, pay stubs and other forms of household income and expenses along with a detailed hardship letter, the lender has a true an accurate picture of the sellers’ circumstance. IFR works with sellers to complete a thorough and effective Short Sale package.
Q. Will a Short Sale hurt my credit?

A. The term “Short Sale” is not reflected on the sellers credit report. Many times a Short Sale is reported as “Paid-Settled” which will most likely lower the sellers credit rating. The alternative, however, would be foreclosure which can significantly damage a sellers credit rating for years to come.

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Carlo E. Capomazza with Sotheby’s International Realty® has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.

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Nearly two years later lenders are much savvier about selling bank-owned properties, and their newfound know-how is grounded in the basics of supply and demand, which are both heavily impacted by foreclosures in the 2010 marketplace. Sales of properties in some stage of foreclosure accounted for one-third of all sales in the first three months of the year, according to Rea

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What is a short sale? A short sale is a sales transaction in which the seller’s mortgage lender agrees to accept a payoff of less than the balance due on the loan.

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Faster Sales Coming For Foreclosure Buyers

Foreclosure buyers got a Christmas Eve goodie from Fannie Mae, a new strategy that’s likely to make foreclosure purchasing very much quicker. The catch? A bunch of lenders are about to be very unhappy.
Until the recent real estate meltdown, foreclosures were a problem but not too much of a [...]

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