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As the saying goes, I will eat steak tomorrow night as I choose regardless of what you do or don’t do; regardless of whether you eat steak or beans.

The same is true for the economy, the financial crisis, and the so called recession. Some people will be eating steak and others will be eating beans. Is this a harsh wake up call for you?

KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THIS

The same ocean of money is in constant motion; it just flows in different directions from time to time. It’s up to you to move where it is flowing!

Have the economic times changed? Absolutely. Is it harder to near impossible to get loans? Yes. This is the constant motion I’m talking about and if you’re old business model required loans then it is time to change models. It is up to you to move to where the money is flowing.

Right now short sales and REO’s are hot and if you are playing in this arena you need to have money to close or real estate investors to flip to and here’s a big surprise: People are still flipping houses and doing very well. Need proof… check out an auction or two and you’ll see folks paying a lot more than you would which means they are a source of potential buyers.

OPPORTUNISM

You, yes you, need to capitalize on the opportunity delivered by the so called financial crisis. Know that all UBER SUCCESSFUL Entrepreneurs and Real Estate Investors are opportunists. There is no difference between “good” or “bad” events in the value offered to opportunists because opportunists take action on the events given without prejudice.

If you are a real estate investor just starting out or even a seasoned pro be sure to get my FREE Online Real Estate Investing Course. There’s no strings attached so you don’t have any excuses.

Author: Gerald Romine

A question I’m commonly asked is what effect does a short sale, deed in lieu of foreclosure, or foreclosure have on my credit and when can I buy another house?

Believe it or not a short sale, deed in lieu of foreclosure, and foreclosure all have roughly the same impact on your credit score. In other words your credit score is going to be hammered.

Most new loans are resold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and beginning August 1 Fannie Mae generally will not buy loans to borrowers involved in a short sale in the last two years. A deed in lieu of foreclosure is 4 years. A foreclosure is 5 years.

Although your credit score will be treated the same your ability to buy a house will vary greatly since most lenders sell their loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Why Do Short Sales Get The Best Treatment

Short sales are the preferential loss to lenders because it saves them the trouble of having to sell the house!

This is POWERFUL information because it gives owners an incentive to work with you for completing a short sale because they have a better chance of buying a home in two years instead of 5 years if the home is foreclosed on! And when you can complete short sale packages in minutes negotiating short sales because easy and routine.

Author: Gerald Romine

The news is filled with doom and gloom about real estate, real estate investing, and the economy.  Home values dropping. Foreclosures at record highs. Mortgage rate is up, etc.

If you read the news don’t believe the hype because contrary to popular belief we are in transition to a new economy, and you must choose whether to make the transition or to stand still. People are making money, big money right now.

Just last week a good friend of mine made over 30K on one little house deal. Here are his steps. 1) Bought REO. 2) Blow and Go (quick rehab normally 10K or less spent). 3) sell best property a little lower than comps(about 10-15K).  It’s quick and easy and the biggest catch is you might have to hold the property 90 days to meet lender’s seasoning requirements.

How To Make Money With Bad News In The Media

When you see a short article that serves your purpose (like the one below) send it to the lender with your short sale or REO offer.  Simply highlight the most important parts and let the article speak volumes for you.

In this case one paragraph talks about houses losing 25% of their value and that goes a long way to justify a low offer!

Author: Gerald Romine

If you are already actively buying and selling houses in the current market consider this message an update of what you are already experiencing in the market.

If you are NOT currently an active real estate investor you will find this message helpful to move you from thinking about taking action to improve your income and life…to actually taking action to do so.

**********************************************

First, I want to start off with a WARNING:

This is a warning that you could easily be locked out of possibly the biggest real estate buying opportunity ever due to sheer ignorance. The truth hurts and before you discredit those harsh words realize I am not trying to sell you anything.

Have the markets changed? Definitely.

Is it harder to get financing on properties? Absolutely.

Are investors making money? Yes… and lots of it. Are you???

Between my involvement in the market and the feedback I get from successful investors using the Ultimate Real Estate Investing System I have an understanding of what’s really happening in the markets like no other.

Now, I want to tell you about what’s really working in the real estate markets.

1) Short Sales: With record foreclosures and REO properties backing up the lenders are seeing the need to play ball and move short sales whenever possible. Make no mistake that short sales are a REAL opportunity and unbelievable deals are being done. Understand that some lenders are easy to work with and other lenders are nearly impossible. UREI users have a distinct advantage because it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare complete short sale packages and if you are in the short sale game be sure to have an efficient system.

Note: UREI users are even getting short sales accepted on properties that are current on the payments.

2) Subject To: A VERY successful strategy in today’s market is to find a price range of a properties that will cash flow as rental property then go after that range with offers to take over the existing financing.

Example: A 3/2 in Phoenix may rent for $1000 per month. Searching the MLS I found 67 homes in the city of Phoenix that are 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and have 1000 square feet or more with a price that is under $90,000. The lowest priced property is $37,500! The second home is $45,500 and is an REO offering a $1000 bonus to the buyer’s agent.

Let’s look at the possible numbers for a house with a $90,000 loan. If the loan was a 30 year fixed at 6.5% the monthly principle and interest payment would be $569. Add another $200 for taxes and insurance and the PITI would be $769. If the property rents for $1000 per month the cash flow after reasonable expenses would be positive and let’s assume $100 per month. Not bad for a nothing down deal and taking over the payments.

Huge opportunities abound and subject to’s do not require you to get new loans or qualify for financing.

3) REOs: I can’t say enough about the opportunities to buy REO properties. Banks are leading the pack with price reductions and the opportunities to make once in a lifetime deals are everywhere.

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

For many, for a growing number of would be real estate investors, the news about a bad economy is keeping them out of the market and stopping them from what may prove to be the biggest opportunity and fastest way to wealth ever presented through real estate!

The three types of investing outlined above can be the solution to negative developments and news in the real estate industry that we are constantly bombarded with by American TV and media.

It can permit profitable focus on small niches or sub-niches of the real estate market.

I’ve put hundreds of real estate investors on this fast track, one way or another, and I’m on top of the markets daily and aware of the latest developments.

You may think real estate success is beyond you in the current market but you may change your mind if you learn to focus on what’s really working and ignore all of the media noise. And if you have any thoughts of actually building a thriving real estate investing business that can secure your financial future now is the time to tune in and get involved.

Author: Gerald Romine

Note: Your comments are encouraged.

I could not resist the urge to reply to a real estate agent that thought foreclosures and short sales would be the death of the real estate market and went on to beg everybody to vote for the President that would fix the mortgage mess. Just another example of somebody with a victim mentality wanting somebody else to come to the rescue.

Here’s my unedited response:

You’ve got the wrong approach there my friend. Short sales and foreclosures are not the death of real estate markets they are a result of the current real estate market.

The fact is if buyers must have 100% financing to get a loan then MAYBE they shouldn’t be buying! Here’s a revolutionary idea… how about if people started spending less than they make and saving money so they would have a down payment, rainy day stash, etc.

I get that bank financing is hard to come by for most buyers but where one door closes another opens. I have properties I’d like to sell but it is better to hold them now and be in the buying mode looking for deals.

And one does not need bank financing to buy properties. Alternatives include cash, subject to, private money, hard money, and owner terms.

As an agent a LONG time ago I remember simultaneous note purchases and this is still a possibility for owners and agents if they get creative. Have you ever carried a real estate commission in the form of a note?

Wake up, this is nothing new and some of us have been there before and could tell you some real war stories about 23% interest and banks offering financing like it was “you name your terms.”

Best thing for the market is if the government stays out of it and it is left to correct itself. And PLEASE, what could the President do to fix this mortgage mess? Throw more taxpayer money at it?

Gerald Romine

IndyMac bank has adopted a new policy of charging $300 for real estate
investors to submit a short sale. This is absolutely insane for Indymac bank or
any lender to expect an investor to flush $300 down the toilet.

My conversation would be something like… “Let me get this straight… you want
me to pay you $300 for the privilege of you saying no and taking my $300. Do I
look like and idiot? Here’s something for you to think about. Right now I’m
holding the deed on the property in escrow pending our negotiations on a short
sale. How about if you pay me to release the deed to you won’t have to wait 3
months to file foreclosure, 3 months for the foreclosure process, miss at least
6 months of payments, and hope the borrower does not file bankruptcy which
delays your losses indefinitely all while the value of your security is dropping
like a rock. Did you want to review my short sale package or play or watch the
values drop on your security?”

Check out my video real estate tip for more information.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

Last night I went down to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the UFC fights. I’m a big fan of mixed martial arts and was hoping George St. Pierre would knock out the cocky Matt Serra.

Then out of th blue a friend of mine who’s a real mover and shaker in the Phoenix real estate market joins our table. In no time we’re talking real estate and here’s the news I want to share.

Cody is killing it in this so called down market. Right now he’s got 60 short sales going at one time! That’s a crazy number to be working and the reason Cody can pull it off is because he understands the market, the lenders, and how to work the numbers.

Cody’s buying properties at 50 cents on the dollar and recently took a HEALTHY payday to allow somebody to take a property over subject to.

The point I want everyone to see is the real estate market is a phenomenal opportunity for real estate investors that take action. The market is not good or bad…. it’s what you do with the opportunity!

And speaking of opportunities in the last matchup St. Pierre wasted his and was KO’d by Matt Serra. St. Peirre took a beating and learned a lesson because on this night he turned the tables dominating
Serra until the referee stopped the fight in the second round before Serra’s ribs were broken from some brutal knees!

George St. Pierre took advantage of his opportunity and took home the championship and a very nice payday. A few months back he was knocked out!

Many real estate investors are in the same boat. Awhile back they may have made mistakes and been “knocked out” by the real estate market. But today is a new day and hopefully you are taking advantage of your opportunity. The real estate market is right. The time is now. The question is if you are going to fight?

Author: Gerald Romine

A Deed in lieu of foreclosure is a deed instrument in which a mortgagor (i.e., the borrower) conveys all interest in a real property to the mortgagee (i.e., the lender) to satisfy a loan that is in default and avoid foreclosure proceedings.

The deed in lieu of foreclosure offers several advantages to the lender but is a bad deal for the borrower. Advantages to a lender include a reduction in the time and cost of a repossession, and additional advantages if the borrower subsequently files for bankruptcy.

The principal advantage to the borrower is that it immediately releases him/her from most or all of the personal indebtedness associated with the defaulted loan. However, a deed in lieu of foreclosure is reported to the borrowers credit and has the same effect as a foreclosure. The simple translation is with a deed in lieu of foreclosure the lender gets the property back saving the time and expense of a foreclosure and the borrower’s credit is marked for 7 years with the equivalency of a foreclosure.

In order to be considered a deed in lieu of foreclosure, the indebtedness must be secured by the real estate being transferred. Both sides must enter into the transaction voluntarily and in good faith. The settlement agreement must have total consideration that is at least equal to the fair market value of the property being conveyed. Generally, the lender will not proceed with a deed in lieu of foreclosure if the current fair market value of the property exceeds the outstanding indebtedness of the borrower.

Because of the requirement that the instrument be voluntary, lenders will often not act upon a deed in lieu of foreclosure unless they receive a written offer of such a conveyance from the borrower that specifically states that the offer to enter into negotiations is being made voluntarily. This will enact the parol evidence rule and protect the lender from a possible subsequent claim that the lender acted in bad faith or pressured the borrower into the settlement. Both sides may then proceed with settlement negotiations.

Neither the borrower nor the lender is obliged to proceed with the deed in lieu of foreclosure until a final agreement is reached.

Summary: A deed in lieu of foreclosure is a good deal for the lender but the borrower is left with a foreclosure/foreclosure equivalent on their credit file. A deed in lieu of foreclosure offers no tangible benefit to the borrower.The best alternatives are a short sale or Arizona homeowners may be able to just walk away.

Author: Gerald Romine

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When doing a short sale the debtor may receive a form 1099-C for the amount of the lender’s losses. This is considered loan forgiveness in the eyes of the IRS and the lender may issue a form 1099-C.

If the debtor has other assets such as savings and is not insolvent, the debtor may end up being responsible to pay ordinary taxes on the amount of the 1099-C.

If the debtor settles a debt with a creditor for less than the full amount owed, the debtor may be required to report the forgiven debt as regular income, with certain exceptions. The forgiven debts include money owed after foreclosure or property repossession or credit accounts are not paid. Exceptions noted below.

If a lender forgives or writes off $600 or more of a debt’s principal (the amount not including interest or fees) the lender must send the debtor and IRS a Form 1099-C at the end of the year. When the debtor files tax returns for the tax year in which the debt was written off, the IRS requires that the amount is reported as income.

Warning: The debtor may not receive this form from the creditor even though the creditor submitted the form to the IRS. If the creditor does list the income on their tax return and the IRS has the information of the transaction on file, the debtor could get a tax bill or, worse, an audit notice.

There are several exceptions stated in the Internal Revenue Code. For example, you do not have to report the income on your tax return if the write off of the debt is intended as a gift, you discharge the debt in bankruptcy, or you were insolvent before the creditor agreed to settle or write off the debt. Always encourage the debtor to consult qualified tax and legal counsel to see if these circumstances apply.

It is important to realize the tax implication is only on the amount of the forgiven debt.

Example: The lender is owed $150,000 and agrees to accept a $100,000 short sale. The amount of forgiven debt is $50,000 and the most the lender could report on a 1099. Assuming the debtor was in a 15% tax bracket the tax consequences would be $7,500.

By comparison if the property was sold at public auction and brings $100,000 the lender could seek a deficiency judgment against the mortgagor to recover the $50,000 shortage, plus foreclosure expenses. The short sale is the much better alternative.

Note: Arizona Residents May have a better option. Click Here For Details.

Author: Gerald Romine

The 7 Ways To Prevent Foreclosure

Whether you are an investor or homeowner faced with a foreclosure we believe you should know and understand all of your options. For the purpose of instruction this article assumes you are a homeowner facing foreclosure.

Foreclosure Rules

Rule #1: Contact your lender right away to discuss your options.

Rule #2: Never ignore the lender’s letters or phone calls.

Rule #3: Ask the lender for a reinstatement or repayment plan.

Rule #4: Know your options

1) Reinstatement

Reinstatement might be possible when you are behind in your payments but can promise a lump sum to bring payments current by a specific date. Call the lender and ask to speak with the workout department. The lender would prefer to have the loan reinstated and have you stay in the home then to foreclose on the property.

2) Repayment Plan

If your account is past due, but you can now make payments, the lender may agree to let you catch up by adding a portion of the past due amount to a certain number of monthly payments until your account is current.

Example. You fall 5 payment behind on your house

3) Private Money Loan

A Private Money Loan at a high interest rate is often the best solution for the homeowner because it allows them to bring the other loans current. Although the interest rate is higher it is usually cheaper to pay a higher interest rate on a small loan and keep the existing financing in place compared to refinancing a large new loan at a higher interest rate(because of bad credit and a pending foreclosure). Most private money lenders require a total loan to value ratio below 75% and are equity based lenders meaning more importance is placed on the house securing the debt than a personal credit rating. Make sure you are dealing with a private money lender and not a mortgage broker, bank, or hard money lender(all of these may charge exorbitant points and fees costing you more money). With a private money lender you keep the ownership of your house, borrow only what you need, and can repair your credit over time. Unfortunately private money lenders are difficult to find.

4) Sell Your House To An Investor

If 1, 2, & 3 are not an option then you can sell your house to an investor. On average a seller nets 85% of the sales price after taking into consideration all selling, closing, & misc. expenses. An investor will expect to make a reasonable profit but can close quickly with cash or may take over existing debt & bring the loan current. A credible investor closes quickly which starts rebuilding your credit immediately and may put cash in your pocket depending on your equity. If you have little/no equity see #6.

5) Sell Your House and Lease Option Back

This is a very popular option and must be done by a willing investor. Typically the investor takes over the existing debt or gets new financing then gives the seller the option to buy the property back at a later date for a higher amount. The seller gets to stay in the house and make reasonable lease payments while rebuilding their credit. Done right this can be a solution but the disadvantage is you lose ownership of the house and tax write offs. Another option that may be less expensive is getting a Private Money Loan. If you have little or no equity an investor may be able to do a short sale(see #6) then lease option the house back to you.

NOTE: We are not a big fan of lease optioning the home back to the owner because unless it is done correctly there is too much that can go wrong at a later date. We mention it here to cover all the options.

6) Short Sale

A short sale is when an investor purchases a property conditioned upon the lender discounting the loan(s) to a lower amount. This may be the only solution for sellers that have little or no equity or are over financed owing more than the value of the property. Make sure you work with a credible investor experienced in short sales. Do not do business with anyone that guarantees or promises results- they simply can’t because there is no way of knowing what discount a lender will accept. Many times acceptance will not occur until just before the foreclosure date. Note: If you have little or no equity it is important to start working with a credible investor ASAP because the short sale process takes time.

7) List The Property With A Realtor

This is the option of last resort. FACT: there are thousands of houses listed on the MLS that Realtors can’t sell. Average days on the market continues to climb! The foreclosure process limits the time you have to sell. You simply don’t have the time. Realtors do not understand options 3, 4, 5, and 6. Realtors increase your costs with exorbitant commissions and most seasoned investors avoid working with Realtors on short sales.

For a complete understanding of short sales visit this site.

Author: Gerald Romine

Short Sale Definition

Short Sale: In real estate, a short sale is when a bank or mortgage lender agrees to discount a loan balance due to an economic hardship on the part of the mortgagee. Extenuating circumstances delegate whether or not banks will discount a loan balance. These circumstances are usually related to the current real estate market climate and the individual borrower’s financial situation. A short sale typically is executed to prevent a home foreclosure. Often a bank will choose to allow a short sale if they believe that it will result in a smaller financial loss than foreclosing. Here’s a free site completely dedicated to short sales and foreclosure investing. Author: Gerald Romine

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