Short Sale vs. Foreclosure

We have clients who often ask us whether or not they should really seriously consider a short sale or just let their home go to foreclosure and just "walk away". For the most part, a real estate agent cannot play the role of an accountant as their are implications to both scenarios. We stongly urge all of our clients to communicate a legal and tax advisor before making any decisions with these. That said, we believe from the information we have gathered and the success that we have had with our clients that you are much better to successfully sell your home short rather than let it go to foreclosure. Here is a list of items that will help you understand some of the issues and current guidelines under both scenarios.


Issue - Can I get a Fannie Mae Loan in the Future?

Foreclosure - The current Fannie Mae Guidelines require you to wait 5-7 years before getting a new loan.

Short Sale - Current Fannie Mae Guidelines allow you to purchase another house after 2 years.



Issue - Can I get a future loan from any mortgage company?

Foreclosure - Any future application will require you to answer the question, "Have you had property foreclosed upon or given title or deed in lieu thereof in the last 7 years?" you'll have to answer that question yes.

Short Sale - You can state No because you short sold your home. You only have to say yes if the bank completes the foreclosure.



Issue - Credit Score Impact

Foreclosure - Your score is typically lowered by 250 to 300 points, or even more. This often stays on your credit score for over 3 years.

Short Sale - Only late payments show up. After a short sale, the mortgage is normally reported as "paid in full, settled." This lowers your score as little as 50 points if all other payments are being made. Oftentimes, this is off your credit report in as little as 12 months.



Issue - Will I owe the bank any money for the shortfall?

Foreclosure - Many lenders take 12-18 months to foreclose upon a property and resell it. This dramatically increases the loss and makes any deficiency judgment potentially bigger.

Short Sale - Few lenders ask for a promissory note on a short sale. When they do ask for one, they request the borrower repay them a percentage of their loss and can schedule to have that paid off under a long term schedule with no interest.


We hope this can open your eyes a little bit. We understand the stress that people are faced these days with the possibility of a foreclosure and most people just become paralyzed and dont do anything. We strongly suggest speaking with a seasoned/experiences short sale agent who has a system in place to make the possibility a reality. Do not just use any agent. Make sure you know they have had success with other clients.

We at HotSpot Real Estate, have a short sale system in place with a dedicated negotiation team to work with our clients that are faced with this possibility. If you are in this position, please contact us to discuss your options. Everything is 100% confidential and you are never obligated to do anything.

You can either call us at 720.488.4810 or go to http://www.hotspotrealestate.com/denver_short_sale_negotiators.htm

You can rebound from a short sale so please dont wait to contact us.