THINKING OF BUYING A SHORT SALE?

SPEEDING UP THE SHORT SALE PROCESS MAY BE IMMINENT….

Can you believe it? After years of extended wait times for short sales to be resolved, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, will require both agencies to give short-sale buyers a final decision within 60 days. This is supposed to go into effect starting June 15^th of this year. (In a short sale, a lender agrees to accept less than the balance on a mortgage.)  But this regulation will only affect those homes with a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan.

Another key part of the regulation will be that Fannie and Freddie must also respond to initial requests for a short sale within 30 days of receiving the buyer’s submission. 

In the Chicagoland area, at one time short sales composed over 50% of homes on the market.   

The number is constantly changing.

And many short sales sit on the market a long time because potential buyers don’t want to wait months for a decision from the bank and then end up not getting the home because they couldn’t come to terms with the bank.

The number of foreclosures  on the market have dropped as the number of short sales have risen.  This is because lenders favor short sales because they are less costly and more efficient than foreclosures. The homeowners never know how long the process will take or how badly their credit will be hurt.  Short sales are known for being easier on credit scores than foreclosures.

BUYING REAL ESTATE PURELY FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES

So you just got your bank statement and the interest you received on your money made you sick. You might as well keep the cash under your mattress.  You’ve tried investing in the stock market but sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.  Kind of like Las Vegas.  You’re looking for something a little more secure.  Time to ask yourself this question… are you willing to put in a little effort for a better return?  Possibly put up with some annoyances to see your money grow faster?  If you’re ready for a change, consider investing in real estate and becoming a landlord.  The prices have never been better. The ratios have never been so good.  About 6 years ago, investors would have been happy just to have a small monthly loss and would have never dreamed of seeing a positive cash flow from a rental investment.  Investors were thinking of the future and selling properties that appreciated in value when retirement was upon them. 

   At this point in time, investors are in the unique position of being able to take advantage of both a positive cash flow and property appreciation for the future.  Here are some deals I have helped investors with recently….

DUPLEX IN SOUTH ELGIN – PURCHASE PRICE $107k - $1200 IN REPAIRS – TOTAL INVESTMENT $108,200. Rented in 1 day for $1495.00.   PROPERTY TAXES & INSURANCE OF $5700 PER YEAR.  POSITIVE CASH FLOW OF  $1020 per month which is 11% return.  All that PLUS a tax write off of depreciated value on property and being able to sell the property later when retirement in imminent.

Also… there are so many condos for sale.  I just sold one for $54K.  The property taxes and insurance are $2500 year.  The association is $275 a month. It needed about $8K in work… total investment of $62K.  Rent for this condo will be $895 month.  Positive cash flow of  $4824 year or  approximately 8% on investment.

Here’s another one…. Single family home sold for $150K needing $16,500 in repairs.  Total investment of $166500.  Property taxes and insurance are $7200 year.  After repairs and updates, the property rents in one week for $1875 month.  The positive cash flow is a little over 9% per year.

Here’s my point.  The deals are out there.  You can get more for your money but the investment will require a little more work than putting it in the bank and forgetting it or investing in the stock market.  The risk is minimal if you plan wisely.  I can help you determine what the property would rent for in advance of the purchase.  I can show you rental market times in black and white.  But you DO have to be the landlord. And some people just can’t stand the thought of that.  Or I can help you find a management company to manage the property… but that service has a price attached.   However I think you should think long and hard about this option before disgarding it.  The market is bottoming out and these opportunities will not be available forever.  Please call me (or text or email me) to go out and see some of these opportunities.

Or just call and say HELLO.     While you’re at it, check out my new website at www.helenmazur.com