Answer:  - This is unfortunate. You like many others have had the same thing happen to them. It’s hard to suggest what to do in this case… all you can do is all you can do. If you can’t afford it, then you can’t afford it. Yes, the lender can a file deficiency judgment against you for the loss, but most homeowners will file bankruptcy which wipes out the judgment. In this case where you have equity in your personal residence, it would be in your best interest to work out something with the bank to avoid the judgment altogether. Make sure when you work out your agreement, you settle on a “satisfaction” of the loan, that way the worst they can do is 1099 you for the amount they lost.

Answer:  - It depends on what you agree to as part of the payoff. This is where you need to make sure you ADD to the payoff letter that the $2500 is for “full satisfaction” of the loan. See there are 2 types of payoffs. 1 is a “release of lien” which means you pay the mortgage company $2500 and they retain the right to still come after you for the deficient amount. The other payoff is a “satisfaction” which means “paid in full” – they give up their right to come after you for the deficient amount (which is called a deficiency judgment). All they can do is 1099 you for the amount lost of which you can file form 982 and in most cases claim insolvency and negate the 1099. If it was your personal residence, with Obama’s new laws in place, you may not have to pay anyway. So whatever you do, please please please get the satisfaction. Sometimes if they don’t agree to a satisfaction of loan, you’ll just have to pay a little extra more to get that piece of mind.

Answer:  - No they can’t take anything away from you because the property itself was pledged as collateral for the loan. All they get is the property back. What you have to watch out for is if they file a deficiency against you it the property was sold for less than the amount owed. If the file a deficiency judgment again you and you don’t have the ability to pay, the bank can then begin to garnish wages. At this point most people file bankruptcy. It is at this time where your annuities and IRA may be affected. If at all possible, try to negotiate a “deal” with the bank to get them to agree to a satisfaction which means they can’t file a judgment against you. They will just issue you a 1099.

Answer: – We explain what a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure is in our free reports section. With a deed in lieu foreclosure you are giving the home back to the bank. By giving or deeding it back to the bank, the deed is considered full payment of the mortgage loan, so there cannot be a deficiency judgment. However, there are certain restrictions like all junior lien holders must be satisfied and there must be clear title. Although you’ll be avoiding a deficiency judgment, the bank will 1099 you for the deficient amount. This deficient amount is calculated by taking the difference between the fair market value (FMV) and the outstanding debt. As far as credit issues, a deed in lieu of foreclosure shows up as “Acquisition or Abandonment of Secured Property” and is very similar to an actual foreclosure.

A short sale on the other hand has fewer restrictions but is very similar in avoiding a deficiency judgment. You can ask the bank to satisfy the loan so it’s paid in full. You will be 1099 for the deficient amount. And for your credit, a short sale shows up as a “settled debt” which is very similar, however most credit experts believe a short sale is better on your credit report than a foreclosure or deed in lieu of foreclosure. I would have to agree…but it’s not by much. Any way you go, it’s going to be bad on your credit.

Answer: -A lot of times it just depends on the lender and the amount that’s deficient.

Answer: – Yes, the bank does have the right to go after the homeowner for the deficient amount after the home has been through foreclosure.

Answer: -Tom, I have to make the assumption that you’re planning on or you’ve already stopped making payments on your home or you wouldn’t be asking these questions.  A short sale in my opinion is by far the best option if you can’t sell your home for what’s owed, rent it out or can’t work out something with the bank like a forbearance or loan modification.  A short sale will affect your credit but will eliminate a foreclosure on it.  If done properly will also eliminate the possibility of a  deficiency judgment.  If a short sale is not accepted an ultimately your home ends up at the foreclosure auction, then you will either receive a 1099 or they will file a deficiency judgment against you.  If they file a deficiency judgment and you can’t pay, they can garnish wages.  Depending on the amount of the judgment, this forces most people to file bankruptcy to eliminate the judgment.

Answer: -Well for most people who go through a hardship like foreclosure, the main reason they file bankruptcy is because a judgment was filed against them.  And since they are not in a position to pay off their mortgage amounts, bankruptcy was their only option unless they wanted their wages garnished.  Bankruptcy can protect you from a deficiency judgment if you file before the judgment as well because that mortgage amount would be included in the bankruptcy.  Most people wait to file bankruptcy until after foreclosure because lenders have don’t necessarily have to file a judgment against the homeowner.  They can issue a 1099 which means the mortgage amount they forgave is considered as taxable income.  I would recommend you seek counsel from a professional bankruptcy attoney so you know all your options.  Good Luck

Answer: -Well, you can try to settle the debt with them and pay them a fraction (5% -10%) of the original loan amount, you can do nothing and hope they issue you a 1099 in which you will have to pay taxes on that money you received, or they will file a deficiency judgment against you in which they can garnish wages and so forth until that amount is paid.  If it goes that far, most people will file bankruptcy and either get it wiped out completely with a Chapter 7 or agree to pay the lender a certain amount (5% – 10%) over a period of time with a Chapter 13.

Answer: -Typically they can’t come after your other assets because the loan was created based on the properties value which was collateral for the loan.  So in the event you didn’t follow through with the terms, they could take the property.  Now with that said, yes they can file a judgment against you which would affect your “assets” because you would have to pay that back or file bankruptcy.  It’s more common that they would 1099 you for the amount they lost but you never know.  They best way to counter a deficiency judgment is to do a short sale and get it accepted as full satisfaction for the loan.  This means they give up their rights to go after the homeowner for a judgment.  All they can do is issue a 1099.  So I would definitely try to do a short sale because it also helps your credit.