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Foreclosure

Short Sale? Can we Settle instead of payment plan?

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Question:  We are in the process of doing a short sale to sell our condo in Illinois. We have a mortgage and a line of credit through Wells Fargo. The mortgage is approved for short sale, asking us to bring $20k to closing. The line of credit is almost approved but they are saying that we will have to settle that loan AFTER we close by setting up a payment plan. We cannot afford to pay on this line of credit and we are now considering foreclosure. If we foreclose, can the bank come after our assets? Can the bank come after us for the line of credit? We are moving out of state. Will we have to go to court? Will foreclosure permanently be on our record, or just for 7 years? Will we be able to get loans in the future? Thank you for your help!

Answer:

These are great questions. You have about 3 or 4 questions here so I will try to answer them accordingly. First, the bank can’t come after your assets directly but they “could” file a judgment against you where you will have to pay them the amount that was deficient. The line of credit is what gets most people into trouble. They are the ones who take the biggest losses. So they are the ones that usually come after you. You can actually settle the 2nd mortgage completely for approx. 10% to 15% of the original note if you know what you are doing. That way there is no repayment plan. It’s basically wiped out for good. See most banks are worried that you will file bankruptcy, so they are willing to work with you if you provide them a quick settlement upfront. Third, you shouldn’t have to go to court, unless you decide to fight the judgment if it even goes that far. Fourth, foreclosure will be on your record for about 7 years. Bankruptcy is about 7-10 years. A short sale is about 2-3. A settlement has NO effect on your credit because it was paid off in full. No matter which route you choose, you will eventually be able to get loans again. It’s just a matter of time.

Will 401k savings be affected in I foreclose on Michigan home?

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Question:  My husband and I own a home in Michigan, but my husband has had to accept work in Iowa. I am currently still living in our Michigan home since I don’t see a good way to get out of our home. We have had an interest only loan on it for the 6 years we have owned it and an equity line as well so there has been 0 principal paid off on it. I owe $175,000 on a home that is currently worth about half of that, so I will be unable to sell it for what I owe. I’m not sure what to do. Unfortunately, we don’t make enough money between the both of us to pay for our Michigan home and for my husband to rent a home in Iowa so I’m afraid that my only option may be foreclosure. What I need to know is if I will still be responsible to pay the equity line if the home is foreclosed on and if either bank will be able to take my 401K savings? Also, my husband and I are both listed on the house deed, but the financing on both loans is in my name only. Will my husband be protected or will they be able to come after him for payment as well? Thank you for any advice you can give me.

Can 2nd mortgage foreclose on me?

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Question:  I have a 1st and 2nd mortgage with one bank in Florida. Then another bank came and offered to pay my 2nd mortgage with that bank. My heloc was not closed with the first bank and i had an emergency got some money out of it. My 5 yr term with the 2nd bank expired. They have been calling me and offering 8% interest rate on my heloc. I have been negotiating for a lower interest. they wont approved. Bank is threatening to foreclose my property. Can they do it? Property value is way too low..there is no equity on the house in this current market. Please advise. Can the 2nd bank foreclose my property?

Answer:   Absolutely, the 2nd mortgage can foreclose on your property. When you signed on the dotted lines for the HELOC, you gave them the right to force the sale of the property, which was collateral for the loan, in the event you did not keep up your end of the deal. Unfortunately, banks don’t like to negotiate with homeowners very much. They have this assumption that homeowners have no clue what they are doing. So they don’t give you very good deals that seem very reasonable based on current market conditions. Yet when a 3rd party (attorney or real estate investor) negotiates with them, the bank will usually lose more money because the offer is even lower then what the homeowner proposed. Bottom line, banks flat out don’t make sense.

So you best bet is to have someone else, like an attorney, negotiate the terms with them and try to get them to reason with you. Unfortunately, they cost money, but they should be able to help.

Another option is to have someone settle that 2nd mortgage and wipe it out completely…

Let the bank know you are interested in settling, tell them your home is upside down by $50,000 or whatever the amount is, there is a first mortgage in front of them and they will end up paying more than what the property is worth. Let them know your attorney has advised you to file bankruptcy but you don’t want to go that route. (This will just by you some time, they will eventually foreclose.) Then you or preferable someone else, needs to go settle that note for pennies and that way you don’t lose your home.

We settle 2nd mortgages and have been very successful in doing so for homeowners with large 2nds. The great part is that it doesn’t cost you anything upfront.

Good luck, hope everything works out for you.

Can bank put lien or judgment on home if I foreclose?

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Question:  My husband and I own a condo in Florida. We paid $163,000 and it is now worth $30,000. It costs us about $20,000 to keep up yearly. We are really struggling to make the payments and are thinking that we just can’t anymore. I am really worried. We own a house in New York and it has some equity (maybe $100,000). Can they come after my house in NY and put a lien or judgement on it if we foreclose? We didn’t use the house or anything from NY for the mortgage in Florida. Thanks. Also, our only income is from SS Disability and a pension.

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.

What determines whether I receive a 1099-C or a deficiency judgment for the bank’s loss?

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Question: If a non-primary residence in NY goes into foreclosure, what determines whether I receive a 1099-C or a deficiency judgment for the bank’s loss?

Answer: -A lot of times it just depends on the lender and the amount that’s deficient.  You really don’t have any control when your property forecloses.  If they believe you have some assets, they may file a judgment against you.

However, when you negotiate the short sale with the lender,  you can actually control what happens to the homeowner.  If you ask for a satisfaction which means “paid in full”, the lender gives up their rights to come after the borrower for a deficiency judgment which is really what you should be concerned about. They can still and most likely will issue the 1099-c for the homeowner. However, for most homeowners, form 982 will counteract that 1099. Just talk to your accountant about it.