Las Vegas Real Estate Blog

head_left_image

Investment Strategies... Pre-Foreclosures

You can buy a foreclosure at three stages in the process: preforeclosure, at public auction, and postforeclosure, at which point the property has been foreclosed upon and taken back by the lender (these orphans are known in the business as "REO" for "real estate owned").

It's important to realize when talking about pre-foreclosures, we are talking about acquiring the property any time before the public auction sale. The sooner you contact a homeowner in pre-foreclosure, the more time you have to structure a deal and purchase the property.

Pre-foreclosures focus on the first step, where the owners of the property are still in control of the situation. If the owners can satisfy the delinquency, the foreclosure process comes to a halt. What some savvy investors do is to contact these owners to see if they would like help. This help usually comes in the form of selling the property to the investor for a very low price, but it keeps them from being foreclosed upon and they can usually walk away with a few thousand.

Equity is the Key
The first step is to determine if there is any equity in a home. If they've owned the property for a short period of time, chances are there is little equity unless they put a large amount down. If there isn't a lot of equity, there isn't much reason to spend time working up this property as the equity is where you're making your money.

  • You need to do a little research to determine if there are other liens on the property that will have to be subtracted from the equity. Tax liens are biggies and can usually be determined from a search on the County Recorder's website or County Assessor's site.

Face Time
The next step is to contact the owners. Don't forget, there are a lot of people like you doing the exact same thing, so they are going to get a lot of calls. Stand out by being the one who shows up.

  • Here's the math you're working toward. Pay off the mortgage, catch up all back payments as well as any other lien that may be on the property, pay all the closing costs, and have the owner walk away with some amount of money ($2,000 to $10,000).

Additional NOTE

The following documents are necessary and accompanied with a brief explanation: This chapter was contributed by Gerald Romine. http://www.azpig.com/ , gerald@azpig.com

  • Standard Purchase and Sales Agreement & Escrow Instructions:
    This document sets forth the terms of the sale.
  • Authorization To Release Information:
    This document allows us to contact the bank, discuss the property and the loan, and work out payment/payoff arrangements.
  • Letter Of Agreement and Addendum:
    This document clarifies that we will do our best to stop the foreclosure, but are unable to make any guarantees. We will not make promises we are unable keep.
  • Warranty Deed To Trustee:
    This document conveys ownership of the property. Must be signed before a notary.
  • Agreement and Declaration Of Trust:
    This document creates the land trust. A land trust is nothing more than an entity we use to title the property and keep our name off public records.
  • Letter That Trustee is Making Payments:
    This letter is used when taking property "subject to" and notifies the lender that payments will be coming from a trustee.
  • Escrow Letter:
    This letter instructs the lender to apply to funds in any escrow account to the loan balance when the loan is paid in full. There is no guarantee the lender will comply with the instructions and they may send the escrow proceeds to the original borrower.
  • Special Power of Attorney:
    Applies only to the property and is used to handle any situations that may arise. Must be signed before a notary.
  • Residential Real Estate Disclosure:
    Discloses any defects in the property and prevents parties from saying, "I did not know about that defect." Complies with state law.
  • Hardship Letter:
    When dealing with foreclosures, the lender normally requires a letter from the borrower explaining their hardship and why they are unable to make the payments.
  • Financial Statement:
    Before discounting a loan and taking a known loss, the lenders will want to review the original borrower's financial statement and make sure the borrower does not have the ability to repay the debt now or in the foreseeable future.

ARINA

ELITE REALTY
7448 W.Sahara Ave. #106 • Las Vegas, NV 89117
Office: (702) 856-6680 • Cell: (310) 529-5360

Website: http://www.lasvegas-buyandsell-realestate.com/ • Email: arina.lv@gmail.com

Related terms: las vegas real estate, las vegas buy real estate, las vegas real estate agent, las vegas buy and sell real eatate, homes for sale in las vegas, las vegas sell real estate, lasvegas real estate, homes for sale in las vegas, summerlin nevada real estate, summerlin, real estate agent las vegas, Las Vegas Condos - Luxury Condos - Las Vegas High Rise Condos, las vegas board of realtors, real estate listings las vegas, agent las vegas real estate, the truth on las vegas real estate, homes for sale in las vegas nv, nevada las vegas new homes, residential real estate listings las vegas, las vegas homes for sale, summerlin real estate, vacation homes in las vegas, henderson homes for sale, Condos - Las Vegas Condominium Sale - Condo in Las Vegas - Las Vegas Luxury High Rise Condos - Condos for Sale - las vegas real estate companies, new homes in las vegas, homes for sale las vegas.

1 commentArina S. Hanciulescu • March 06 2008 06:24PM

Why Broker make more money.(Humor)...

 Now, for the first time we have a rigid Mathematical proof that explains why this is in fact true.

Postulate 1: Knowledge is power.

Postulate 2: Time is money.

As every Engineer knows, Work / Time = Power

Since Knowledge = Power, and Time = Money, we have Work / Money = Knowledge

Solving for Money, we get: Work / Knowledge = Money Thus, as Knowledge approaches zero,

Money approaches infinity, regardless of the amount of work done.

Conclusion: The less you know, the more you make.

7 commentsArina S. Hanciulescu • March 06 2008 12:47AM

Cher at Caesars Palace Coliseum in Las Vegas

cher-las-vegas.jpgBelieve it.... Cher takes the stage at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace with a production spectacular that will leave audiences in awe.

I'm a huge fan, and it's great to see her finally getting the attention she so richly deserves.

Cher isn't just a sexy, sensationally talented diva. (Although she's definitely that!) She's also a survivor. Through more than 30 years in the entertainment business, she's seen it all--the highs and lows, the ups and downs. And through it all, she's held her head high and always come out on top. We can all learn a lesson from her.

And Cher's greatest role of all: mother. Through all her trials and tribulations, she has always been there for Chastity and Elijah. And she has stood by Chastity, regardless of her sexuality. You've got to admire a woman who never loses sight of the fact that family is the most precious gift of all.

If you were a fan of the previous performer of the Colosseum, Celine Dion, and you like the big production shows, Cher at the Colossuem will probably be the must see show for you. Cher will perform a 90 minute set that should take far back to the Sonny Bono years as well as drop you onto that huge aircraft carrier where you saw more Cher than you ever thought you could see on network television.

Starting on May 6 Cher will share the Colosseum at Caesars Palace with Elton John and Bette Midler as she will perform 4 shows a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday in her first run and then again in August.

ARINA

 

ELITE REALTY
7448 W.Sahara Ave. #106 • Las Vegas, NV 89117
Office: (702) 856-6680 • Cell: (310) 529-5360

Website: http://www.lasvegas-buyandsell-realestate.com/ • Email: arina.lv@gmail.com

 

9 commentsArina S. Hanciulescu • March 05 2008 11:55PM

Housing markets ... 2008 Campaign issue!

Will the presidential election of 2008 mark a turning point in American political history?

As the home prices are declining and foreclosure filings are skyrocketing the housing market becomes a hot campaign issue on key battleground states in the presidential campaign.

The mortgage crisis, which has led many thousands of homeowners to lose their houses and caused trouble in the financial markets, prompted several prominent companies to engage in volatile political debates... Those who have been following economic news very closely are among the most likely to list the housing situation as the problem they have been hearing the most about in the news lately.

Public interest in the 2008 presidential campaign reached a new high. Here are what the major players, on the 2008 presidential campaign have to say about the motgage crisis. (according to CNN.com-Election Issues)

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

John McCain
Would consider greater intervention by the federal government to limit effects of mortgage crisis if current measures fail. Believes a government bailout should only be a last resort.
 Watch McCain speak about the mortgage crisis

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

Hillary Clinton
Would freeze the monthly rate on subprime adjustable rate mortgages, with the freeze lasting at least five years until the mortgages have been converted into affordable, fixed-rate loans. Would call on mortgage industry to provide status reports on the number of mortgages it is modifying.
 Watch Clinton speak about the mortgage crisis

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

Barack Obama
Proposes creating a $10 billion fund to help prevent foreclosures, eliminate some taxes and fees for families who must sell and offer counseling to homeowners. Announced a "credit card bill of rights" to provide disclosure of hidden credit costs. Would provide tax credits to 10 million middle class homeowners who struggle with mortgage costs.  Watch Obama speak about the mortgage crisis

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

The Race So Far
Democratic and Republican Presidential Primaries and Caucuses

 

ARINA

 

ELITE REALTY
7448 W.Sahara Ave. #106 • Las Vegas, NV 89117
Office: (702) 856-6680 • Cell: (310) 529-5360

Website: http://www.lasvegas-buyandsell-realestate.com/ • Email: arina.lv@gmail.com

 

3 commentsArina S. Hanciulescu • March 05 2008 10:49PM

How does a Forclosure versus a Short Sale affects your credit?

  • The short sale may result in a loss of about 80 - 150 points on the borrowers FICO score.
  • A foreclosure or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure may result in a lost of 250 - 280 points of more.

Foreclosures show up on your credit report as "FORECLOSURE", and can stay on your record for seven years. This may make it difficult for you to obtain a new loan in the future.

A Short Sale is listed as "SETTLED DEBT", and is much less harmful to your credit. Please consult a credit company for more information.

A foreclosure may force the borrower to wait as little as 36 months to 7 years before they can comfortably buy again. However, with a short sale, the borrower can buy again in about 18 months.

 

ARINA

 

ELITE REALTY
7448 W.Sahara Ave. #106 • Las Vegas, NV 89117
Office: (702) 856-6680 • Cell: (310) 529-5360

Website: http://www.lasvegas-buyandsell-realestate.com/ • Email: arina.lv@gmail.com

1 commentArina S. Hanciulescu • March 05 2008 10:07PM