What Does a Short Sale Do To Credit?

Should I Short Sell?

If you own real estate that's 'underwater' you might be considering the short sale process. However, you might not realize what a short sale can do to your credit. While it's true, a very small number of people might not see any negative effects; that's not true for the majority. When weighed against a foreclosure though, a short sale is not nearly as painful.

The Short Sale Process: What You Can Expect

When you short sale a home, you're basically getting an agreement from your lender to take less for your home than what's owed. Banks will often work with homeowners to avoid foreclosure if the homeowners approach the bank with sound offers in a reasonable amount of time. The reason is that foreclosure is a costly endeavor for the banks in terms of lawyers, paperwork, upkeep, and resale of the property. Now, as it relates to your credit report, the home doesn't show up as a non-pay like a foreclosure. It does, however, show that you sold the house for less than you were lent. While this can be a detrimental blemish to your credit for some future lenders or even individuals like employers or landlords, it's not as catastrophic on your credit as a foreclosure. A short sale shows that you made every effort to sell your home. In today's market, many people realize that homes were purchased for more than their value today. So while a short sale will appear on your credit report for 2 to 3 years (which is much shorter than seven years for foreclosure), it's not nearly as damaging in the long run.

Short Sale Specialists Here for You

As a Branson real estate agent, I'm quite familiar with the short sale process. This is an integral step for having a smooth short sale transaction. You need an agent who has the knowledge in short sale procedures, but also the connections within the industries to make a short sale happened. So whether you're a buyer or seller looking into the short sale process, please contact me for a no-cost, no-obligation confidential meeting. Get started by sending me information about your situation and I'll be happy to see if we can make a short sale a reality for you.


 

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