The Basics of a Short Sale
Banks grant short sales for 2 reasons: the seller has a hardship, and the seller owes more on the mortgage than the home is worth.
A few examples of a hardship are:
- Unemployment / reduced income
- Divorce
- Medical emergency
- Job transfer out of town
- Bankruptcy
- Death
The seller will need to prepare a financial package for submission to the short sale bank. Each bank has its own guidelines but — with the exception of Wachovia, which is the best short sale bank in the world — the basic procedure is similar from bank to bank. The seller’s short sale package will most likely consist of:
- Letter of authorization, which lets your agent speak to the bank.
- HUD-1 or preliminary net sheet
- Completed financial statement
- Seller’s hardship letter
- 2 years of tax returns
- 2 years of W-2s
- Recent payroll stubs
- Last 2 months of bank statements
- Comparative market analysis or list of recent comparable sales
Tags: Home Seller, Selling a Home, Short Sales
