attorney review found 100k in liens on short sale - what happens?

by Prof. Dario Rosenbaum 5 min read

What are the most common liens involved in a short sale?

Feb 28, 2010 · While liens are typically wiped out in a foreclosure purchase, that’s not the case 100 percent of the time in short-sale homes. These …

Can a bank sell a property with a lien against it?

Sep 17, 2019 · The attorney review period begins after the buyer and seller sign a Real Estate contract completed by a Realtor or a Real Estate agent. In NJ, the typical attorney review period is three business days starting after the seller signs the contract with a buyer. During this review period, the buyer and seller can ask through their New Jersey Real ...

How does a short sale work in real estate?

Apr 08, 2011 · Short Sales and Judgment Liens: Unforeseen Issues. I came across an article by Lora Shinn entitled “ 5 Buyer Mistakes in a Short Sale .”. Number 3 on Shinn’s list is “ignoring legal and insurance information.”. Although I agree with the author’s list, the list focuses more on the physical attributes of a short sale property than ...

Are second mortgage/home equity loan liens a problem in a short sale?

How to Eliminate Liens on a Short Sale House – Recap. It is essential that both the seller and buyer in a short sale situation make best efforts to eliminate any known liens on the property. Bank’s won’t approve a short sale with liens on the property, and buyers are not attracted to properties with liens.

What are the consequences of a short sale?

It also saves the lender the expense of foreclosing on a home where payments have stopped and the loan is in default. But a short sales results in a loss on the loan, and the end of interest payments and servicing charges that represented the lender's profit.

What happens if you can't pay a short sale?

If you're liable to pay the deficiency after a short sale, you can file bankruptcy to eliminate the debt. If you qualify, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharges the deficiency relieving you of the debt, while a Chapter 13 bankruptcy will usually require that you pay a portion of the total amount owed.

Do short sales have liens?

With a short sale, you sell your home for less than the total debt balance remaining on the mortgage, and the lender agrees to release its lien on the property. Once the short sale is complete, you're free and clear of the home.

What is deficiency Judgement short sale?

A deficiency judgment is a court ruling allowing a lender to collect additional funds from a debtor when the sale of their secured property falls short of paying off the full debt.

How can I remove a short sale from my credit report?

Write a letter to the credit bureau at the address on the credit report. Point out that the short sale listed on your report does not belong to you (the information is inaccurate) or is outdated and should be removed. Or enter a dispute online (see Resources). Expect a response in about 30 days.

Can you negotiate a short sale?

Can You Negotiate A Short Sale? It is entirely possible to negotiate a short sale, but doing so can be a time-consuming process. Instead of negotiating with the seller alone, as is the case with most traditional sales, short sale negotiations must be approved by the lender, too.

What happens to 2nd mortgage after short sale?

The primary mortgage lender recovers a portion of the mortgage amount when the property is sold. Second mortgage lenders may receive a small payment for releasing their liens against a short-sale property, but they usually aren't permitted to receive payment from the net sale proceeds.

Do short sales hurt your credit?

A short sale can hurt your credit scores because you're settling your mortgage loan for less than you owe rather than repaying the full amount as agreed.Apr 30, 2021

What is the process of a short sale?

To short sell a home, the seller will need to file a hardship letter with their lender stating why the mortgage can't be fully repaid, along with documentation such as pay stubs and tax returns. ... A short sale home is usually sold for less than – or “short” of – the remaining amount of the mortgage loan.Dec 13, 2021

How does a short sale affect your taxes?

Gain on short sales Similar to a foreclosure, any debt that your mortgage lender cancels because of a short sale is taxable only if the terms of your mortgage hold you personally liable for the full amount of the loan. Regardless of the tax consequences, your lender will report the debt cancellation on a 1099-C form.Jan 21, 2022

What are the benefits of a short sale?

What are the benefits of a short sale?Eliminate your remaining mortgage debt.Avoid the negative impact of foreclosure.Receive relocation assistance in some cases — up to $3,000.Start repairing your credit sooner than if you went through a foreclosure.More items...

What is a common consequence suffered by a mortgagor in a foreclosure procedure?

Judicial. All of the following are common consequences suffered by a mortgagor in a foreclosure procedure EXCEPT. all or most equity is lost. the mortgagor is embarrassed by public knowledge of the foreclosure. the borrower's credit is damaged for a long time.

How Long is the Attorney Review Period?

The attorney review period begins after the buyer and seller sign a Real Estate contract completed by a Realtor or a Real Estate agent. In NJ, the typical attorney review period is three business days starting after the seller signs the contract with a buyer.

What Can Occur During the Attorney Review Process?

The attorney review process can be a stressful period. For example, those who are selling their property may want to keep it on the market until the review period has concluded out of concern that the buyers will back out.

Do You Need a Real Estate Attorney to Buy a Home in NJ?

It is always a good idea to work with an attorney who understands real estate law in the state in which you are buying or selling. If a real estate attorney is involved early in the buying or selling process, the attorney can review the contract and may be able to prevent some unexpected or negative developments from arising.

Why do you leave liens on a short sale?

If you’re looking to flip a short sale property you’ve purchased, then leaving liens on the title will automatically reduce the price a buyer is willing to pay for it. They think “where there’s smoke there’s fire” and assume there are potentially other unrecorded liens lurking in the background.

What happens if a lien is too large?

If the lien debt is too large, you risk having the house confiscated and sold to cover outstanding liens. A lien holder can foreclose and sell the house at auction to recover its money due.

Why do banks make mortgage loans?

Banks only make mortgage loans on properties with clean title. This is to protect the bank in the event of a default. The bank needs to know that the homeowner, or in a worst case scenario the bank itself, can sell the property easily and recover the mortgage amount.

What is short sale?

When a bank or other lender and the mortgagee agree to sell a property for less than the amount owed against it, the transaction is referred to as a short sale. While short sales are often the best way for financially strapped borrowers and lenders reluctant to take on the hassle of a foreclosure and the costs ...

What is a lien on a home?

Most title liens against homes with mortgages fall into two categories: liens placed on the title to secure additional loans and liens placed against the value of the property in order to satisfy financial obligations in the event the property is sold.

What are the liens on a property?

Common liens placed against a property's title include IRS liens for unpaid taxes, mechanic's liens for unpaid bills resulting from the construction of the home, unpaid property tax liens and even homeowners' association liens.

Why are short sales so difficult?

During the mortgage crisis, short sales were difficult, if not impossible, to complete because of the overwhelming number of people requesting one. Now, however, servicers and lenders have revamped their short sale guidelines, and the process is easier and more efficient.

How to get a short sale?

The first task in getting a short sale is to convince your lender to agree to release its mortgage lien in exchange for receiving the proceeds from the sale. But lenders don't especially like short sales.

Why do short sales fail to close?

One common reason that short sales fail to close is problems with the documentation. For example, the documents might not get drawn up in time, be missing, or not be signed and dated correctly.

What happens when you short sell your home?

With a short sale, you sell your home for less than the total debt balance remaining on the mortgage, and the lender agrees to release its lien on the property. Once the short sale is complete, you're free and clear of the home.

How to avoid a deficiency judgment?

To avoid a deficiency judgment, the short sale agreement must expressly state that the lender waives its right to the deficiency. A lawyer can help negotiate a waiver of the deficiency and ensure this language is part of the written agreement.

Can a short sale be a deficiency judgment?

While many states have enacted legislation that prohibits a deficiency judgment following a foreclosure, most states don't have a corresponding law that would prevent a deficiency judgment following a short sale. So, suppose the bank can't get a deficiency judgment against you after a foreclosure. In that case, you might be better off letting a foreclosure happen rather than doing a short sale that leaves you on the hook for a deficiency. Talk to a lawyer to get advice about whether completing a short sale is in your best interest.

Can a lender come after you for a short sale?

So, if state law allows it, the lender could potentially come after you for the deficiency.

What happens to a mortgage after default?

After a borrower defaults on mortgage payments, the lender (or the subsequent loan owner) will likely foreclose. Most foreclosures end in an auction where the property is sold to a new owner. During the foreclosure crisis, foreclosure sales frequently resulted in a deficiency, which means the property sold for less than the borrower owed the lender.

How does a foreclosure sale work?

At the end of the process, a trustee or an officer of the court, like the sheriff, will typically conduct a foreclosure sale.

What to do if you can't afford a lawyer?

If you can't afford to hire a lawyer, you might qualify for free assistance from a local legal aid office.

What happens if a sale has excess proceeds?

Typically, if a sale has excess proceeds, the trustee or other sale officer has to send a notice to the foreclosed homeowner's last known address. But the last known address is usually the foreclosed property.