So, if you are in that position and need some help with your short sale in Alexandria, VA contact us today. Fill out the form on this page or call us at the number here and we will contact you shortly.

I often read and educate myself about real estate.  I have found some of the best real estate blogs in the country.  These real estate blogs are updated regularly have great content that is relevant, and written by people that I respect.

These are some of my favorite real estate blogs (in no particular order):

Top local real estate blog:

Phoenix Real Estate Blog  Jay Thompson writes this blog about real estate.  Jay wrote the first blog post on ActiveRain and has been writing great content about Phoenix real estate on his own site for a very long time.  In my opinion, this is one of the best blogs about real estate in the country.

Top national real estate blog:

Bigger Pockets Blog Bigger Pockets is an online real estate magazine written by many authors and contributors. Posts about real estate professionals and investors with a focus on Networking, Deal making, and Education can be found here.

Top short sale blog:

The Short Sale Guide  Without doubt, this is the top resource of short sale experts collected in the country describing their real estate experience with short sales.  This site was founded by my friend, Mike Linkenauger and shares stories about the short sale process from some of the best short sale specialists in the country.

Other top real estate blogs worth checking out:

These blogs are each worth checking out:

NY Short Sale Blog  J. Philip Faranda writes this blog from the trenches of short sales in Westchester County, New York.

Short Sale Artisian  There is much talk about the art of short sales written on this blog (and YES, short sales are an art!)

Short Sale Blogger  There are great tid-bits about short sales and the short sale process that you can learn on this short sale real estate top blog.

Top real estate blog in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC 

Greetings Virginia Blog  That’s us  Writing about real estate in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC.  Specializing in short sales in these areas.

Some buyers have made offers on short sales, then waited as long as six months or more, only for the seller to be denied the short sale or of been foreclosed on.

HOUSE HUNTING ADVICE: A crucial fundamental to buying a short sale is to pick the best property and the right agent to represent you. You do not want to make an offer on a short sale that will never close. The right agent can advise you on the best strategy for success. Closing a short sale involves teamwork from all parties involved.

When buying a short sale, your agent should ask:

1) Who will be negotiating the short sale? Be sure that whoever is negotiating on the seller’s behalf is qualified with experience. The #1 skill set that results in success in the negotiations is commitment from the seller’s reprsentation. Be sure that the seller’s team is dedicated to the success of the short sale and that they will never give up on the transaction.

2) How many short sale transactions have they completed in the past 6 months? You will have a better chance of closing a short-sale deal if the listing agent has experience doing short sales and has a plan for how to accomplish a sale.

3) How many loans are on the property? The more liens on the property equal the more challenges.

4) Who are the lenders? Not all lenders are the same in regards to their willingness to cooperate.

5) How much is owed on the property? A bank will do a short sale if they are in a better position than if they were to foreclose. In most cases, even if there is a large defieciency, the lender will be inclined to accept the short sale.

6) Has a Broker Price Opinion been completed? A BPO is the bank’s first step in determining the accepted amount that they will approve a short sale for. If they have already completed this step, then they are closer to success.

7) Has the property previously been under contract with another buyer? If it has been, then it is likely that the long process of the short sale has already begun. Properties that have already been under contract often have a better chance of getting approved.

Is there a pending foreclosure date? You do not want to be in a position to get under contract with a seller that will likely lose their property to a foreclosure.

9) How many months behind on the mortgage are the sellers? The longer behind on their payments, the more likely that the seller will be foreclosed.

Remember that not all short sales are created equal. Be sure that your agent gets the above information prior to writing an offer on the, “Home of your Dreams”.

About the Author: Dan Rochon, specializes in Short Sale representation and selling luxury homes, Associate Broker in VA, MD at Keller Williams Realty, Alexandria, Kingstowne, VA, Co-Founder of GreetingsVirginia.com, and media consultant for struggling home owners. Dan and his team have been featured on NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, CNBC, The Washington Post, The Washington City Paper, OutFront Magazine by Keller Williams Realty, WTOP News, The Washington DC Examiner, and other media publications.

Get, “Should I Short Sale my Home?” ebook.  Stop foreclosure in Great Falls, VA and other areas of Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC

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If you need help selling your property today, even if it is upside-down, we can still help you. Contact us today at this number, or try us at greetingsvirginia.com. Call us today and we’ll help you too.

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Why don’t you go ahead and fill out the form in this website and we will give you a call to help you short sale your property in Fairfax, VA. Our friendly short sale specialist will help you get out of your situations. We will help you stop foreclosure and do a short sale instead.

Does Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae own my Mortgage?

If you need help with your mortgage, it is best to know who owns it.

Use this mortgage tool Fannie Mae Lookup or call 800-7FANNIE to find out if Fannie Mae owns your Virginia, Maryland, or Washington DC mortgage.

Use this mortgage tool Freddie Mac Lookup or call 800-FREDDIE to find out if Freddie Mac owns your Virginia, Maryland, or Washington DC mortgage.

A short sale is often the solution if you need to sell and have a valid financial hardship such as divorce, loss of job, decreased pay, medical, family, increased expense, or other financial distress.

What will the bank consider a hardship?   It depends.   Speak with a Virginia Short Sale Expert to find out your options.

A short sale costs you nothing.

To get started, interview a Virginia Short Sale Specialist.   When you decide who to hire you will:

1) Obtain financial documents such as bank statements, pay stubs, tax returns, financial work sheet, and a financial hardship letter.

2) Complete a listing agreement with the brokerage that you hire.

3) Get your home in the best marketable condition (clean, declutter, etc)

4) Market your home to a buyer

5) Negotiate the best offer with a buyer (with the guidance of your real estate agent)

6) Negotiate with your lender (your short sale Realtor will do this work on your behalf)

7) Sell your home and get this behind you

A short sale property is being sold by a seller that is upside down on their mortgage, has a valid financial hardship and needs to sell. In other words, it is still owned by the homeowner. The sale of a short sale is contingent on the home owner’s lender approving the sale for a deficiency. A bank owned property – you guessed it – has already been foreclosed on and is owned by the bank.

“The information and communications provided to you on our websites, our emails & newsletters are for informational purposes only and should not be the only source that you rely upon. Dan and Traci Rochon, Dan and Traci & Consultants, Keller Williams Realty and www.GreetingsVirginia.com – are not a mortgage lender and so you should contact your loan officer to learn more about their mortgage products and your eligibility for such products.

If you are seeking a great loan officer, we can recommend a few

With the sluggish economy, job layoffs, adjustable rate mortgage payments, declining home values, soaring medical bills and a number of other factors, many people are finding it difficult to keep their homes and could be facing the possibility of losing their homes. A national epidemic is looming. Are your ready? We are in the most challenging real estate market since the Great Depression with no end in sight for the immediate future. The government can only do so much to help victims of this situation. Dan and Traci have helped numerous people in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC avoid foreclosure and sell their homes for less than what was owed to the bank.

• Are you stressed out about mortgage payments?
• Do you think that your only option is a foreclosure?
• Are you considering ‘walking away’?
• Struggling with a loan modification?
• Is a short sale right for you?
• How to buy a home after a short sale?

Learn the answers to these questions and more when you read our book, “Should I Short Sale my Home?”