Monday, October 1, 2012

FHA INSURES YOUR MORTGAGE? UNDERSTAND THE FHA SHORT SALE PROCESS



Whenever an FHA-insured mortgage is involved. FHA short sales must advance through a very exact and systemized process.
Before a short sale can be initiated — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that the homeowner be reviewed for all home retention options (modification) before a short sale is pursued.
This 30- to 90-day process seeks to determine whether a legitimate hardship exists and if a short sale is appropriate. The review also will certify that the home has not been rented for more than 18 months and is being maintained, that there is a marketable title, and that the property has only one FHA-insured loan.
A listing agreement or offer is not required in order for the homeowners to be approved. Once the homeowner is approved to short sell their home, foreclosure is put on hold and the homeowner receives an Approval to Participate (ATP) letter.
Submitting a Contract for Purchase to the Mortgage Holder:  Banks do not begin negotiating the purchase contract until after the homeowner is approved to participate and has given them a signed copy of their ATP, usually within seven days.  
Homeowner involvement — FHA short sales must be initiated by the homeowner, not an agent.  Contact your assigned Customer Relationship Manager (CRM).
Seller Incentives:  HUD dictates the amount of incentives payable to the seller.
Agent involvement — Seller’s agents need to work with the homeowner to make sure the following items are organized and completed once the ATP has been executed.
Those include:
§  Pay stubs (dates, amounts, names, institutions)
§  Bank statements (all pages, accounts, and borrowers)
§  Hardship letter
§  Occupancy certificate
§  Marketable title
 
I took most of this material from an email I received,  the Bank of America monthly newsletter.  If you would like to see their version, go to  crm@lenderoffice.bankofamerica.com

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