Redwood City Short Sale Closed, Most Challenging I Ever Had

I finally closed a Redwood City short sale that started in Sept of 2011. Yes, one year for a short sale. What was the problem? Let me count down just the top 10.

10. The sellers asked another agent in my office to sell this home as a short sale but this wonderful agent had never listed a short sale before. She asked me to help her, but by the time she did they were 2 weeks from the trustee sale date and the sellers were sitting on a perfectly good offer they thought was too low.

9. There was a first and second loan with Chase as well as a large 3rd loan which was a carry back from the previous owner. The seller wanted me to negotiate with Chase but have her lawyer negotiate with the 3rd lender.

8. The seller refused to give me any of her financial documents and said she would provide them to Chase herself.

7. The first approval came in Dec of 2011 at purchase price with 5K going to the second and 11K going to the 3rd. The seller said the 3rd lender was going to take that offer, but then the lawyer for the seller said the 3rd lender rejected the offer.

6. The buyer offered to give the 3rd lender another 10K. No response from 3rd lender. Chase said the buyer could not pay off third.

5. The approval from Chase expired, the negotiator at Chase left the country, the house was put back on the market asking for a large contribution to the 3rd. Chase said buyer could not pay off 3rd.

4. New buyer came in and offered 30K to the third on top of the old price (515K).

3. New BPO said house is worth 540-560K so Chase said offer is not high enough. Lawyer for seller and seller told me I should start negotiating with the 3rd. He said he wanted 80K from the buyer and 7K from Chase. I get him down to 50K, Chase said submit again.

2.Buyer, Chase, 3rd lender, seller all agreed to purchase price of 562K with 50K going to 3rd from the buyer and no contribution from Chase. Chase inexplicably changed their policy and will now allow the buyer to contribute to the 3rd payoff. Chase said close by Aug 31.

1. Lots of delays getting the loan funded. Aug 29th still no loan docs. Chase said after 10 trustee sale postponements they were done. Close on Aug 31 or they take the house back. Seller was in Europe but managed to come to back last week of Aug to get her things and sign off. Buyers agent got lender to fund without loan docs and we somehow managed to get buyers signed and closed on Aug 31.

This was a tough one. Most short sales are not this hard, but the secret here was believing that no does not mean no. Not a lesson I would want to teach to my children, but in the short sale world it is a great one.

Marcy Moyer
Keller Williams Realty
www.marcymoyer.com``
marcy@marcymoyer.com
650-619-9285
D.R.E. 01191194