Dawna is a real pro! I am so glad she was on our team. For nearly four years she guided us through the volatility of the San Luis Obispo housing market, answering our questions from a far (we live in Montana) and flagging appropriate properties or developments along the way. When the timing was right and we found just what we were looking for, Dawna expertly guided us through the negotiations and inspections. This wasn't our first home buying experience, but we really appreciated how easy Dawna and her assistant made the whole process. We successfully closed in less than 30 days.
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Make a detailed current financial statement of your assets and liabilities, income and expense. Consider all monthly expenses, income, and monetary commitments.
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Gather all documents in your possession relating to the ownership, financing, and original purchase of the home. This may include your loan documents, deeds, purchase contracts, disclosures, and condition reports. Get a box; put all of these in one place. This is a hassle, but well worth the effort.
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Meet with a real estate advisor. Get a realistic market perspective for your local area and general buyer sentiment. Get informed about the value of your property as an opportunistic buyer would see it, whether you are considering selling or not. Also learn from your advisor about what to expect from the process of selling a home, both as a distressed property and/or conventional sale, and develop a strategy for resolution. This can vary, depending on your property location, market conditions, news events, your lender, the number of loans on your property, whether you and your property can qualify for federal or lender modification programs, etc.
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Meet with tax and legal counsel regarding consequences of any action you might be considering, bring your documents listed above. This is very important; laws and precedents change frequently.
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Make a well-informed decision about your financial and real estate future given all of the information you have gathered. Questions to consider are: Under what conditions could you keep the home? Do emotional ties to your home outweigh the cost to keep it? Who is affected by a sale of your home? If you are considering a short sale or a deed in lieu, or actual foreclosure, are there moral or ethical issues you have concerning walking away from a debt or having one forgiven? Do your immediate financial needs take precedent over consequences of a distress sale?