Dave Halpern, Broker, SRES

I have not run into such a brick wall in the hundreds of liens I have negotiated. My client is doing a short sale on an investment property. Sales price is $175,000. The first mortgage, Citi, is taking a short sale and allocating $4,500 towards the second mortgage, which is 5th 3rd. 5th 3rd wants...

"Why is it taking so long?" asks the buyer's loan officer of the short sale Realtor. "Why is it taking so long?" asks the short sale Realtor of the buyer's loan officer. They both ask the same question. How ironic. In the spirit of cooperation, I will pose a request at the end of this post. The l...

Inspiration and beauty is everywhere. Canopy of trees, lake, ducklings, park bench, elderly couple, office building. Poetry from the 1960's by Simon and Garfunklel. A lucky shot of my camera. Youtube. Activerain blogging platform. Just need to put it all together. Here it is. See if you can find ...

If you can't afford closing costs and Realtor commission, you are probably like millions of Americans who owe more on your house than the house is worth. Please Do Not Despair - You Have Options Your lender recognizes this problem and has a process called a short sale. In a short sale, your lende...

The economic crisis is now about 5 or 6 years old. Cars break down and must be replaced. Houses do not need to be replaced. Homeowners do not have to buy a new house every number of years. Homeowners can stay in the same house for decades. Renters do not have to buy a house. Pent up demand for ho...

The problem: An interest rate lock costs the buyer substantial non-refundable upfront money. The money will be lost if the house does not close on time. Yet, short sale timelines are long and unpredictable, to say the least. What should all parties do in a short sale, as it relates to rate locks?...

I’m used to having additional parties attend my short sale listing presentations. I welcome the opportunity to explain the process. The sellers often bring to the table advisors and supporters who are their; Parents Children Siblings Grandparents Grandchildren Neighbors Friends Significant others...

Your credit could be tied up for years if you quitclaim your ownership interest of the house to your spouse or ex-spouse. This could hurt you even if you maintain excellent credit. This future impact may be overlooked in a divorce agreement. Credit Score and Debt Ratios are Two Separate Issues Th...

All this within the strict timeline of a looming foreclosure. Not enough time to become a legal expert or a real estate expert. Who do you ask? Who do you trust? I am here to tell you that you have options. Good options. Did you know that lenders accept short sales? In a short sale, the lender le...

If your mortgage payments are unsustainable YOU NEED TO GET RID OF YOUR HOUSE. Hanging on too long to a lost cause will just clean you out financially and emotionally. I know this sounds harsh, but I can't even count how many times sellers told me they wish they had met me years earlier. They wis...