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Avoiding Foreclosure

How to Stop Foreclosure in FL

Foreclosure is a scary process for most homeowners. When you acquire a mortgage, there’s a constant threat of foreclosure looming over your head. Knowing how to stop foreclosure from happening before it becomes a problem is an important thing for homeowners to understand. Whether the continual payments are too high or a homeowner finds himself experiencing financial hardship, having your home seized by the courts is a real possibility. But even after missing a few months of payments and receiving a Notice of Default, losing your home doesn’t have to be inevitable. With a general knowledge of the foreclosure process and determination to keep your home, you can learn how to stop foreclosure in FL. We’ll show you how so that you can be prepared should you ever need to avoid a foreclosure. how to stop foreclosure from happening

Communicate with Your Lender

Although homeowners have several strategies to choose from when deciding how to stop foreclosure process, some everyday advice can be implemented to slow the foreclosure’s acceleration. Before making major life-altering decisions, consider some of these general tips when contacting your lender. One of the easiest ways how to stop foreclosure in FL is by communicating with the mortgage company. If a homeowner cannot meet the required monthly payments, changing the amount owed each month will ease a borrower’s financial burden. Asking for a loan modification is one possible permanent solution. Loan modifications typically allow homeowners to make lower payments at higher interest rates or over an extended loan period. If a borrower is on the cusp of foreclosure due to several missed payments, they can ask their lender about reinstatement. Also known as a temporary indulgence, a reinstatement allows homeowners to bring their loan current and proceed with their mortgage as before. However, a borrower must be able to afford to make the missed payments in addition to late fees and interest rates. Reinstatement might not be a viable option for homeowners with lasting financial issues. Mortgage companies can also offer other plans to assist homeowners when asked. Repayment plans, for instance, allow borrowers to repay missed payments by making slightly increased monthly payments. These plans allow you to catch up while stopping foreclosure. All a homeowner needs to do is communicate with their lender and ask about current options to relieve loan debt. More times than not, a quick call to a sympathetic lender can be home-saving.

Seek Help

getting help on how to stop foreclosure Seeking the help of third-parties is another way how to stop foreclosure in FL. Although homeowners have several options when stopping foreclosure, sometimes the process is too much for a single person. Enlisting the expertise of professionals will lessen your stress while providing a multitude of options for keeping your home. One option available to borrowers is contacting a foreclosure avoidance counselor. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers free housing counseling services to give homeowners the information and assistance necessary to avoid foreclosure. They’re offered in every state and can be found conveniently on HUD’s website. Homeowners can also seek out help from the new Home Affordable Modification Program. Enacted by President Obama, the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP) allows homeowners to refinance to reduce monthly payments while implementing a special Making Home Affordable loan modification that can be applied by lenders. “If your mortgage payment is more than 31 percent of your monthly income, for instance, the new program offers financial incentives to lenders to lower the monthly payments,” adds Fraser Sherman, prominent finance journalist. Borrowers can also seek help from the courts. The expertise applied when hiring an attorney can be helpful when wanting to know how to stop foreclosure immediately. Not every foreclosure process warrants legal intervention; nonjudicial foreclosures skip the courts altogether. If a homeowner feels like their foreclosure is unjust due to lender errors, unfair terms, or failure to follow legal procedures, they may have a viable lawsuit. These substantive defenses are considered the best legal way to stop the foreclosure process.

The Bankruptcy Option

using bankruptcy to stop foreclosure Many homeowners find themselves at risk for foreclosure after accruing a large amount of debt. They might think filing for bankruptcy is the simplest solution to escape their financial troubles. In some instances and with enormous debts, that can be true. However, if a homeowner isn’t keen on a lengthy litigation process and wants to halt the foreclosure process immediately, filing for bankruptcy might not be the best strategy for how to stop foreclosure in FL. Once an individual files the petition for bankruptcy, federal law prohibits debt collectors from seizing assets to pay off what’s owed. Since foreclosure is considered a collection activity, mortgage lenders must halt the foreclosure process. Once in court though, the bankruptcy trustee’s role is to play mediator between the filer and creditors, not absolve debt. Going through the courts will buy borrowers time to make past mortgage payments, but it won’t stop the foreclosure process completely. Filing for bankruptcy also has longer lasting consequences. Depending upon which chapter of bankruptcy you file under, the filing will remain on an individual’s credit report for up to ten years. During that period, it can prevent a homeowner from obtaining future lines of credit or borrowing from another lender. If a homeowner forecloses after filing, they’ll be unable to take out another loan and may be forced to live in an undesirable location until they can. Unless the consequences of bankruptcy are manageable to a homeowner, it’s not the best option when deciding how to stop home foreclosure proceedings. Just be careful that you don’t end up paying attorneys the money you could have used to pay arrears and get out of foreclosure. Yikes!

How to Stop Foreclosure and Save Your Home

houses without foreclosure Although homeowners have several methods available to saving their property from repossession, some options are better than others. Selling your property to a cash home buyer before the lender takes it to auction might be the best way how to stop foreclosure in FL. Homeowners have the option to sell to a cash home buyer, even after a lender begins the foreclosure process. After defaulting but before the Notice of Sale, mortgage companies must consider selling if a borrower gets an offer from a buyer. Many lenders prefer this to other options because it saves them time, effort, and trouble when looking for home buyers at auction. Selling to a cash house buyer is the best method to saving your home because it allows homeowners to keep whatever profit they make after paying back the lender. When homeowners sell, they gain standing in an otherwise powerless situation. Foreclosure is a scary threat on your credit that could possibly leave you homeless. By selling to a cash house buyer, homeowners gain the advantage of making their own decisions, acquiring money to use on their next property, and forego the foreclosure process completely. It’s the best option when needing to know how to stop foreclosure in FL.

Get a No-Obligation Cash Offer Within 24 Hours

See, learning how to stop foreclosure isn’t as bad as you thought. If you’d like to see how much you could get for your house from a buyer that can close it fast, give us a call at 407-641-1531. We buy houses in Orange Seminole Volusia Lake Osceola Counties and can close within 2 days if absolutely necessary. We pay fair prices, but if our offer is not acceptable, you have absolutely no obligation to take it. It has to work for both parties and we only move forward if everyone is happy. Give us a call and find out what we can pay you for your house! Contact us: PHP Houses 142 W Lakeview Ave Unit 1030 Lake Mary, FL 32746 Ph: (407) 519-0719 Fax: (407) 205-1951 email: info@phphouses.com

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The information presented in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or as any other type of advice.
Categories
Real Estate Market

Home Equity Gain Growing in Nearly Every State

Home Equity Gain Growing in Nearly Every State

Rising home prices have been in the news a lot lately, and much of the focus is on whether they’re accelerating too quickly and how sustainable the growth in prices really is. One of the often-overlooked benefits of rising prices, however, is the impact they have on a homeowner’s equity position.

Home equity is defined as the difference between a home’s fair market value and the outstanding balance of all liens on the property. While homeowners pay down their mortgages, the amount of equity they have in their homes climbs each time the value increases.

Today, the number of homeowners that currently have significant equity in their homes is growing. According to the Census Bureau, 38% of all homes in the country are mortgage-free.  In a home equity studyATTOM Data Solutions revealed that of the 54.5 million homes with a mortgage, 26.7% of them have at least 50% equity. That number has been increasing over the last eight years.

CoreLogic also notes:

“…the average homeowner gained approximately $5,300 in equity during the past year.”

The map below shows a breakdown of the increasing equity gain across the country, painting a clear picture that home equity is growing in nearly every state.

Breakdown of the Increasing Home Equity Gain across the US

Bottom Line

This may be the year to take advantage of your home equity by applying it forward, either as you downsize or as you move up to a new home.

Contact us:
PHP Houses
142 W Lakeview Ave
Unit 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Ph: (407) 519-0719
Fax: (407) 205-1951
email: info@phphouses.com

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Real Estate Market

Real Estate Is Soaring, But Not Like 2008

Real Estate Is Soaring, But Not Like 2008

Unlike last year, the residential real estate market kicked off 2020 with a bang! In their latest Monthly Mortgage MonitorBlack Knight proclaimed:

“The housing market is heating entering 2020 and recent rate declines could continue that trend, a sharp contrast to the strong cooling that was seen at this same time last year.”

Zillow revealed they’re also seeing a robust beginning to the year. Jeff Tucker, Zillow Economist, said:

“Our first look at 2020 data suggests that we could see the most competitive home shopping season in years, as buyers are already competing over…homes for sale.”

Buying demand is very strong. The latest Showing Index from ShowingTime reported a 20.2% year-over-year increase in purchaser traffic across the country, the sixth consecutive month of nationwide growth, and the largest increase in the history of the index.

The even better news is that buyers are not just looking. The latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed that closed sales increased 9.6% from a year ago.

This increase in overall activity has caused Zelman & Associates to increase their projection for home price appreciation in 2020 from 3.7% to 4.7%.

Are we headed for another housing crash like we had last decade?

Whenever price appreciation begins to accelerate, the fear of the last housing boom and bust creeps into the minds of the American population. The pain felt during the last housing crash scarred us deeply, and understandably so. The crash led us into the Great Recession of 2008.

If we take a closer look, however, we can see the current situation is nothing like it was in the last decade. As an example, let’s look at price appreciation for the six years prior to the last boom (2006) and compare it to the last six years:

Annual Home Price Appreciation

There’s a stark difference between these two periods of time. Normal appreciation is 3.6%, so while current appreciation is higher than the historic norm, it’s certainly not accelerating beyond control as it did leading up to the housing crash.

Today, the strength of the housing market is actually helping prevent a setback in the overall economy. In a recent post, Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist for First American explained:

“While the housing crisis is still fresh on the minds of many, and was the catalyst of the Great Recession, the U.S. housing market has weathered all other recessions since 1980. With the exception of the Great Recession, house price appreciation hardly skipped a beat and year-over-year existing-home sales growth barely declined in all the other previous recessions in the last 40 years…In 2020, we argue the housing market is more likely poised to help stave off recession than fall victim to it.”

Bottom Line

The year has started off very nicely for the residential housing market. If you’re thinking of buying or selling, now may be the time to get together to discuss your options.

Contact us:
PHP Houses
142 W Lakeview Ave
Unit 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Ph: (407) 519-0719
Fax: (407) 205-1951
email: info@phphouses.com

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Buying a House

How Your Tax Refund Can Move You Toward Homeownership This Year

Portrait of an excited woman reading good news in a letter at home

If you’re looking to buy a home in 2020, have you thought about putting your tax refund toward a down payment? Homeownership may be one step closer than you think if you spend your dollars wisely this year.

Based on data released by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Americans can expect an estimated average refund of $2,962 when filing their taxes this year.

The map below shows the average tax refund Americans received last year by state:

Average Tax Return by State

According to programs from the Federal Housing Authority, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae, many first-time buyers can purchase a home with as little as 3% down. Truth be told, a 20% down payment is not always required to buy a home, even though that’s a common misconception about homebuying. Veterans Affairs Loans allow many veterans to purchase a home with 0% down.

How can my tax refund help?

If you’re a first-time buyer, your tax refund may cover more of a down payment than you ever thought possible.

If you take into account the median home sale price by state, the map below shows the percentage of a 3% down payment that’s covered by the average tax refund:

What Percentage of a 3% Down Payment to Buy a House is Covered by the Tax Return

The darker the blue, the closer your tax refund gets you to homeownership in one of these programs. Maybe this is the year to plan ahead and put your tax refund toward a down payment on a home.

Bottom Line

Saving for a down payment can seem like a daunting task, but the more you know about what’s required, the more prepared you’ll be to make the best decision for you and your family. This tax season, your refund could be your key to homeownership.

 

Contact us:
PHP Houses
142 W Lakeview Ave
Unit 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Ph: (407) 519-0719
Fax: (407) 205-1951
email: info@phphouses.com

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Real Estate Market

Entry-Level Homeowners Are in the Driver’s Seat

Mother and daughter gardening together

One thing helping homeowners right now is price appreciation, especially in the entry-level market. In the latest Home Price Insights report, CoreLogic reveals how home prices increased by 4% year-over-year and projects prices will rise 5.2% by December 2020.

Why is this good news for the homeowners?

When prices appreciate, homeowners gain equity. In addition, those planning to sell this year, especially in the entry-level market, can potentially earn a substantial profit.

Dr. Frank Nothaft, Chief Economist at CoreLogic, says:

“Moderately priced homes are in high demand and short supply, pushing up values…Homes that sold for 25% or more below the local median price experienced a 5.9% price gain in 2019, compared with a 3.7% gain for homes that sold for 25% or more above the median.”

As Dr. Nothaft indicates, the lack of inventory continues to drive home price growth. This means there’s a high demand for homes in this tier of the market, making it a great time to consider using your equity to move up to a bigger or more premium home.

When you upgrade your home, you may be able to find the amenities or features you’ve dreamed of – such as a yard to plant or garden in with your family this spring, or more outdoor space for entertaining this summer. Maybe it’s the master bath you’ve always hoped for, or a garage to finally park your car inside.

Whatever you choose, if you’re moving out of an entry-level house, you’re likely going to be in the driver’s seat as a seller.

Bottom Line

If you’d like to own a bigger home, let’s get together to discuss your situation. You may be surprised by the current value of your home and the equity you’ve gained.

Contact us:
PHP Houses
142 W Lakeview Ave
Unit 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Ph: (407) 519-0719
Fax: (407) 205-1951
email: info@phphouses.com

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Buying a House

How Trusted Professionals Make Homebuying Easier to Understand

In the spring, many excited buyers get ready to enter the housing market. Others continue dreaming about the homes they’d like to buy. The truth is, many potential buyers continue to dream longer than they need to, simply because they’re confused about the homebuying process. Thankfully, working with a trusted real estate professional can help ease those concerns and make the process to homeownership much easier to understand.

A recent survey conducted by Ipson and Freddie Mac reveals the confidence level of Gen Z and Millennial buyers regarding the homebuying process. The graph below shows the breakdown of the top results, clearly indicating there’s a significant portion of younger buyers who are not yet confident with some of the steps in the homebuying process.

Gen Z is Less Confident in the Homebuying Process

Between the homebuying process and the mortgage process, there are 230 possible steps in the transaction. With trusted professionals on your side, you certainly don’t have to know them all to have a successful experience.

There are many reasons why these steps can change as you move through each one. Depending on your personal circumstances, the term or your mortgage, and the type of loan you use, the path you take may need to vary. That’s why guidance and support from the experts is key.

In addition to the process itself, respondents in the survey definitely expressed concerns about understanding the types of loans available. Here are just a few of the basic loans to consider. Be sure to speak with your lender about the specifics of what will work best for you:

  • FHA: Loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration for first-time buyers. They generally enable qualified borrowers to enter the housing market with a lower down payment.
  • Conventional: Loans that usually require a larger down payment. Repeat buyers usually use these types of loans since they have an established credit history as well as more money from the sale of their previous home (called equity) for a bigger down payment.
  • VA: Loans available for Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses. They are guaranteed by the Department of Veteran Affairs.
  • USDA: Loans for those living in rural and suburban areas. A qualified lender can issue a USDA home loan, and they are guaranteed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Interest rates also popped up as a common area of confusion among Gen Z and Millennial respondents in the survey. With today’s rates hovering at near historic lows, it’s a fantastic time for buyers to get more house for their money in the current market. Why? When mortgage rates are this low and wages are increasing as they are today, overall affordability increases, enabling home buyers to stretch their mortgage dollars further. It’s just another area where a trusted professional can help simplify the process and give guidance along the way.

Bottom Line

There are many possible steps in a real estate transaction, but they don’t have to be confusing. To understand your best course of action, let’s get together today to ensure you have a trusted advisor who will help you feel confident and informed at every turn.

Contact us:
PHP Houses
142 W Lakeview Ave
Unit 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Ph: (407) 519-0719
Fax: (407) 205-1951
email: info@phphouses.com

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Real Estate Market

Reasons to Fall in Love with Homeownership

Some Highlights:

  • There are many benefits to love about homeownership, and they’re not all financial.
  • Being a part of a neighborhood, driving academic achievement, and improving mental health are just a few of these advantages.
  • Let’s get together today to determine if you’re ready to embrace the rewards of owning your own home.

Contact us:
PHP Houses
142 W Lakeview Ave
Unit 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Ph: (407) 519-0719
Fax: (407) 205-1951
email: info@phphouses.com

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Real Estate Market

How the Housing Market Benefits with Uncertainty in the World

It’s hard to listen to today’s news without hearing about the uncertainty surrounding global markets, the spread of the coronavirus, and tensions in the Middle East, just to name a few. These concerns have caused some to question their investment plans going forward. As an example, in Vanguard’s Global Outlook for 2020, the fund explains,

“Slowing global growth and elevated uncertainty create a fragile backdrop for markets in 2020 and beyond.”

Is there a silver lining to this cloud of doubt?

Some worry this could cause concern for the U.S. housing market. The uncertainty, however, may actually mean good news for real estate.

Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, discussed the situation in a recent report,

“Global events and uncertainty…impact the U.S. economy, and more specifically, the U.S. housing market…U.S. bonds, backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, are widely considered the safest investments in the world. When global investors sense increased uncertainty, there is a ‘flight to safety’ in U.S. Treasury bonds, which causes their price to go up, and their yield to go down.”

Last week, in a HousingWire article, Kathleen Howley reaffirmed Fleming’s point,

“The death toll from the coronavirus already has passed Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, that bruised the world’s economy in 2003…That’s making investors around the world anxious, and when they get anxious, they tend to sell off stocks and seek the safe haven of U.S. bonds. An increase in competition for bonds means investors, including the people who buy mortgage-backed bonds, have to take lower yields. That translates into lower mortgage rates.”

The yield from treasury bonds is the rate investors receive when they purchase the bond. Historically, when the treasury rate moves up or down, the 30-year mortgage rate follows. Here’s a powerful graph showing the relationship between the two over the last 48 years:

How might concerns about global challenges impact the housing market in 2020? Fleming explains,

“Even a small change in the 10-year Treasury due to increased uncertainty, let’s say a slight drop to 1.6 percent, would imply a 30-year, fixed mortgage rate as low as 3.3 percent. Assuming no change in household income, that would mean a house-buying power gain of $21,000, a five percent increase.”

Bottom Line

For a multitude of reasons, 2020 could be a challenging year. It seems, however, real estate will do just fine. As Fleming concluded in his report:

“Amid uncertainty, the house-buying power of U.S. consumers can benefit significantly.”

Contact us:
PHP Houses
142 W Lakeview Ave
Unit 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Ph: (407) 519-0719
Fax: (407) 205-1951
email: info@phphouses.com

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Real Estate Market

Homeownership Rate on the Rise to a 6-Year High

Homeownership on the rise

Regardless of the lack of inventory on the market, the U.S. homeownership rate has climbed to a 6-year high. The United States Census Bureau reported that it increased to 65.1% in the fourth quarter of 2019, representing the highest level in the past six years. See the graph below:

Homeownership Rate on the Rise to a 6-Year High | MyKCM

This increase does not come as a surprise. According to realtor.com,

“The largest cohort of the millennial generation turns 30-years-old in 2020 and they are hitting the housing market in full force. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2019, millennials made up the largest generational segment of homebuyers, growing their share of home purchase mortgages to 48 percent.”

With so many Millennials entering a homebuying phase of life and getting into the market, the Millennial Report also explains,

“Homeownership is an even bigger goal for younger generations. Of those with savings, 41 percent of Gen Z and 40 percent of younger millennials are saving to buy a home.”

Today’s low interest rates are providing a break to new homeowners too, regardless of generation, making homeownership more desirable and achievable at the same time. Freddie Mac explains,

“The combination of very low mortgage rates, a strong economy and more positive financial market sentiment all point to home purchase demand continuing to rise over the next few months.”

The increase in homeownership rate was also represented by race and ethnicity of the householders. HousingWire explains,

“The homeownership rate for black Americans in 2019’s fourth quarter rose to 44%, a seven-year high, increasing from the record low it reached in 2019’s second quarter. The rate for Hispanic Americans was 48.1%, a two-year high, the Census data showed…The rate for white Americans was 73.7%, an eight-year high.”

See the graph below:

Bottom Line

If you’re considering buying a home this year, let’s get together to set a plan that will help you get one step closer to achieving your dream.

Contact us:
PHP Houses
142 W Lakeview Ave
Unit 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Ph: (407) 519-0719
Fax: (407) 205-1951
email: info@phphouses.com

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Selling a House Fast

How Pricing Your Home Right Makes a Big Difference

5 colored price sticker houses on the white background. Eps 10 vector file.

Even though there’s a big buyer demand for homes in today’s low inventory market, it doesn’t mean you should price your home as high as the sky when you’re ready to sell. Here’s why making sure you price it right is key to driving the best price for the sale.

If you’ve ever watched the show “The Price Is Right,” you know the only way to win the game is to be the one to correctly guess the price of the item up for bid without going over. That means your guess must be just slightly under the retail price.

When it comes to pricing your home, setting it at or slightly below market value will increase the visibility of your listing and drive more buyers your way. This strategy actually increases the number of buyers who will see your home in their search process. Why? When potential buyers look at your listing and see a great price for a fantastic home, they’re probably going to want to take a closer look. This means more buyers are going to be excited about your house and more apt to make an offer.

When this happens, you’re more likely to set up a scenario with multiple offers, potential bidding wars, and the ability to drive a higher final sale price. At the end of the day, even when inventory is tight, pricing it right – or pricing it to sell immediately – makes a big difference.

Here’s the other thing: homeowners who make the mistake of overpricing their homes will eventually have to lower the prices anyway after they sit on the market for an extended period of time. This leaves buyers wondering if the price drops were caused by something wrong with these homes when in reality, nothing was wrong, the initial prices were just too high.

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking about selling your home this year, let’s get together so you have a professional on your side to help you properly price your home and maximize demand from the start.

Contact us:
PHP Houses
142 W Lakeview Ave
Unit 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Ph: (407) 519-0719
Fax: (407) 205-1951
email: info@phphouses.com

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