Deciding to Short Sale your home is a tough decision, however it is often the smart decision.  Walking away from a home and not working with the bank will have much tougher consequences.  So many people don’t know that in Florida, the banks have the right to collect the deficiency in a Foreclosure up to 5 years after they resell the property.

The deficiency in a Foreclosure is the amount you owed, plus fees, late fees, attorney fees, MINUS the amount the home sells for minus realtor commissions minus closing fees, etc.  The deficiency could be large!

In a Short Sale, the deficiency is less, and is often agreed to be non-collectible by your bank…..if you have the right negotiators on your side.  Less potential deficiency and more chance the bank will waive their right to collect.  This is good.

Another huge benefit of a Short Sale is the credit hit.  The credit hit happens, there is no way around this, but it is more gentle than that of a Foreclosure.  In the future, when you go to purchase another house, a Short Sale will most likely be seen as you worked with the bank to dissolve your real estate problem.  A Foreclosure will be seen as you walking away from the real estate.  Which do you think is most attractive for your new mortgage company?

Choosing a REALTOR to Short Sale your Jacksonville or Ponte Vedra House

Choose carefully! So many agents are “experts” but have never actually completed a Short Sale.  If you want a short list of agents that we recommend, after ourselves of course, we would be happy to email you a short list.  Meet Brad – Jacksonville Short Sale REALTOR.

Top 6 reasons to Choose the Brad Officer real estate team to Short Sale your house in Jacksonville or Ponte Vedra:

1. First Short Sale completed in 2007!  WAY before most agents had ever heard of a Short Sale.
2. Professional Real Estate Agents have used Brad to Short Sale their personal homes.  This has happened not once, twice, but 3 times!
3. Brad is on an elite list of only 9 agents that Wells Fargo refers home owners to.  This is Big.  Bank of America, Citi, Chase, Wells Fargo, and just about all the other banks and local credit unions have worked with our team on Short Sales.  And we have the contacts at those banks to make sure we get the service to get the job done!
4. Industry Resource:  Brad has been asked to sit on many discussion panels to answer questions about Short Sales from other agents, attorneys, title companies, brokers, etc.
5. SUCCESS!  We get our deals done!  Much more often than not, we have success completing our Short Sales.
6. Attorney Representation:  We require that you use an attorney to represent you in the Short Sale.  The attorney we refer you to is the main Jacksonville Short Sale attorney and really knows his stuff.  You are in the best hands with his team.  The cost is minimal to you:  under $500.

Important Articles about Short Sales in Jacksonville & Ponte Vedra:

Learn more about Short Sales here.

Just Served Foreclosure Papers – What to do now

Short Sales increasingly more difficult in Jacksonville

8 Steps to a FAST Short Sale

Short Sales can sell Fast

We hear a lot of mixed messages about the housing market in the United States, the housing marketing in Florida, and in Jacksonville.  It makes it tough to decipher what is true and what is fluff.  The graphic below courtesy of Visual Economics does a great job of showing just what is happening in the housing market.

The bad news: homes aren’t selling like they used to.

The good news: Homes are still selling, but yours must be in great condition with great curb appeal, it must be marketed correctly, and priced aggressively if it is to be one of the home sales for 2010.

Good news Bonus: In the graphic below, there is a slump that happens in the 70’s, another in the 80’s, and yet another in the 90’s.  After each slow down, it always rebounds in more sales of homes in the years to follow.

I want to be your 2nd REALTOR – Not your 1st!

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Over 5500 active real estate agents in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra which means you probably know someone with a real estate license.  Actually, you may even be related to a real estate agent.  There are so many social obligations to use someone that you know to market and sell your home, and I fully understand that.

Actually, I would rather be your 2nd choice! Many of my customers come to me  as a 2nd choice after they have tried the agent they felt required to use.  The “required to use” agents usually fall into one of these categories:

• Friend
• Relative
• Neighbor
• Boss’s spouse
• Work acquaintance

I would rather be your 2nd choice as now your social obligation is complete.  It was unsuccessful, and you realize just how tough of a real estate market this really is! Good news:  We sell homes! Now that you are ready to sell, we will work together to get your home sold.

Several Items we investigate when  RE-Listing your home for Sale:

1. PRICE: Nothing says SOLD faster than a great price!  Forget about getting top dollar, this is one of the worst housing markets in history, and you have either chosen to or need to sell right in the middle of it.  We price aggressively.
2. Traffic: If your home has not been shown to potential buyers, no one knows its for sale.  What is causing this? What can we do to fix?
3. Home Staging: Home staging is cheap cheap cheap!  If you are serious about selling, Pay the money!  It’s less usually less than $300, and if you want someone to tell you what to do: $100 for a consultation with a list of what to do yourself.  We recommend you do this ASAP….before pictures are taken.
4. Pictures: With over 90% of all home buyers shopping on line, The pictures should be the best they can be.  1 picture of the front of the house doesn’t cut it!  (Sad to see how many homes are marketed this way).

If you are ready to sell your house, Contact Brad!

Brad Officer is a Jacksonville RE/MAX Specialists Agent focused on marketing and selling your real estate.

Just Served Foreclosure Papers, what happens now?

The bank has given you legal notice that they intend to take the house back through Foreclosure.  The fastest I’ve seen a foreclosure happen in Jacksonville is 6 months after being served with Foreclosure papers….so you have some time.  If you do nothing, you will get a series of legal notices, and finally the property will be auctioned off at the court house.  You will either choose to move or be removed from the house within a few days from the court auction date.

What to do when Served with Foreclosure?

You have 5 choices:

1. Pay your balance owed to the bank.  Not feasible for many, but it is your #1 best option.
2. Defend against the Foreclosure by hiring a Foreclosure attorney in Jacksonville.  An attorney may be able to extend the foreclosure time out by months or longer.  If the foreclosure filing is legitimate and you haven’t been making payments, eventually the bank will foreclose and you will be out.
3. Short Sale:  Once you have received Foreclosure papers, you need to seriously look into this option.  A short sale is much more gentle on your credit score for the future.  To go this route, you need a Jacksonville REALTOR who has specialized knowledge and a track record of completing short sales:  Meet Brad.
4. Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure:  Occasionally a bank will allow you to willingly deed the property back to them.  They almost always want you to try and short sale first.
5. Do Nothing:  Unfortunately many home owners go this route.  They never look for help and the house gets foreclosed.

How soon do you have to move when Served Foreclosure Papers?

You probably have many months.  You will receive notice just before the auction date to either move or be removed from the house.  Your

KEY POINT: If you have been served with Foreclosure Papers in Jacksonville or Ponte Vedra, do not wait to take action.  You should avoid Foreclosure if at all possible, but if you can’t catch up on payments go with a Short Sale!

A great family home on Doctor’s Lake in Orange Park!  Completely private “end of road” type of property with 1.47 acres of manicured yard to enjoy, this home boast a wide open view of Doctors Lake.  A quick boat ride to the river and then the intracoastal or ocean for all your pleasure boating, sailing, or fishing adventures.  The pool is a must see & don’t miss the guest house!

Convenient Seclusion on the Water

Dock and Pool on the Water

4109 Magnolia RD, ORANGE PARK, FL 32065 (MLS # 536350)

A rare find: Complete Privacy in secluded Doctors Lake Estates + Guest Cottage. A true ''end of the road'' property on 1.47 acres of waterfront. BIG waterfront view & short ride to the river & ocean. Great home for entertaining indoors and out. Open floor plan, large pool overlooking dock and boathouse. Detached guest cottage w/garage. Water System & wired for Generator. Motivated sellers!

Property Type(s): Residential

Schools

Additional Details

Features

Location

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with RE/MAX SPECIALISTS

(view all details for MLS # 536350)

Orange Park Waterfront Home presented by Brad Officer – Jacksonville RE/MAX Waterfront Specialists and REALTOR

80% of our Jacksonville Real Estate business has been short sales in 2010 and there is no signs of this trend slowing.  Many home owners owe more than their homes are worth and after months of frustration in an attempt to modify the loan, they are turned to doing a short sale.  (Short Sale is selling for less than is owed to the bank – the bank allows the short sale – You can read all about how to Short Sale).

Short Sales are Getting More Difficult

The process to get a short sale completed was the wild wild west in 2007, 2008, and 2009.  It was chaos controlled only by outlaw banks.  Now the suits have taken over and have attempted to put process in place in 2010.  What has resulted is nothing short of massive red tape for all involved.

We have made progress forward with the banks by working exclusively with a Jacksonville Short Sale Attorney to manage the process and negotiate with the banks.  Working with our attorney, the home owners  have the most current and relevant information as the banks change processes daily.

Home Owners can help Speed up the Short Sale Process

Speeding up the process of a Short Sale does fall partly on the owners/sellers of the property.  Here is an easy check list:

1. Submit all Documents when requested. Don’t let a day pass, this is mission critical if you want a smooth short sale.
2. Submit Correct Documents. Too often owners submit faulty documents.  When asked for specific years tax returns, specific bank account statements, etc., be precise and submit the correct docs.
3. Prepare for some out of pocket. If you aren’t making payments, you need to stash away some cash for just in case repairs.  Most buyers are getting FHA or VA financing and have little to no extra cash to make required repairs.  If you have no money and they have no money, we have no deal – no closing – your property heads toward foreclosure.
4. Your not out UNTIL the Closing. Once we get the house under contract, it’s not a done deal.  The hardest part is getting the bank to let us move forward with the short sale.  You should be diligent with documents when requested, keep the house and yard in great shape, and be flexible.
5. Yard and House upkeep. The buyers will go through months of anguish waiting and not knowing if they will get the house.  They go through buyers remorse and deal with continual emotional roller coasters.  Nothing turns a buyer going through buyers remorse off faster than a yard filled with weeds.  Keep the house in great condition and keep the yard up….pay a service if you are moving out.

Brad Officer is a Jacksonville RE/MAX real estate agent and REALTOR focused on Short Sales and Waterfront Homes.

Thinking of Selling your waterfront home in Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, or Orange Park?  Finding the right real estate agent is critical to success!

As your Waterfront Real Estate Agent, our focus produces results.

• Marketing is everything! Your home must be presented where the buyers are, and that is online!  Regardless of previous thoughts on who is on line and who isn’t, the stats are strong.  The stats state that some 90% of home buyers start their search online and they average 40 hours searching for homes online.  That is huge!
  • We market your waterfront home to the most searched websites including the other real estate brokerage sites!  If they are looking for waterfront, your house is there.
• Google sends waterfront, oceanfront, and riverfront, home buyers to this site: When home buyers type in “Waterfront homes in Jacksonville” or any of the other series of keywords relating to waterfront, this site is one of the top search results.  That does great things for your waterfront home.  It gets exposure!  It gets exposure to the right people!  Targeted and accurate!
• Luxury Waterfront shown in Person by appointment only: Why leave the showing of your luxury waterfront home to a REALTOR lock box?  If your home is luxury and waterfront, I’m showing it to the buyers and buyer’s agent.  The Buyer’s agent is often seeing the home for the first time as well, so it’s as much a surprise to them as the buyer.  I prefer to be there, to make sure the home is shown appropriately, to ask them to purchase, to get immediate feedback.
• PHOTOS! I get constant feedback from other agents that their buyer clients found one of my listings and wants to see it.  The request usually comes with “the photos were great!”.  I bring in lighting, use wide angle lenses, and get the best photos I can.  Always experimenting and always trying to one up, I get great results.
• Professionally Designed Marketing Piece: When showing your home, I never give out a MLS print out or any kind of amateur flyer.  With an eye for graphic design, I use a professional designer to put together pieces that will best showcase your home.  The result is an added level of luxury and sophistication.
• Technology: Always pushing the envelope of how to best market a home on line, I’m constantly researching and trying new sources.  Video sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and Viddler, Social Media sites like Twitter, and on line community forums are getting my current attention.
• RE/MAX Collection: This designation helps to further distinguish your home as a luxury home with style!  Brad is a RE/MAX Specialists agent approved to use the RE/MAX Collection designation.

Waterfront, Oceanfront, Riverfront REALTOR & RE/MAX Specialists Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, Orange Park

Deciding to sell your house in the Jacksonville Area?  Choosing the right real estate agent is the difference between sold and sitting on the market forever. This is undoubtedly a very tough market to sell a home, which is even more reason you should do your homework on the right agent.

6 Requirements when Choosing a Real Estate Agent in Jacksonville:

1. Marketing Plan: This market requires more than putting your home on MLS and putting a sign in the yard.  It requires a complete marketing plan.  The key to a successful marketing plan:  Your house must be where the potential buyers are looking for houses….and upwards of some 90% search online for an average of 40 hours during their home search!
   • We (the Brad Officer Real Estate Team) market your house for sale on the most trafficked real estate search sites such as Yahoo real estate, Google Base Real Estate, Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com, AOL Real Estate, RE/MAX and all the other real estate brokerage websites such as Watson, Keller Williams, Prudential, Coldwell Banker, Century 21, etc.
2. Full Time Agent: The last thing you want is a part timer.  Many agents are exiting the business as fast as they got in.  The local real estate association lost some 2000+ agents in the last 24 months and many of the remaining 4000+ agents are known to be part time in the business as they work full time jobs elsewhere.
   • We are all full time!
3. Passion for the Business: With the most recent housing bubble, many people jumped in to real estate for a quick buck.  Obviously, that has all changed with one of the worst housing markets since the great depression.  Your agent should have a natural love of real estate.
   • It may be odd for many to comprehend, but I do love my job/career.
4. Current Market Experience: Not for the weak at heart or mind, the current market requires plenty of brain power, negotiating expertise, and pure hustle to get deals done.  Furthermore, many home owners owe more than their home is worth or have been required to do a short sale after a loan modification was denied.  Do not got to just any agent with these issues.
   • We have been doing short sales and negotiating with banks since the beginning of the housing downturn in 2007.  We’ve successfully negotiated short sales with Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi bank, Chase, Suntrust, Navy Federal, and many more.
5. Successful Real Estate Resume: Nothing says success as an agents past performances.
   • Meet Brad Officer – Professional Jacksonville Real Estate Agent
6. Professional Broker Company: What’s in a name?  Everything!  Not only do potential home buyers like to do business with a reputable real estate company, but other real estate agents prefer working with agents who are backed by the most professional Brokerage Companies.
   • We are backed as a RE/MAX Specialists….is there any brokerage more professional, more well known?

This is one great waterfront home!  Ever bought a car from someone who was the “right kind of person to buy a car from”?  Well, this is that same setup, however with a better investment:  A waterfront home.

3957 Susan DR, GREEN COVE SPR, FL 32043 (MLS # 536468)

Beautiful home offers luxury waterfront living within a small town atmosphere. Located just south of historic Green Cove Springs and barely north of the 10,000 acre waterfront Bayard Conservation Area. Custom built home-perfect for full season outdoor living with large screened porches, a sparkling saltwater pool, and large pool house with kitchen. Boat dock & lift and 2.5 car garage - perfect!

Property Type(s): Residential

Schools

Additional Details

Features

Location

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with RE/MAX SPECIALISTS

(view all details for MLS # 536468)