December 2008

Investment Exchange

An educational real estate newsletter

TIPS AND TRICKS TO SHORT SALES

"Short sale" is perhaps the hottest buzzword in real estate right now.

Why?

Short sale opportunities are plentiful in this market because of the spike in foreclosure situations throughout the nation. Accordingly, there is a ton of money to be made for those smart (and brave) enough to capitalize on these amazing deals before it's too late.

Essentially, a short sale is when a homeowner facing foreclosure sells his or her home — with the consent of the respective money lender — for less than what is owed to the bank.

And if you're the investor doing the negotiating and purchasing then you could walk away with a steal of a deal — the potential for huge earnings down the road is great.

With short sales, any price you negotiate with the seller must be approved by the lender if the home is still in preforeclosure status. Not all sellers qualify for short
sales — banks want to be sure that they'll be able to recover as much money as possible.

The good news is that banks are often willing to sell these properties for less than is owed to them because they're desperate to get bad debt off their books and/or because the market decline has made it impossible to sell the house for what it was once worth.

That means that the market is ripe for the picking right now!

There are literally hundreds of thousands of extraordinarily undervalued properties across America. If you can pick up a property or two now, when the power is on the side of the investors, you can stand to make thousands — perhaps even millions — of dollars once the market rebounds.

This edition of "Investment Exchange" is filled with "can't-miss" content designed to get you in on the short sale game. Read on for the best tips and tricks to succeed in this extremely lucrative market trend.

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Site feature spotlight

SHORT SALE 210 — NOW AT AGENT UNIVERSITY

Calling all real estate agents and brokers: If you haven't heard about the Certified Foreclosure Agent Program offered through Foreclosure.com's Agent University, you're just in time to cash in on the best way to learn everything about success in short sales.

That's right, "Short Sale" Sharon Restrepo is back at it again with her groundbreaking Webinar, Short Sales 210. With so many distressed properties on the market — and more coming every day — now is the perfect time to learn everything you need to know about how to orchestrate a lucrative short sale.

This course will teach you to:

• Avoid the most common mistakes agents make
• Maximize your short sale income
• Craft "can't-refuse" short sale packages
• Understand loss mitigation negotiations

It is possible to get in on the action if you aren't a Certified Foreclosure Agent member, but membership benefits include course discounts and, of course, credit toward your Certified Foreclosure Agent designation — one of the hottest, most sought-after titles in the business today.

To discover how to become part of the Certified Foreclosure Agent program, visit Foreclosure.com's Agent University Web site.

And remember to check out Short Sales 210! As usual, it's going to be a red hot learning experience because Sharon's classes always fill up quickly.

Cash in on the hottest investment strategy and get your short sale career rolling today!

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Web site search tips

GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR WITH PREFORECLOSURES

Preforeclosure properties are often the best candidates for short sale deals because sellers are super-motivated to avoid the credit blow that comes with an actual foreclosure.

Houses in preforeclosure are also "pre-market" — meaning that the whole world doesn't know about them yet. If you can spot those killer deals right when they're listed as a preforeclosure, you have a far better chance of edging out the competition, which means amazing deals and huge profits.

There are several ways to identify preforeclosures:

• visit your local courthouse
• scan through the newspaper
• hire someone to do the looking for you

The problem with these options is that they are either time-consuming or expensive. And none of them give you a leg up on the competition because they're all doing those exact same things.

So how do you get the jump on other interested investors?

It's far better to look on Foreclosure.com because we boast one of the most technologically advanced search engines in the business. We also have direct access to select preforeclosure listings as soon as they come available.

Here are just some of the many benefits our service provides:

• No more waiting for the courthouse to open or the clerk to post the list — Foreclosure.com grants you 24/7 around-the-clock access to the most reliable and accurate preforeclosure listings available.
• No more waiting for the newspaper to painstakingly scour through old news — Foreclosure.com updates its listings multiple times a day and emails you listings that match your preferences ... so your matches come to you!
• No more wasted money on "experts" who don't have any better access to preforeclosure listings than you do — Foreclosure.com gives you the most up-to-date, comprehensive listings, FREE with a 7-day trial.

So how do you get started? It's simple.

To view possible preforeclosure deals simply visit Foreclosure.com and select the state in which you'd like to search for short sale opportunities. Next, choose the county you're most interested in. Notice how you can move your cursor over the various counties in your selected state to view the number of preforeclosures, foreclosures, bankruptcies and more in that county.

Once you've clicked on a county that appeals to you, a results page will appear. Click on the "Preforeclosures" tab to narrow your search down to only preforeclosures. Then start perusing the properties that catch your eye — you'll find addresses, photos, sales stats, auction dates, contact details, property value information and more!

Remember, when the banks are looking for their money and the homeowners face foreclosure, you've got a real advantage as an investor to negotiate a short sale.

A short sale could be just the answer everyone's looking for. And with Foreclosure.com, you can rest easy knowing that you've got a serious advantage over the competition!

Start your short sale search today! CLICK HERE.

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Hot off the press

HOMEOWNERS FACE MORE BLEAK TIMES AHEAD

The American Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported this week that mortgage delinquencies in the U.S. have risen again this quarter, from 6.41 to 6.99 percent — a record high since the MBA began recording the data in 1979.

Foreclosures are breaking all the records as well, according to the report. It's currently at 2.97 percent this quarter, which is up 2.75 percent from the previous. That translates into 575,000 new foreclosure actions, bringing the forecasted total for 2008 to a staggering 2.2 million if distressed homeowners do not receive assistance.

Is there an end in sight? The MBA isn't confident ... and neither is the White House.

The economy is still on very shaky ground. And there were more job losses last November — to the tune of 533,000 unemployed — than in the last 34 years. President-elect Barack Obama is warning Americans that the economy will get worse before it gets better, emphasizing that this is a difficult crisis that provides opportunity to "improve the lives of ordinary people."

Chief on his to-do list come January 20, 2009, is to reform the mortgage business and institute his plan to save or create 2.5 million jobs by 2011.

Many property investors are happy — albeit reluctantly so — that the opportunities in the real estate investment market seem likely to persist for quite some time. However, turning that all-important profit is far more difficult than when houses were getting snapped up across the country.

It's the uneducated property investors who are being weeded out. Investors with know-how are still managing to turn healthy profits despite these difficult times.

For all of your real estate education needs, including how to find the right property and sell it for profit in any market situation (including this one), Foreclosure.com is here to help.

Visit our education center to find out more.

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Our success stories

SHORT SALE SHARON'S BACK!

Sharon Restrepo has been hosting sold-out Webinars on Foreclosure.com for quite some time now ... for a very good reason:

Nobody knows short sales like Sharon!

Her nearly 20 years in the business has helped her make money hand over fist, which allows "Short Sale" Sharon to spend her time doing what she loves: being with family and friends, traveling, shopping and earning incredible margins in short sales!

In the past, Sharon has educated Foreclosure.com members on such topics as:

• Short Sales 101 — The basics for the new investor
• Short Sale Negotiation — How to navigate negotiation waters like a pro
• Short Sale Package — How to create short sale packages so that lenders can't help but say, "Yes!"
• Create Equity from Nothing! — Get started with little or no money!
• Find Your Own Foreclosure Deal — The ins and outs of foreclosure ...
  on your terms

(By the way, it's not too late to tune in to the above Webinars! Get the On Demand Webinar of your choice right now and learn everything they learned in real time!)

Now, we're proud to introduce Short Sale Sharon's newest Webinar, designed especially for turning profits in today's market conditions. It's called "Short Sales 210" and it is part of Foreclosure.com's new Certified Foreclosure Agent program from Agent University.

(Side note: Short Sales 210 with Sharon is the focus of this edition's Site Feature Spotlight.)

Sharon is President of 32 West Realty — a prominent real estate brokerage firm that caters to the real estate investor and of HomeRescueSolutions.com — a marketing company designed for investors to reach and obtain seller leads. She is also Vice President of REIP The Rewards?? — an organization that provides educational resources for real estate investment professionals. In addition, Sharon co-founded the Florida Real Estate Investors' Association (FLREIA), which caters to aspiring and seasoned real estate investors.

As far as short sale experts go, Sharon certainly is the cream of the crop. Be sure to look for her most recent training presentation, Short Sales 210, in our comprehensive On Demand section — learn the short sale ropes right from the comfort of your own home!

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Linda's Learning Lane

Close out 2008
with a bang

Short Sales have truly been the "hot" buzz words for over the past 18 months. The investment strategy has always been around; however, based on the current nationwide real estate market situation, regular consumers are likely hearing and reading more about short sales.

Part of your job as an investor is to educate a homeowner when he or she indicates that a short sale is among his or her possible exit strategies. That's because most folks don't understand how long short sales can take and whether or not it is the best option for them to avoid foreclosure.

We have been very fortunate here at Foreclosure.com to have knowledgeable experts share their systems and strategies with you — our loyal readers — on how to get the bank to say "yes" to your offer.

The short sale package that you submit to the bank is key to getting your deals closed. Photos showing the wear and tear are great exhibits to support your offer. And consistent follow-up with the bank, which is often overlooked, is vital.

We have so many more short sale tips and tricks in a recent Webinar presentation, which can be found in our comprehensive On Demand library. This is where you will essentially learn the nuances of how to be effective and successful when it comes to short sales.

As this year comes to a close, we would like to thank you for subscribing to this FREE Newsletter. It is a pleasure to bring you these timely topics every month. We are excited for the 2009 year — stay tuned as we have a great line up of topics all set to roll out.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

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