Charleston Foreclosure Frequently Asked Questions
Foreclosures
Where can I find foreclosures? While many agents and companies are offering "free lists" there is no one single way to find foreclosures. In fact these "free lists' are often just worthless. Odd as it may seem, many REO sellers do not want their assets identified as distressed or foreclosed on the MLS (multiple listing service) - What this really means is that one must cull through all the listings in a price range to find the gems. Our suggestion is to give us your price range and criteria and let us set you up to receive daily listings as they come onto the market. Click here to start
Watch our Blog! I personally and manually go through every single listing as it comes onto the market in an attempt to identify the REO and Foreclosure listings as they are listed.
Another method is to watch the county auction list to see what is coming through the courthouse auction. You can either buy at the courthouse or wait till the home is put back on the market by the lender. Buying a foreclosure at the auction is not for the faint of heart and I highly suggest that one has an expert buyers agent as well as an attorney involved. We have helped several clients in the last few months purchase this way and with the right homework these purchases have all been VERY lucrative. Again this method is for experienced buyers and usually require CASH Funds. Click here for county F/C lists.
How soon will the Seller respond? List Agents have no control over the REO sellers decision-making process. On rare occasions they will respond in the first 24 hours. However, more than likely they will respond in 2 to 5 days. Please be patient! The listing agent will notify your agent immediately when they get a response.
There have been occasions when a counter has taken well over a week. The Asset Manager is dealing with 100’s of properties, and if they receive 10, 20 or more offers in a day it takes some time to go through them.
Will I get a response over the weekend? No, any offer submitted over the weekend will typically not be responded to by the asset manager until the following business day. Do not expect the Banks to be available on weekends.
Multiple Offers. If there are multiple offers, the bank will typically verbally counter all with “highest and best”. This means come back with all that you have got and the bank will choose at that point. The REO seller will likely not counter after that. PLEASE read the multiple offer notification completely and be sure you understand ALL terms. I always advise to make the offer high enough that you will “know” that you could not go any higher if you lose the property. There will be no second chance when there are multiple offers.
It looks like the Seller did not sign the Counter Offer - You may receive a Seller’s Counter Offer without the sellers signatures or you may only receive the counter by voice or email. These different forms of counter offer are completely normal and are generated by the REO sellers Asset Manager or the outsource company (and often come to the Listing agent as an email attachment HINT - ask that the counter worksheet be forwarded to you - your agent might not be able to secure it but it sure does not hurt to ask). Once an offer is accepted the entire “package” (which may include the Offer as well as Counters, Addendums, copy of the check, et.al.) is sent to the REO seller for signatures. This includes the buyer’s signature on any counter offer addenda. Most REO sellers do not provide these addenda until all terms have been agreed to.
Are these verbal agreements binding? NO! Once you are informed that your offer is accepted, it is absolutely imperative that all required documentation is sent to the asset manager immediately for seller signatures. It is not a “done deal” until your agent has the REO seller signed contract back in their hand and has ‘delivered” it to you as the buyer. (by email or phone). REO departments and Asset managers give the “ok” and then go to their managers for signatures. (It is highly unlikely to have an Asset Manager “un-accept” a verbally accepted offer but it can happen. Just imagine if another aggressive buyer with an educated and experienced REO buyers agent places a substantially higher offer after your offer has been verbally accepted? Obviously the seller is going to want to minimize their lose and take the higher offer. We realize it is an unusual business practice to agree to offers orally, but the REO sellers have their own way of doing business.
That being said - do not delay in getting your offer to your lender!!!!
IF YOU ARE NOTIFIED THAT YOU HAVE AN ACCEPTED OFFER, PLEASE FORWARD THE OFFER TO YOUR LENDER SO THEY MAY BEGIN THE LOAN PROCESS. AT THIS POINT THE CONTRACT MAY NOT BE SIGNED BY SELLER, AND IT MY BE A FEW DAYS OR LONGER BEFORE RECEIPT OF A FULLY RATIFIED CONTRACT. IF YOUR LENDER HAS A PROBLEM WITH THAT, INFORM THEM THAT THIS IS AN REO SALE. THAT SHOULD SATISFY THEM IF THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS. IF NOT, HAVE THEM CALL YOUR AGENT. Despite any delays in returning the contract the bank does expect you to make the contracted close date. Any delays may cause you, the buyer to pay a penalty.
The REO Contract Addendums - Once the offer has been accepted the asset manager will generate addendum specific to the REO bank or corporate seller and send them to the list agent - The list agent will then forward them to your buyer agent for final signatures - again keep in mind that this does not mean that the contract is ratified. The contract is never completely ratified until the seller has signed.
The REO seller will not allow any changes to these addendum. I know that I am repeating myself here but this is CRITICAL info. DO NOT DELAY at this point - NOTE - these bank addendum are written for banks who sell properties in all different states so some terms may not apply to your contract.This is a good time to have your attorney review the contract and addendum - this is another really good reason to use an attorney who is familiar with REO foreclosure sales as you only have 24 hours in most cases to sign the offer and get it back to the list argent. Most Real Estate Attorneys will likely already be familiar with these terms and conditions.
HINT- Remember, these addendum are written to protect the bank from any current or future liabilities - they are not written to protect the buyer from anything. They always supersede the SC state contract.
Do not cause this sale to be extended. The bank looks closely at the date of closing in the contract. It is extremely important to get all paperwork to your lender ASAP! If closing does not occur on or before the contracted and accepted closing date you may be charged a fee for every extra day that the closing is delayed. It is imperative to stay on top of your lender and inspections.
Can I throw the seller a "Low Ball" offer? Avoid writing significantly low or questionable offers. We understand your desire to get a “Super Deal”. Unless you can document why the Seller should take significantly less than the asking price it would be foolish to write the offer - you may even alienate the asset manager assigned to the property.
Hint -The Seller has at least two different Broker Price Opinions (BPOs) and at least one full appraisal to determine market value - most foreclosures are priced to be ahead of a declining market and already represent a discount of on average 20-45% below current market value.
REO SELLERS ARE TRULY NOT INTERESTED IN LOW BALL OFFERS OR BUYERS ATTEMPTING UNLAWFUL FLIPS OR “SHADY” DEALS.
Hint - Buyers and seller please make note that the FHA has guidelines that may restrict a buyer when purchasing a REO rehab resale. Call Marshall if you have any questions about this.
Earnest Money Funds: You must have earnest funds available in your bank. Many REO sellers will require that you overnight FEDEX funds to their title company once the contract is ratified. Be prepared to send these funds the same day of receiving the title company name information from your Realtor. Not as common anymore, but another method REO sellers use is having the listing broker holding earnest money - if this is the case make sure your agent is given the earnest money check when the offer is written. Any delays in depositing the earnest money can also jeopardize the entire transaction.
While you may be anxious to send in the buyer’s deposit check to escrow, the Listing Agent MAY NOT HAVE this information prior to receiving the documents back from the bank. You will be notified when the list agent is informed whom to use.
Where can I get a property disclosure form? REO sellers are exempt from most seller Disclosure requirements, so there may be no disclosure.The asset manager has never seen the home and has no idea how old the roof is, or if everything is working . As a result we have NO information specific to the property. The asset manager MAY generate disclosures specific to the REO seller once negotiations begin which generally include Mold, lead paint and sometimes Chinese dtywall disclaimers and waivers of seller liability. If generated these MUST be signed and returned immediately.
Lead Based Paint? You may fill out a lead based paint addendum, but generally the seller will have no knowledge of any lead paint contamination. I have never had a REO seller order a test to be able to provide results. If a seller is required by federal law to provide a lead based paint disclosure they will generally provide one as part of their addendum package.
Who chooses the Escrow and Title Company? - The reality is, when buying a bank or corporate owned home there are “gives and takes”. One of the items that you will need to be flexible about is that the bank will, more than likely, want to choose the title and escrow companies. This is due to the fact that they have had significant amounts of title work already completed done during the Foreclosure process. The REO seller may even offer discounted fees to use their closing company. Ask your buyers agent to verify - ESCROW COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION USUALLY COMES WITH THE SIGNED DOCUMENTS FROM THE SELLER.
I understand that the REO seller wants me to use their closing title company but can I secure my own representation to close? YES! - As buyers agents we strongly recommend that a buyer have their own representation . With the news full of ‘wrong-full foreclosure” and “robo-signing” it is our opinion that it is imperative that a buyer be represented by an attorney of their choice. HOWEVER, many REO sellers contract addendum's specifically address this by requiring you to use their attorney. This is simply overcome in most cases but being pro-active and naming your choice of closing attorney in the original offer - PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS ATTORNEY is highly experience in closing REO sales. An experience REO closing attorney will make sure that new title and lien searches are performed as soon as the contract is submitted to them and again just prior to closing. KEEP in MIND all TITLE INSURANCE Policies are not created equal - this is a VERY IMPORTANT aspect of closing - make sure that the policy written for your new home is an enhanced policy which will give you very important additoional coverage - be sure to ask your closing attorney the differences in policies. ( example- if the REO seller succeeds in having you use their title company do you think they will choose to issue an more expensive ENHANCED policy or a cheaper policy ? Do you think they will order a new comprehensive title search or choose to “update” their existing title review?)
Time frames? Generally you will have 30 (for cash) to 45 days (financing) from mutual acceptance (even if verbal) to close the transaction. Often the proposed closing date on the original offer is unrealistic due to the elongated negotiation and acceptance process with the REO departments. The Asset Manager knows that you can’t close in a week and a half (unless your offer is cash). They are not here to work against you. Asset managers know that appraisals, inspections and the loan process take time. They will assume that you have taken the time prior to making an offer to become pre-approved for the loan and that there will be no trivial delays beyond the 30 to 45 day closing period. Read the Bank Addendum carefully – there is often a per diem late fee assessed for tardy closings. The bank will not suffer delays due to your lender not performing in a timely manner. Begin your inspections upon being alerted that your offer is accepted. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT PRIOR TO WRITING AN OFFER THAT YOUR LENDER HAS PULLED YOUR CREDIT ,VERIFIED YOUR INCOME (PAY STUBS) AND ASSETS (BANK STATEMENTS) - many lenders are not doing this prior to writing your letter of pre-approval - if your pre-approval letter is subject to credit, income or asset verification it is not worth the paper it is written on. If your lender tells you that they don't or won’t do this prior to having a contract in hand you need a new lender - SERIOUSLY- we can recommend several loan officers who are highly experience in REO purchase financing.
REO sellers often look for a letter of pre-approval from a preferred loan officer - (for example Bank of America requires a letter of pre-approval from a Bank of America loan officer) - while you may not choose to actually use this Loan Officer it will make your offer much stronger to have this letter when yor offer is presented presented - you may even get a pleasant surprise when you see the rate and /or closing costs associated with using the preferred lender.
HINT **Appraisal - please note that as per new appraisal guidelines the appraiser must have power, water and sewer operational during the appraisal site visit - please try to coordinate the appraisal at the same time as inspections to avoid having the utilities shut off prior to appraisal. The appraiser needs to visually see running water and flushing toilets! SERIOUSLY!
Can I cancel the contract if they find something wrong? The buyer may have the right to cancel the contract and receive their deposit back if they do so within their contractual time. READ THE CONTRACT CAREFULLY -
Will the Seller pay for repairs? The home is being sold “AS-IS.” If the bank has rehabilitated the home, their scope of work has already been determined and cannot be changed. Therefore FHA/VA offers present obvious problems. We are FHA 203k rehabilitation loan experts and can help you with a purchase needing repairs. As a general Rule REO listings are sold STRICTLY AS/IS with no repairs.
Will the Seller pay for and get Pest (termite) inspection? No. If this is a requirement of your lender then you should expect to order and pay for that inspection. The same for any other lender required inspections. Remember, a CL-100 pest infestation report is now only valid for 30 days. If the bank has title problems that need correcting your closing may be delayed. If you are borrowing money you may be required by you lender to provide an updated CL-100 prior to close. ( again, your cost)
What if there is evidence of infestation on the Pest report? Your lender may have a stipulation that these items must be corrected prior to close of escrow. Please be aware that you will, more than likely, be responsible for correcting those, not the bank. We suggest you get your termite inspection done well within your contingency period to determine your obligations.
Does the Seller offer Financing? Not usually. If they do, it will be noted in the MLS. Some sellers require that you have a pre-qualification letter from one of their loan officers, though typically there is no obligation to use that lender. Your Realtor can help get you in contact with the right person to have this prequalification done with.
Contingency Periods? You must adhere strictly to the contingency periods or are at risk of having the contract canceled and then losing your deposit. This is a business transaction and banks don’t like excuses or delays. Most banks institute a “per diem” charge for delayed closings. Please pay attention to these time frames.
My financing fell through....what now? If the contract clearly states that written notification that your loan is not approved is required. this must be in the time frame specified in the contract. If this notification is not given then they assume financing is fine and that contingency is automatically removed. What does that mean really? It means you will likely lose your earnest money if you loan falls through at the last minute. REALLY!
Will the Seller accept Contingent Sales? It is highly unlikely that any bank would accept an offer contingent upon the sale of another home. If the bank accepts your offer then finds out that you really do need to sell a home in order to purchase (and you haven’t disclosed that) the sale will be immediately cancelled and you will lose your earnest money deposit.
Can I add or delete a buyer once in Contract? All changes must be made in writing and ASAP. There are many levels and channels to go through to an REO sale. Everything takes time. This still does not guarantee that the seller will agree to any changes, and they never allow assignment. If you are married and plan to buy as married be sure to write contract with both your names prior to submission. If you are an investor that is planning on taking title in the name of an LLC, or corporation they will either have to form the entity prior to writing (to provide documentation to the bank the entity exists, as the banks are required to verify this under federal law) or they will have to transfer the property after settlement. If you are buying as an entity the REO seller may request a copy of articles of incorporation etc.
Please be considerate, we are all working towards the common goal of closing on the subject property. If you have a specific attorney you want to use please make sure to put it in the contract.
Everything you need to know should be addressed answered here. If by chance you have additional questions or concerns, please start with our office at 843- 628-2806 or REO@MarshallWalker.com
Telephone: 843-628-2806
Thank you for your interest.
Marshall Walker
