Will there be more short sales in 2010, or will the market end the glut? I'm betting on the former, as there will still be many, many people who have negative equity in their homes. Our President, and the banks, are hoping that moral suasion will cause owners to continue to pay on mortgages that are underwater. The banks may not be thinking about the fact that they themselves have walked away from bad investments, and therefore it makes sense that homeowners and building owners might do the same. While there is still a degree of stigma in not honoring the debt, that's often weighed against extra money in one's pocket every month.
Now, not every owner is a candidate for a short sale, as banks do have the right to go after the extra amount from other assets. However, the government is leaning on them not to foreclose, which limits their options. Plus, they know that it costs about 15% of the value of a property to foreclose on it, and they don't want to lose more than necessary.
We have begun a joint venture with New Haven Asset Management to get those short sales approved and closed. One of the chief problems with doing one is that it can take up to a year, and buyers often won't, or can't, wait around until the lender or lenders agree. It makes a lot of sense to have somebody specialize in getting those approvals, and using them to make sure that the properties close. We have been doing that for a few months now, and the results are impressive. It's also common for lawyers to tell us, during a short sale handled by NHAM, that they plan to send future short sales to it, rather than reinventing the wheel themselves each time.
Every era in our country has led to new lines of business, and short sale management is one whose time has come. While we'd rather do business the old-fashioned way, where there is enough money to go around, the main thing is that we'd rather do business. Adaptation is often the key to success, and we're doing that.
