Some of the benefits of HAFA:

• Allows borrowers to receive pre-approved short sale terms prior to listing the home
• Requires borrowers to be fully released from future liability  for the first mortgage debt
• Provides $3000 in financial assistance for borrower relocation

In theory, HAFA sounds like a great program. Every seller wants a full release from future liabilities when they are considering a short sale, and who wouldn’t want a 3k check handed to them at closing?

However, the requirements to participate in HAFA are ever-changing and vague at best. And although the loan servicers have made a conscious choice to opt into the program it is a government program, which means that sometimes it can be SLOW and painful to move through the HAFA approval process.

Take the following timeline as an example:

3/28 – HAFA paperwork submitted to Bank of America (BofA)

4/25 – Borrower calls to check in and BofA says they can’t find his file

5/23 – Appraisal is complete and uploaded into the system.  ***Note, it should typically take 2-4 weeks for an appraisal to be completed and uploaded on an average, (non-HAFA) short sale. This had taken 60 days and a ludicrous number of calls to get to this point.

6/20 – Appraisal value is uploaded, and we have our approved HAFA price (90 days later!)

* Note, this is not short sale approval. 90 days later we received the price that Bank of America had decided we could list and sell the home for; gee thanks.

Eventually this home did close, after 2 more months of negotiating and stalking, I mean following up with Bank of America. That was 5 months after the borrowers initially applied for HAFA.  The borrowers did receive their full release and collected their check at closing.  Was it worth it?  There were many times throughout the transaction where we all would have said, heck no,  absolutely not.  However, when we closed and they picked up their check and knew they knew they were fully released, they were ecstatic. Was it worth it? In the end it was.

3011 S Palm Dr. Tempe, AZ  85283

Take a look at this great Bradley built Tempe home we just listed.   It’s located in the heart of Tempe, just off Rural Rd. & Southern.  It is over 2100 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and sits on a 1/4 acre lot in Brentwood Manor.  The backyard is super private, features an RV Gate and is large enough for a pool.

Contact Team Wilson today for more information or to schedule a private showing.

At 27,762 active listings in the MLS, inventory is at a 5 year low. It is down 48% from its peak in November 2007.

August 2011: 104 days inventory

April 2008: 425 days inventory

Sumo Sissy

As soon as Samantha was born we started calling her Sissy. Of course, it makes perfect sense that as the little sister her nickname would be Sissy. Is this a nickname that will stick until she’s grown and gone to college? Will she introduce herself as Sissy to her co-workers on her first job ?

To make it even worse, sometimes we even add in the title of Sumo Sissy in the mix.  Take a look at those thighs, it takes pure talent to wedge those in between the crib slats, doesn’t it?