A client called us the
other day confused. He had a first and second loan and owed more than their West
Sacramento property was worth. He had refinanced and pulled money out to
improve the West Sacramento property. In calling his bank to discuss a loan
modification he found out that the second was not a true mortgage second but a
Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC as they are often referred to. He was
surprised to find out that the bank would not consider a loan modification
unless he settled the HELOC for a minimum of 20%. Now let’s face it, how many
people have an extra 10 or $20,000 to give to their lender on a property
already 50% upside down.
His question to us was,
can he short sale in West Sacramento if he has a HELOC second
and, if so what will it cost.
Our answer was yes, you
can West Sacramento short sale with a HELOC
second, have the debt forgiven and if done correctly, owe no income taxes on
the forgiven debt.
You see HELOC’s are
treated the same as credit card debt. If the West Sacramento property was
foreclosed on you would still be liable for the unpaid balance of the HELOC
second. This is why in most instances a West Sacramento short sale is superior to a West Sacramento foreclosure.
On a HELOC second for
the most part we have been very successful in getting the first to clear and
the second to accept for about 6% of the unpaid balance with no cash
contribution from the seller. In fact, without giving tax or legal advice, it
is illegal for the second to require the seller to make a cash contribution or
sign a promissory note in order to get the second to approve the West Sacramento short sale.
Don’t let the HELOC
second scare you. Properly done a West Sacramento short sale will allow you to
walk away from the debt, avoid tax liability for the unpaid balance and get a
fresh start financially.
Is a West Sacramento Short Sale Right for Me?
To get a better idea of when your West Sacramento home will be worth what you owe,
log in to www.shortsaleandloanmod.info for a free
estimate or call me today for a free no obligation consultation or for the
latest West Sacramento short sale information. Call me
today and sleep better tonight; you’ll be glad you did.
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