The recent announcement by President Obama of incentives to homeowners of $1,500 for selling their home in a short sale is just further evidence that lenders are unwilling or unable to complete realistic loan modifications. The President is realizing that lenders would rather take a short sale loss and move on than deal with modifications.
Many homeowners get emotionally attached to their homes, but they need to be realistic. If you are in a position where you cannot afford the existing payment and are severely behind in payments, it is unlikely a loan modification is going to help. With only 66,000 modifications in 2009 under the Obama HAM program nationwide, it seems unlikely that anything is going to get better.
Once homeowners realize that they may not be able to save their home and realistically think about moving on, they can properly evaluate all possible options. Many homeowners end up losing their homes during a modification review and end up with personal liability on 2nd or 3rd mortgages. Bankruptcy can be a useful tool to resolve some of these issues. It can be used to remove 2nd liens and bring a homeowner current on back owed payments.
The other options are short sales or deeds in lieu of foreclosure. Homeowners should consult with a local real estate or bankruptcy lawyer to be sure they are protecting their finances moving forward.
Chris Barsness
http://www.bankruptcylawyerla.net
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