Q + A with Jason Ellis, who manages Troubled Assets for Coastal Reo Solutions of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I recently had a chance to sit down and discuss the current climate of Myrtle Beach real estate with one of the most successful and   knowledgeable foreclosed property specialists in South Carolina, Jason Ellis of Coastal Reo Solutions.

Q – Jason, what are you seeing in the Myrtle Beach home market right now?

A – We are experiencing a rise in foreclosure properties and short sales, and I expect that this trend might continue in the foreseeable future. We have seen great gains in the number of homes and condos that have been sold this summer, partly from the First Time Buyers Tax Credit and hopefully because the worst of the recession is behind us. But a great many of those sales have come from the value buyers are finding in short sale and foreclosed properties.

Q - Jason, what exactly is a Foreclosure?

A – This is the lawful course of action that a mortgage lender could employ to repossess your house. Once this happens, you must move out of your home, because possession and ownership reverts to the mortgage holder. If your property is “underwater”, which means its value is less than the total sum of money that you owe on your real estate loan; a deficiency judgment could be pursued by the lender against you as well.  Foreclosures and deficiency judgments could both severely impact your ability to qualify for credit for at least 7 years, and in some cases up to 10 years.

Q – What steps should I take if I am unable to make my mortgage payments?

1.  NEVER avoid your lender. The bank doesn’t want to take your property from you, believe it or not. They would much prefer to work out a solution to the problem at hand, rather than create a new more complex one for themselves.

2.  Document whatever fiscal adversities you face: the loss of a job, salary reduction, medical problems, natural disaster, death of cosigner, etc.

3.  Your lender can’t help you if they don’t know how to contact you! Call, visit, or write to your lender’s Loss Mitigation Department as quickly as possible to begin a loan workout.  Your lender will be more apt to work out a solution with you if they realize you are making an effort to correct the situation before it gets any further out of hand.

Q – What options are available to me avoid foreclosure?

A – I can think of a few that will help prevent a person from losing their home to foreclosure. Of course, every situation is different and that’s why I suggest getting to a professional agent as quickly as possible. They will know all the arrangements and options that are on the table, and they have a better chance of saving your home than you would on your own, in most cases.

Mortgage Modification – Under certain circumstances your lender can modify your present loan to make it more affordable and repackage any missed payments into the new loan. You might qualify for this option if you have recovered from your financial problems and can afford the new payment amount.

Special Forbearance – This is an arrangement that would be made with the lender to acquire a brief suspension of your mortgage payments. The missed payments, delinquency fees and accrued interest would then be added to the outstanding loan balance. The structure of the repayment plan would vary depending on the lender. One lender may add the back payments owed on to the principle amount of the loan.  A different lending company might lower the interest rate on the mortgage, or could even lower the monthly payments for a prearranged amount of time.

Pre-Foreclosure Sale or Short Sale - This option might permit you to sell your property for less money than is necessary to pay off the full balance of your mortgage loan. In a short sale, the mortgage lender or bank agrees to markdown the value of the loan balance because of a financial or economic hardship experienced by the borrower. The property owner sells the mortgaged property for less money than the outstanding balance of the mortgage and turns over the entire amount of the sale to the lender to satisfy their debt in full. Neither side can be said to be “doing the other a favor.” A short sale could simply be the most simple and economical solution to the problem.

Deed In Lieu Of Foreclosure – This option will allow you to willingly return the property to your lender without damaging your credit further. The “deed in lieu of foreclosure” offers numerous advantages to both the borrower and the lender. The chief advantage to the borrower is that it releases them instantly from the majority, or possibly all, of their personal debt connected to the defaulted loan. The borrower also avoids the public embarrassment of a foreclosure proceeding, and they could obtain more liberal workout terms than they might in formal foreclosure actions.

Q – Couldn’t I just file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy and keep my home?

A – Bankruptcy needs to be avoided at all costs.  It’s very important to stress that point to the people who find themselves in this unfortunate position. Bankruptcy is the most damaging thing a person can do to their credit. If this is your only option and you are consulting with a Bankruptcy Attorney, provide the attorney’s name and phone number to your bank.  This will at least get the bank, or collection agencies they have hired, to stop calling you directly.

Q – How could your company help a person or institution in the foreclosure process, and how can they reach you?

A – Coastal REO Solutions (CRS) is a firm devoted to stabilizing the Myrtle Beach real estate market by offering property assessment and risk management services of  property and other assets in any stage of foreclosure. We are the Grand Strand’s leading REO and Troubled Asset Real Estate Firm, so no matter what state of the foreclosure process you find yourself in, call Coastal REO Solutions and we will do our best to help you through this troubling time in your life. We can’t help you if we don’t know about your situation, and contacting us early in the proceeding is absolutely vital for a positive outcome. We accomplish this by utilizing our staff’s superior knowledge of market conditions and strategies. Our phone number is 843-839-8406 and our email address is Info@coastalREOsolutions.com.

If you are a buyer, investor, or speculator looking to purchase foreclosed real estate be sure to use the proprietary search application located on our website.  CRS also has access to Bulk REO packages and Bank Notes that may be purchased.

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