Short Sale Fraud – It’s not a law; nor is it an official policy, but it’s definitely going to be a problem regardless. Freddie Mac’s new short sale opinion – for lack of a better word – could create serious legal and practical issues for real estate investors.
The organization posted a new educational article on April 16, 2010 titled “Emerging Fraud Trends: Short Payoff Fraud.” The article described a new trend in short sale fraud that happens when a short sale buyer flips a newly acquired property to another buyer and “pockets the difference.” This could mean problems for investors who have been short sale flipping, or negotiating short sales with banks and then selling the properties at a profit.
The Freddie Mac poster went on to describe scenarios and red flags for short payoff fraud. The scenario revolved around a short sale facilitator who set up a deal with a lender to purchase a home worth 80K for 70K while the lender took a 30K loss. The facilitator does not let the bank know that he already has a buyer ready to pay 95,000 for the property. The second the facilitator puts his profits in his pocket, Freddie Mac considers him guilty of fraud because his negotiations caused Freddie Mac to ultimately take a “larger than necessary” loss on the sale of the property.
The writer encourages everyone involved in short payoffs to look out for short payoff flags. Flags include sudden default without explanation, borrowers current on other debts and buying entities. The article also tells readers to keep an eye out for resale options in their purchase agreement.
Finally, sellers, buyers and lenders are all encouraged to report this short payoff fraud if they are aware of a second purchase contract for a higher price. It may not be considered breaking the law, but it certainly looks like Freddie Mac wants to make short sales as difficult as possible for real estate investors.
Short Sale Fraud – It’s not a law; nor is it an official policy, but it’s definitely going to be a problem regardless. Freddie Mac’s new short sale opinion – for lack of a better word – could create serious legal and practical issues for real estate investors.
The organization posted a new educational article on April 16, 2010 titled “Emerging Fraud Trends: Short Payoff Fraud.” The article described a new trend in short sale fraud that happens when a short sale buyer flips a newly acquired property to another buyer and “pockets the difference.” This could mean problems for investors who have been short sale flipping, or negotiating short sales with banks and then selling the properties at a profit.
The Freddie Mac poster went on to describe scenarios and red flags for short payoff fraud. The scenario revolved around a short sale facilitator who set up a deal with a lender to purchase a home worth 80K for 70K while the lender took a 30K loss. The facilitator does not let the bank know that he already has a buyer ready to pay 95,000 for the property. The second the facilitator puts his profits in his pocket, Freddie Mac considers him guilty of fraud because his negotiations caused Freddie Mac to ultimately take a “larger than necessary” loss on the sale of the property.
The writer encourages everyone involved in short payoffs to look out for short payoff flags. Flags include sudden default without explanation, borrowers current on other debts and buying entities. The article also tells readers to keep an eye out for resale options in their purchase agreement.
Finally, sellers, buyers and lenders are all encouraged to report this short payoff fraud if they are aware of a second purchase contract for a higher price. It may not be considered breaking the law, but it certainly looks like Freddie Mac wants to make short sales as difficult as possible for real estate investors.
Short Sale Fraud – It’s not a law; nor is it an official policy, but it’s definitely going to be a problem regardless. Freddie Mac’s new short sale opinion – for lack of a better word – could create serious legal and practical issues for real estate investors.
The organization posted a new educational article on April 16, 2010 titled “Emerging Fraud Trends: Short Payoff Fraud.” The article described a new trend in short sale fraud that happens when a short sale buyer flips a newly acquired property to another buyer and “pockets the difference.” This could mean problems for investors who have been short sale flipping, or negotiating short sales with banks and then selling the properties at a profit.
The Freddie Mac poster went on to describe scenarios and red flags for short payoff fraud. The scenario revolved around a short sale facilitator who set up a deal with a lender to purchase a home worth 80K for 70K while the lender took a 30K loss. The facilitator does not let the bank know that he already has a buyer ready to pay 95,000 for the property. The second the facilitator puts his profits in his pocket, Freddie Mac considers him guilty of fraud because his negotiations caused Freddie Mac to ultimately take a “larger than necessary” loss on the sale of the property.
The writer encourages everyone involved in short payoffs to look out for short payoff flags. Flags include sudden default without explanation, borrowers current on other debts and buying entities. The article also tells readers to keep an eye out for resale options in their purchase agreement.
Finally, sellers, buyers and lenders are all encouraged to report this short payoff fraud if they are aware of a second purchase contract for a higher price. It may not be considered breaking the law, but it certainly looks like Freddie Mac wants to make short sales as difficult as possible for real estate investors.
Real estate investing and Bulk REO are tough businesses right now. While the business of buying and holding real estate as a long term investment remains a legitimate and viable strategy for wealth building, profit is no longer guaranteed as it once appeared to be.
With that in mind, the astute real estate investor will consider some specific real estate investment concepts to complement the tried and true strategy of long-term buy-and-hold investment houses:
*Virtual Real Estate Investing the term virtual real estate investing has multiple meanings, including the use of the internet to buy and sell property, and the purchase and development of internet websites as a means of generating revenue. With an objective analysis, one can see the conceptual similarity between physical real estate and internet properties including entire websites and even individual pages controlled on larger sites like Facebook, Squidoo and Google Knol. Increasingly, real estate investors are seeing the clear opportunity presented by developing web properties into revenue generating assets much like physical rental properties. This trend is on the rise and will continue for the foreseeable future.
*Bulk REO the prevalence of foreclosures in our economy has put mortgage lenders into a difficult position. With large pools of foreclosed properties on their books, it is no longer efficient for these lenders to sell their foreclosed properties one-by-one through real estate brokers. As such, mortgage lenders are increasingly opting to sell their foreclosures in packages to well-funded investors, at steeply discounted prices. Bulk REO investing is a rapidly emerging trend and will continue to be a significant tool for real estate acquisition and disposition until such time as the current foreclosure crisis abates and the foreclosure rate regresses to more normal historical levels.
It’s a different world in the real estate investment business. It would be very, very simple to think that the foreclosure crisis has caused the door of opportunity to be slammed entirely shut. Yet that’s simply not the case. When one observes the state of the real estate market, it is undeniable that fundamentals matter more than ever. For example, the selection of the local real estate market is of greater importance than ever, considering the huge disparity that exists among the thousands of real estate markets across the United States. Additionally, the role of regulatory compliance is greater than ever given the activist nature of the current presidential administration.
Without a doubt, there are very major challenges in todays real estate investing market. But with some persistence, determination and creativity, there is still plenty of opportunity.
Real Estate Investing is a tough business right now. While the business of buying and holding real estate as a long term investment remains a legitimate and viable strategy for wealth building, profit is no longer guaranteed as it once appeared to be.
With that in mind, the astute real estate investor will consider some specific real estate investment concepts to complement the “tried and true” strategy of long-term buy-and-hold investment houses:
* Internet Marketing – The internet continues to grow at an astounding rate and its value as a marketing medium grows even faster. With the expanding influence of social networking and the ability of “normal” internet users to directly interact with each other, the internet has become a center of social persuasion and an extremely viable medium for “getting the word out” about products and services available to average people. The benefits aren’t reserved for large businesses, either. While the internet has become increasingly competitive in recent years, it’s still imminently accessible as a marketing medium even for solo entrepreneurs with a modicum of determination and education.
* Bulk REO – the prevalence of foreclosures in our economy has put mortgage lenders into a difficult position. With large pools of foreclosed properties on their books, it is no longer efficient for these lenders to sell their foreclosed properties one-by-one through real estate brokers. As such, mortgage lenders are increasingly opting to sell their foreclosures in “packages” to well-funded investors, at steeply discounted prices. Bulk REO investing is a rapidly emerging trend and will continue to be a significant tool for real estate acquisition and disposition until such time as the current foreclosure crisis abates and the foreclosure rate regresses to more normal historical levels.
It’s a different world in the real estate investment business. It would be very, very simple to think that the foreclosure crisis has caused the door of opportunity to be slammed entirely shut. Yet that’s simply not the case. When one observes the state of the real estate market, it is undeniable that fundamentals matter more than ever. For example, the selection of the local real estate market is of greater importance than ever, considering the huge disparity that exists among the thousands of real estate markets across the United States. Additionally, the role of regulatory compliance is greater than ever given the activist nature of the current presidential administration.
Without a doubt, there are very major challenges in today’s real estate investing market. But with some persistence, determination and creativity, there is still plenty of opportunity.
