Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Maryland
Short Sale
I can no longer afford my mortgage. Wilshire Holding Inc. says the will buy the house for the amount I owe. This seems too simple. What's the catch? How will this affect my credit and taxes? What are my obligations?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Short Sale
Given your situation it's a good alternative. The lender is willing to do it because it avoids the cost and trouble of foreclosure. As for your credit standing, I suggest you check with one of the credit reporting services to see how they treat a short sale in terms of credit score. You would want the mortgage company to report a satisfied debt as a result of the short sale--see what their policy is on this. As for taxes, you're selling the house for what you owe, so if you lived there for at least 2 years your exemption as an owner occupant would cover any "gain" from the sale, although you'll probably end up with a loss.