Susan V.'s Blog

Have you ever heard the saying "The confused mind does nothing"?  I run into this almost daily with my distressed clients.  When faced with a stressful situation, if you don't know how to solve it, you will inevitably do nothing.  It's simply easier to ignore the problem and hope that it will resolve itself in some miraculous way than try to figure out the unknown.

When a homeowner is facing the prospect of losing their home, the fear and uncertainty can be unbearable.  It's really primal-what's going to happen?  When will it happen?  Where will we live?  Unfortunately there are many unscrupulous people out there who have preyed on the vulnerable homeowners in this situation.  Of course this just makes an bad situation worse, and often leads to the home being foreclosed on.

Realtors can play an vital and critical role in today's market-because we are knowledgeable professionals who put our client's best interest first, we are in a position to help alleviate some of the confusion that our at risk homeowners are facing.  There are so many resources available that borrowers need to know about-free government assistance, special loan workouts and forebearance plans, short sales and deed in lieu options to name a few.  I have spent the last 3 1/2 years becoming as well informed as I can be - all with the goal of being a reliable source of helpful, accurate and viable solutions for my clients.

When I meet with a homeowner who is facing the prospect of losing their home, I spend the first 30 minutes or so just listening-learning how and why they are in this position and what their ideal solution would be.  My goal is to always offer several options that are viable and free-whether it be re-applying for a loan modification or exploring a short sale when an exit strategy is needed.  The goal is to help them arrive at the most tangible and least damaging option for their specific situation.

Just by taking the time to sit down and listen, and then have some real concrete options presented to them, homeowners immediately feel a lot better-calmer, focused and ready to make some hard decisions.  This may be the best service we can provide our clients-a sympathetic ear, a strong knowledge base and a plan of action to help the homeowner resolve their situation.

Susan Gregory is a Realtor, trainer and author of two publications for distressed homeowners and short sale agents.  She is a Certified HAFA Specialist, a Certified Negotiation Expert, Short Sale Foreclosure Resource Agent and has closed numerous short sale transaction in Southern California.