Albuquerque NM – Another agent asked me about a short sale. His seller owed 270k. The house was selling as a short sale for 170k. The lender had two opinions of the house value. They said the house was worth 220k. However, the agent thinks those are incorrect because the house has been on the open market for several months. In addition, similar homes has been selling for around 180k.

The biggest reason lenders turn down a short sale is because they think the house is worth more. They have people give them an opinion of value for a nominal fee. Because these people may profit if the lender forecloses on the house, they often turn in high values.

If you are selling your house as a short sale, this might happen. Here is how your agent can handle the problem. First off, they will need to „escalate“ the file. This means they appeal to the lender and ask them to reconsider. They will then need to show why they think the house is worth less.

This is fairly simple. I send the lender a Comparable Market Analysis, also known as a CMA. This is where I show three other similar homes that have recently sold. I compare them to the subject property and give an opinion of value based on those comparisons.

I have found it best to use a price per square foot comparison. After all, it is hard to argue that a house is worth X, when all the other homes are selling for the same price per square foot. Your agent will then request the lender order a new opinion of value. Most lenders will usually do that if there is a big discrepancy.

Another option is to hire an appraiser. Have the lender review the appraisal. It’s hard for a lender in a far away city to argue with an appraisal done by an appraiser familiar with the local marketplace.

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