Stop Michigan Foreclosure

Here is an article that gives number of foreclosure throughout Michigan in 2009 by County.

I am sure no one will be surprised to learn that Wayne County had the most foreclosures in Michigan in 2009. How about the county where you live? Did you ever wonder how many foreclosure filings there were in the last few years? If you are behind on your payments and facing a Michigan foreclosure, you will see you are not alone.

The obvious message is that foreclosure has no geographical boundaries and extends throughout Michigan. This means that there are resources and help available, more so than if this was not such a prevalent problem. We are one such resource that can help people facing a Michigan Foreclosure. We can help you evaluate your options and help you get back to better times.

If you are behind on your payments and facing Michigan foreclosure (or know someone who is) give us a call. We will not put you in a worse position, and will work harder than anyone to improve your situation. Confidential, free, right here in Michigan ready to help you. Call today before it’s too late!

Ann

Last week, we closed on two different houses and my team made $267,000 of debt disappear between both of them. How is this done? This is done with a short sale. Don’t know what a short sale is? Well you can search this blog to learn more, or just give us a call. We’re really good at them though based on all of the testimonials you’ll find here and here. And here’s two more!

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“What can we say about Joel and the people who work with him. They were amazing from the very beginning. We, like many people, were in a bad situation with our mortgage company with the high interest rate which led to a payment we just couldn’t afford. Desperate, we bought into a couple scams which cost us money we didn’t have. So needless to say when I heard from Joel we were a little skeptical. That feeling was completely wrong. From the very beginning they have stayed true to their word. They were always so compassionate about our situation and what we were going through. Even when things didn’t go necessarily as planned, they continued to work hard to get any issues resolved. They were not just negotiators to us, they truly became our friends who we feel sincerely cared. We are so thankful to them for helping us resolve a situation that no one ever wants to go through. I would recommend anyone who has any needs as far as their houses go to get in contact with them. They are great. Just in case you’re wondering our original debt was $197,000. Joel’s team got the mortgage company to settle for $86,000 which was a savings of $111,000. Amazing!!”

Mike and Jen, Hamilton, Michigan

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“I found myself looking for another job after I moved back home to Grand Rapids, Michigan. I did not realize it would take me so long to find employment again and dwindled down my savings to save my house. I called the bank for help and did everything they asked me to do – sent hardship letters and financial statements, they basically said we cannot help you unless you are delinquent. I have never paid a late payment in my life, but I had to. I finally was referred to a realtor Curt Hausser who was so understanding and sympathetic – he referred me to Great lakes, from the day I asked for their help my embarrassment and stress went away. My original debt was $267,000, the house was settled for $110,000, which wiped out $157,000 of debt. This is for real! Thanks all of the staff at Great Lakes.”

Linda, Howard City, Michigan

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Joel

Today I’m going to give all of the blog readers out there a tidbit of useful advice: Don’t trust your Michigan short sale to just anyone. I’ll tell you why…

Short sales are hard to do! They take a lot of frustrating phone calls, countless hours of your time, some serious negotiation ability, and some on-your-toes critical thinking skills. Not everyone has the time, patience, or skill to close a short sale deal.

Today I did a search on the local MLS to see exactly how many active short sale listings there are out there. The answer is a whopping 1,083! Just in the southwest Michigan area! I then did a search to see how many short sales sold in the last six months: a mere 200. Shocking!

I suppose that due to our much higher than average closing success rate (about 80%) it’s easy for us to forget how many people out there are struggling with their short sales. Many sellers are either trying to do them by themselves, or are using a possibly uninformed, unqualified REALTOR®. Sure, there are REALTORS® out there who are seasoned pros at this (many work with us!), but many aren’t very qualified. They try hard to sells houses and most are good at it. If they are working on a short sale, chances are they are trying their hardest to get it to go through. But all the trying in the world cannot make something work if you simply don’t know how or have the refined skills. We work with several great REALTORS® to try to make sure the house not only gets sold, but also gets an approved short sale. Have you watched Joel’s video on how to determine if your REALTOR® is qualified to do a short sale?

So before you trust your short sale to just anyone, give it some thought. Hopefully you’ll realize that our FREE, confidential services may be a great opportunity for you. Remember, Michigan short sales are all we do!

Holly

I recently saw asked a REALTOR® (not one of ours!) how things were going with one of his listings.  it went like this…

“I haven’t talked to the seller in 2 months” he said.

“2 Months? Must be you aren’t getting a lot of showings” I said

“We haven’t had any, it is priced way too high but that is what they need to pay off their debt” he said.

“Sounds like you may need a short sale” I said.

Now I don’t know for sure that this seller is a good candidate for a Michigan short sale or not.. However, I do know that if your house has been listed for more than 2-3 weeks without a showing, then it is priced too high.

I would also say if your REALTOR® has not talked to you in 2 weeks (let alone 2 months, good grief), you need a new REALTOR®. A good REALTOR® will be constantly updating you on progress and suggesting adjustments. If you want to know other ways to judge a how well a REALTOR® will do with your short sale, see this video.

How do you figure out if you need a Michigan short sale, make sure your house is priced correctly and that you have a good REALTOR® ? One way is to talk to us. Especially if you are facing a Michigan foreclosure, selling your house is a time sensitive matter. You don’t have time for trial and error now do you? Give us a call and not only will we help you with your short sale as much as possible, we will put you in touch with our whole team of people, including REALTROS®, who can help you get your house sold and get back to better times.

Ann

Last week, we closed on two different houses and my team made more debt disappear. How is this done? This is done with a short sale. Don’t know what a short sale is? Well you can search this blog to learn more, or just give us a call. We’re really good at them though based on all of the testimonials you’ll find here and here. And here’s two more!

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“Due to my husbands job loss we were unable to pay our mortgage. We found ourselves in default of our mortgage after 8 years of paying on time. The home was in foreclosure when we first heard about Great Lakes Home Solutions, Inc. (GLHS). We didn’t feel like we could do anything to improve our situation besides trying to “short sale” the house. It turned out being a great decision. GLHS ended up wiping out $97,000 of debt, which was a great weight being lifted from us. I would recommend GLHS to anyone that is going through the same situation. It was a great decision.”

Deon & Nicole, Kalamazoo, Michigan

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“After having the house on the market for three years and had several deals fall through due to the rapidly declining market, Great Lakes Home Solutions, Inc. was our last resort. We could not afford to keep putting good money after bad and had hard decisions to make regarding our family’s financial future. Great Lakes assigned Realtor was able to sell our home and Great Lakes negotiated an agreeable arrangement with our mortgage company that allowed us to walk away and begin our lives again, with a much better credit future than a foreclosure would have allowed. At least now we can have hope of someday securing a new home for our children to grow up in, in the future. The fact that we were currently living in a different state due to jobs, did not affect the quality of attention that Great Lakes offered our family, even though it meant more work on their part to put our deal together and still make tight deadlines. We appreciate their hard work.”

Gary & Marci, Greenville, Michigan

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Joel

I’ve spoken to a few families that wanted to not do a short sale and ride out their redemption period.  Why? Not because it was the best for them, but because the thought of the dreaded winter move was “impossible”. I’m here to say, no it’s not. I just did it and I’m still here to tell the story. More than that, you have to understand that a short sale isn’t a fast process. If a short sale is right for you, and we start the process now, chances are pretty good that the snow will be gone by the time you move.

Don’t let the idea of the dreaded winter move stop you from making the best choice for your family. If you’re not sure what your options are when facing a Michigan foreclosure,  give me a call. I’d be happy to discuss all of your options with you.

Emily

I’ve recently learned of an interesting bit of folklore that has been circling around the real estate world for years. The legend says that if you bury a little statue of Saint Joseph in your yard, your home will sell swiftly. You then give thanks to the tiny St. Joseph by digging him up and placing him on the mantel of your new home.

Where did this tale come from, you ask? According to www.StJosephStatue.com, an online purveyor of all of your plastic (and pewter, if you’re feelin’ fancy!) St. Joseph needs, this tradition has been around quite some time. “The solemn tradition of burying St. Joseph in the earth began hundreds of years ago in Europe. During those times, an order of nuns prayed to St. Joseph (the patron saint of the family and household needs) when they needed more lands for convents. The Sisters were encouraged to bury their St. Joseph medals in the ground.”

Now, I am not a skeptic. If this 4” St. Joseph can sell my house quickly in Michigan’s tough market, I’ll buy him a posh little dollhouse to live out his golden years. But if you’re looking for a surefire way to sell your house, I’d try pricing it at fair market value. Easier said than done, though. Ever since housing values took a dramatic dip, many people owe much more than their homes are worth. This is where a short sale comes in handy, and this is where we step in! We can negotiate with the bank to accept an amount closer to what your house is worth, rather than what you owe on it. If you’re facing a Michigan foreclosure, want to sell your house, and want to find out if a short sale is right for you, give Emily a call. She’s ever so sweet, so don’t be nervous! Oh, and let’s bury a St. Joseph statue just for good measure…

Holly

(The “Authentic” St. Joseph Home Sale Kit – $7.95)

If you’re anything like me, when I was trying to stop my Michigan foreclosure by myself, the worst part was trying to get through to the mortgage company. People often ask me why I’d want to spend all day at work on the phone waiting on hold to talk to someone from a lender. Well that’s a simple answer- it’s easy, because it’s not part of my job!

Melissa  is the one who spends countless hours on the phone negotiating short sales for our sellers. Honestly, I’m not sure how she does it. Not only does she do it, she does it well. She has ways of not just getting through to an actual human being, but getting results! After all, our success rate is 85% over the last 6 months (compared to the national average of only 10% of short sales closing).

If you’re looking for help and tired of wasting time on the phone with your lender, give me a call. I’m happy to discuss your options with you.

Emily