Bridgeport Real Estate Blog Archive

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Buying a Bank Owned Property (REO - Real Estate Owned) is not like buying a regular home.

Please read this information before writing an offer to help you navigate the process.  Thank you very much for your interest.

1. Unless you can justify it through comparable sales, it is not worth your time to write an offer substantially below list price.  We understand the buyer's desire to get a deal, yet we provide the banks we represent with accurate market information and price the properties to sell.
2. All offers must be professionally written on standard contract forms.  Offers with few contingencies and short settlements will be preferred.
3. Banks require us to present offers to them on a summary form - which is short.  Include a cover letter with three or four things you'd like us to convey to the bank on that short form.
4. All REO properties are sold in AS IS condition (this includes termites).  Banks are not in the business to renovate or repair, but rather price accordingly.  Be sure all offers have an AS IS addendum attached.
5. It is strongly encouraged that all buyers inspect the property prior to writing an offer to avoid the hassle of having to void the contract later.  Depending on the season, the property may be winterized, and utilities turned off. 
6. Of course, we love to co-op with agents representing buyers.
7. Offers submitted over the weekend will be sent to the bank Monday.
8. The volume of inquiries we get prevents us from calling everyone back - therefore, please email us at eddie@gutierrezhomes.com with any questions or offers.  The email address is constantly monitored.
9. All deposit money must be delivered to our office at  4942 Main Street Bridgeport, CT 06606 within 24 hours of offer acceptance.
10. Please leave the seller's name blank when writing your offer.  The information in the public tax record is unlikely to be correct.
11. Banks will typlically not pay commission to agents representing themselves.
12. Many banks reserve the right to pay commissions based on the NET sales price.
13. Response time on offers will likely be several days.  Written deadlines will be ignored by the bank. 
14. If your offer is accepted, the bank will require you to sign a bank addendum.  The language in the addendum cannot be changed.  It may take a week or more to get all documents returned ratified.
15. Banked owned properties are exempt from property condition disclosures.
16. The property was acquired through foreclosure so title delays are common.  The buyer must be patient until the title is fully cleared.
17. The buyer should re-key the property after closing for security reasons.
18. Call us with any questions...203-257-9954

How Realtors get paid

Most Realtors work on contingency: they do not get paid until a client buys or sells a home. The sales commission is their paycheck, compensating them for their time and covering their expenses (such as advertising, automobile, office equipment and supplies, and utilities).

Typically the buyer’s and seller’s agents each receive 3 percent of the sales price. But your Realtor does not usually get the entire 3 percent—it is split again with his or her real estate office.

• Buyer: Most real estate services are paid for from the seller’s proceeds. Approximately 25 percent of the time, however, the buyer pays a portion of the commission. The buyer’s portion of the total commission is usually around 0.25 to 0.5 percent of the purchase price.
• Seller: Traditionally the seller pays the real estate commission for both the selling and the listing agents (typically a total of 6 percent of the sales price). Gutierrez Real Estate Group will detail this expense and any other selling costs (such as taxes) in our initial presentation to you.

There are many terms, lingo and slang that Realtors use which the common public does not understand. It can be confusing for a buyer to truly understand what is available and which homes are already sold. Some of this misconception is a result of the major search engines keeping properties on their sites even when they are sold!! We have received calls and inquiries from buyers excited about a home that was sold months ago... To access the most up-to-date homes go to: Search for Homes

        Here are the basics you will need to know in regards to "status" terminology:

ACTIVE: This home is fully available and ready to purchase from a qualified buyer.

SUBJECT TO THIRD PARTY: This home is a short sale. The seller does not have the funds in order to sell the home at the current market price so must sell it contingent upon the Bank (3rd party) approving the loss it will take on the loan that is owed to them.

CTS (Continue to Show): The seller has already signed a primary offer but willing to take "back-up offers". Taking a back up is great for the seller BUT not the purchaser. Typically a back-up offer only strengthens the seller's negotiating with the primary offer. Forcing them to agree to more favorable terms by leveraging your back-up offer.

Pending: (CONTINGENT) This home has an accepted offer but is subject to some type of contingency. Typically a mortagage contingency or title search.

HC/Hubbard Clause: This home has an accepted offer but has a contingency that the Seller can exercise. The seller can accept other offers and can "kick out" the current offer if a better one is received and the current buyer is unwilling to remove their contingency to purchase. This normally is a result of a buyer needing to sell another property first in order to purchase the current home.

SOLD: Closed transaction.

WITHDRAWN: Seller has removed the home from the market and is no longer actively selling the home.

EXPIRED: Seller has not extended the Listing Agreement with the Listing Agent (Realtor) and property is no longer being actively marketed.

BOMK: (Back on Market) This is a short term status when a property comes back to Active status after being placed in pending or withdrawn status.

             For more questions on terminology contact Gutierrez Real Estate Group today to make sure you are looking for the right homes that are still ACTIVE

Eddie Gutierrez, Broker Associate of Century 21 Greengarden Realty has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when our country is ravaged by “distressed” homes in the foreclosure process.

Short sales allow the cash-strapped seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. As a CDPE, Eddie can confidently guide sellers through a short sale process to avoid foreclosure, which can be devastating to homeowners. In fact, on average, CDPEs are able to keep homeowners in their home more than twice as often as losing properties to foreclosure. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures.

In Fairfield County, more than over 3,500 homes are currently in pre-foreclosure. It is happening in all price ranges. Local experts say that even high-priced homes are not immune.

“This CDPE designation is a crucial part of getting homeowners through the ambigious process of dealing with mortgage servicers. This education along with our experience will help save lots of homeowners."

Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Raton, Fla., said that REALTORS^® such as Eddie Gutierrez with the CDPE designation have valuable training in short sales that can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to foreclosure, which virtually destroys the credit rating. These experts also may better understand market conditions and can help sellers through the emotional experience, he said.

For more information about CDPE designation or to reach Eddie Gutierrez call 203-257-9954

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