Can I sell my house if I owe money on it? We often hear from homeowners
who owe money on their mortgages or property taxes. We also hear from
homeowners with a lien on their home, often through no fault of their own.
This is a very stressful situation, especially if other circumstances require the
homeowner to sell the home in a timely fashion.
These homeowners need to sell, but are afraid these debts are going to keep
them from doing so. Fortunately, we’ve been able to help many people who
are in all three situations.
Here are some of the most common scenarios and how to handle each one.
Sell A House With a Mortgage
Don’t panic. People sell homes with mortgages all the time.
If you have a mortgage you can still sell your home the traditional way.
However, if you sell your home for less than the amount you owe you may end
up writing a check to cover the difference, since listing a house can be costly.
Repairs, staying on the market, and paying realtor fees all cost money. It’s
important to study the current real estate market so you can get a realistic
picture of what to expect.
Most people sell their homes for enough money to pay off the mortgage.
Many can also cover a new down payment on a new home.
Selling A House When Facing Foreclosure
However, things can get more complex when you are in danger of foreclosure.
There are two reasons people go into foreclosure.
One reason is they can’t pay their mortgages. The other reason is they can’t
pay their property taxes.
At this point, selling your home becomes very tricky because you’re essentially
in a race against time. And if you’re upside down in your mortgage you may
find yourself having to turn to the bank to ask for a short sale.
Banks are unlikely to agree fast enough unless it’s a cash sale. When a short
sale is financed, two different banks must coordinate and approve the
transaction. They may not make up their mind to do so before your deadline
runs out.
If you find yourself in this situation, a cash offer from a reputable investor like
We Buy Houses Richmond can be very helpful. We can typically get the entire sale
finished within ten to thirty days.
Do You Have a Lien On Your House?
You cannot sell your home on the open market with a lien on it.
That’s the definition of a lien. Before you can list your house on the MLS
service and get a realtor, you’d have to pay off the lien.
If you don’t have the money to do that then you’ll need to look for another
solution.
Again, we work with this situation quite often. We factor the cost of clearing
the lien into our offer and then work with the lien holder to get the title clean
once more. From there, you’ll have the legal right to sell the home to us.
However, you also will no longer be responsible for whatever debt caused the
lien to be applied in the first place. Since that lien could have been applied
through no fault of your own (i.e. if a contractor of yours failed to pay his
subcontractors and left you holding the bag) this can come as a massive
relief.
Can You Sell Your House When You Owe
The IRS
If you know an IRS lien is coming then you might want to sell your home fast.
An IRS lien shows up on your credit report. Though the IRS cannot force the
sale of your home, their liens can have a greater impact on your life than your
average roofer lien.
Selling your house isn’t the only option, of course. You can set up an
installment plan if you can’t pay the amount in full. As long as you are faithful
to the installment plan, the IRS will typically leave you alone and may even
withdraw the lien.
However, if you don’t feel you can do that selling the property quickly may be
your best option. You’ll pay off the IRS and get a fresh start, one which may
allow you to adjust your expenses so that you don’t end up in trouble with the
IRS again.
The Flow Of Money In a Real Estate Closing
Remember, money flows to the people you owe before it flows to you.
One of the things a title company does at closing is to issue funds to all of the
stakeholders. So let’s say we bought an $190,000 house with a $90,000
mortgage on it. The title company would wire $90,000 directly to the mortgage
company. They’d then wire the remainder to you, minus closing costs and
other fees which might be associated with the sale.
In the case of a lien we have to work with you to get the lien cleared first
before the sale can proceed. We will factor this into our offer when we give it
to you. We are also happy to answer any questions you might have about the
process at that time.
We’re Here To Help
If you are uncertain about what you need to do in order to sell your home or if
you feel like you are facing obstacles to your sale then give us a call. We
routinely answer seller questions. We do not require you to sell your house to
us just to perform this basic courtesy on your behalf. We’re here to help
regardless.
Contact us for a free, no-risk quote within
24 hours.
Get a Quick Cash Offer | Call 804-399-9337