How to Dispute a Short Sale Valuation That's Too High

Occasionally a lender's valuation of a short sale property is significantly more than what the market will pay.  As a broker you may have recourse,  however, every lender has a different process for reevaluating value. The first step is to contact the lender and get a detailed overview of their value dispute resolution process.  You want to make sure that you are providing the lender with the precise information they need to consider a change in value.

The BPO broker or appraiser who sets the original value often does not have a complete picture of the property. When we request that a lender reconsider a home's value, we gather as much documentation as possible.  That includes comps, a summary of repairs needed, and contractor bids for those repairs. We sometimes pay to have our own appraisal done as well.

 

If the lender is unwilling to budge on their value, we find out when the appraisal or BPO figure expires and then work with the lender to order a new one. 

 

Bank of America is one lender who is making an extra effort to work with brokers. BofA has streamlined their process for settling valuation disputes during a short sale, making it faster and easier for brokers to get the bank to consider an alternate value. Get step-by-step  instruction on How to Dispute a Bank ofAmerica Short Sale Valuation.  

The Danger of Listing Your Property Too Low.....

When we teach classes on short sales we say, "throw logic out the window when you are working with the banks."

Keep in mind the current methodology used by banks in determining value before deciding on a listing price for your client's property. Generally, the bank(s) will send a real estate agent and/or an appraiser to the property to take some pictures, walk through and around the property and provide some comparable sales in the area. Sounds like a reasonable way to determine value, but the bank is forgetting one thing. This property now has a stigma. It's a short sale. The buyer pool for a short sale is significantly smaller. There is no mechanism to capture what this does to the value of the property except listing history. You can't compare this house to the identical one next door that sold for $400,000 but wasn't a short sale. But you have to because the banks do. If the bank determines that the value is $400,000 they will take less, but not a whole lot less. Listing the property at $325,000 because you are trying to attract interest will only get you a low offer that the bank will reject and you have wasted your time and more importantly your client's time which is running out.

Right now, as a listing agent, you need to work within the "realities" as they exist within the banks. Identify market value without taking into consideration the material fact that this is a short sale and list the property accordingly. If after 3-4 weeks you are not getting any offers or traffic then reduce the price. Maybe the banks will come to their senses and look at the listing history once you do get an offer. It is up to the person(s) negotiating the transaction to help the banks come to the appropriate conclusion.