A survey released on Monday shows that nationally, nearly half of all home sales in March involved distressed properties; either foreclosed homes or short sales.  This is the second highest level seen in the past 12 months.   And while this might not seem like good news, the statistics actually provide a glimmer of hope. 

The Housing Pulse Tracking Survey reported that short sales rose from 17.0% of total sales in February to 19.6% in March, and at the same time REO sales fell from 14.9% to 12.0%.  this is an all-time high for short sales.

So why is this a good thing?   Short sales, though not as speedy as we would like, are resolved much more quickly than foreclosures.  An REO can sit empty on the market for months, often falling into disrepair.  REOs are used as comparables by appraisers and thus drag down neighborhood property values.  Smaller numbers of REOs would be a positive sign for improved home values in the months ahead.

Additionally, from the point of view of an individual, a short sale is usually preferable in terms of both short and long-term impact.    A few of the advantages include the fact that a short sale does not have near the negative impact on a borrower’s credit score as a foreclosure;  there is no set time limit that disallows a borrower from buying again, and a short sale is not reported on a credit report for 7 years, as is a foreclosure.

If you have any questions about short sales, or any other real estate questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call at 619-846-9249.

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