
How about a big yard in the heart of Fort Walton Beach Florida? This Vesta Heights HAP home has distinctive feautures, like decorative archways and hall entries. There are lovely wood laminate floors in living room and hallway. The kitchen is tile, tile, tile, with tile counters, backsplash and floor! The dining room floor has an elegant design. Passthrough to living room, breakfast bar and stainless appliances. The master bedroom has large walk-in closet, attached master bathroom with double vanity sinks and tiled tub/shower combination. This sale is contingent on HAP approval.
If you are buying a HAP home in the Eglin Air Force Base area, expect to wait 60-90 days for approval of your contract.
229 Moriarty St., Fort Walton Beach FL - HAP home offered for sale for $122,900
How to Buy an Eglin AFB HAP Home.
HAP Government Assisted Private Sale (GAPS) Ends



It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call toll-free 1-877-487-9639 or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Santa Rosa Beach FL short sale help
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in "Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine" and "Florida Realtor Magazine". She has successfully helped hundreds of families avoid foreclosure through short sale along the Emerald Coast of Florida. Wendy Rulnick is knowledgeable in all aspects of short sale, including VA Compromise Sale, FHA HUD pre-foreclosure sale, HAP military PCS, HAFA, Bank of America Coop program and more. She is also co-founder of www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com and short sale instructor to agents across the United States. Wendy Rulnick sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Panama City Beach, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.

This home in the Windward subdivision of Bluewater Bay, Niceville, Florida was just approved for short sale. Find the details below.
Senior Lien: Wells Fargo
Balance: $275,000
Junior Lien: Compass Bank
Balance: $115,000
Original Purchase Price: $485,000
Market Value: $290,000
Status: Short Sale Approved by both lienholders
Notes: Wells Fargo uses the Equator Platform for short sale processing. It is an online program where the short sale listing Realtor uploads seller financial documents, preliminary settlement figures and more for analysis by Wells Fargo. Other lenders share this platform, such as Bank of America and GMAC, but Wells Fargo's requirements are more tedious.
This was my first short sale with BVVA Compass Bank, the junior lienholder. It was interesting. The institution's personnel are pleasant. Their short sale policy, however, requires that the file be in their internal "charge off" department before they will negotiate any terms. They will not speed up their internal timelines to process a short sale, without exception. It is not the case that they have a plethora of files, it is just their timeline, which can take months, and they stick to it. This caused a long delay in the process, as we had Wells Fargo approval in about 45 days. Compass does its short sale processing through email, fax and phone, and it is fairly easy to get ahold of a human being. They appear to favor promissory notes and cash contribution combinations, but will negotiate.
It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call toll-free 1-877-487-9639 or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in "Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine" and "Florida Realtor Magazine". She has successfully helped hundreds of families avoid foreclosure through short sale along the Emerald Coast of Florida. Wendy Rulnick is knowledgeable in all aspects of short sale, including VA Compromise Sale, FHA HUD pre-foreclosure sale, HAP military PCS, HAFA, Bank of America Coop program and more. She is also co-founder of www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com and short sale instructor to agents across the United States. Wendy Rulnick sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Panama City Beach, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.

This Church Street home in Santa Rosa Beach Florida was originally purchased as a short sale in 2009. For the second time, it is being sold as a short sale, just approved by J.P. Morgan Chase. The mortgage was backed by Ginnie Mae, and was a USDA loan, which offers mortgages to rural areas throughout the U.S.
Lender: Chase
Mortgage Type: Ginnie Mae USDA
Balance: appr $220,000
Junior Liens: none
Sale Price appr $200,000
Seller Cash Contribution: -0-
Seller Promissory Note: -0-
Deficiency: none
Although Chase's short sale approval letter did not specifically address a waiver of deficiency, the Chase negotiator quoted me USDA loss mitigation guidelines, which state there is no pursuit for the balance of the unpaid note. I researched online and found the following information about USDA loans sold as short sales, which the USDA calls "pre foreclosure sales" or "PFS":
"A borrower who successfully sells the property securing the loan using the PFS option is relieved of the mortgage obligation. The borrower shall not be pursued for deficiency judgments by either the Servicer or the Agency."
Other things to note about USDA short sales - you must have a hardship, and be at least 31 days late on your mortgage payment or facing "imminent default". For more information about Ginnie Mae or USDA short sale help in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, email me at itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call toll-free 1-877-487-9639 or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Santa Rosa Beach FL short sale help
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in "Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine" and "Florida Realtor Magazine". She has successfully helped hundreds of families avoid foreclosure through short sale along the Emerald Coast of Florida. Wendy Rulnick is knowledgeable in all aspects of short sale, including VA Compromise Sale, FHA HUD pre-foreclosure sale, HAP military PCS, HAFA, Bank of America Coop program and more. She is also co-founder of www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com and short sale instructor to agents across the United States. Wendy Rulnick sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Panama City Beach, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.

One of the biggest sources of confusion I find with Eglin Air Force Base HAP sales from the seller comes at closing. First, if you don't know what HAP is - it's the Homeowner Assistance Program from the Department of Defense. It's designed to help military members who have permanent change of station orders (PCS), and are "upside down" in their home values, i.e. owe more on their mortgages than their property's market value. HAP will pay the mortgage deficit under certain circumstances, which helps the service member avoid the credit impact of short sale or foreclosure due to their mandatory relocation.
One of the stipulations of HAP is that the Eglin airman is current on his mortgage payments, taxes and association dues, or that is the extent to which the benefits apply. For example, if you were six months behind in your mortgage, HAP would not pay the amounts in arrears to satisfy your bank. You must. So what's the issue? Even service members who are "current" on their mortgage payments will normally owe a pro-rated amount of mortgage interest, taxes and maybe association dues at closing. Remember, mortgage interest is paid in arrears. If you have a payment due on March 1, that would cover the interest for the month of February, not March.
My last HAP seller asked me why he had a bill for almost $1500 at time of closing from the U.S. Government title agent. I told him it was probably his mortgage proration. He said, "But I made my mortgage payment!" I said, "Yes, but that covered the previous month." If your closing is mid-month, you would owe about two weeks worth of interest to your mortgage company, which will be collected by the title agent to pay your lender at closing. That goes for taxes and association fees, too.
Florida's property taxes are paid one year in arrears (not all states handle their property taxes the same way). That means that the tax bill for your Navarre, Niceville, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach or Destin property covers the previous year (arrears). If you close on September 1, for example, the buyer will still receive the tax bill for the time YOU owned the property during the past year. That wouldn't be fair, would it? So at time of closing, you have to reimburse the buyer the eight months to apply to the tax bill they will be getting at the end of the year. Yes, your mortgage company normally (but not always) escrows this amount in your total mortgage payment. You will get a reimbursement check after closing for any remaining balance in your escrow account. But for
the HAP closing, you will owe the year-to-date taxes that are due. The same applies to homeowners association dues. The government won’t pay those on your behalf.
So what is a reasonable expectation for funds the Eglin service member might
need for closing? Set aside enough to cover one mortgage payment, and potentially, almost a year tax obligation. You probably will not need all of it, but be prepared “just in case”.
It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call toll-free 1-877-487-9639 or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in "Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine" and "Florida Realtor Magazine". She has successfully helped hundreds of families avoid foreclosure through short sale along the Emerald Coast of Florida. Wendy Rulnick is knowledgeable in all aspects of short sale, including VA Compromise Sale, FHA HUD pre-foreclosure sale, HAP military PCS, HAFA, Bank of America Coop program and more. She is also co-founder of www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com and short sale instructor to agents across the United States. Wendy Rulnick sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Panama City Beach, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.

This home in The Meadows, in Navarre Florida was just approved as a VA Compromise Sale. The gorgeous 2008 property with in-ground pool and three car garage, went under contract in about 30 days. We prepared the VA short sale package for Citi Mortgage, faxed it, followed up and received approval for our seller in 24 days!
What is normally included in a simple VA Compromise Sale package?
Hardship Letter
Dodd-Frank Certification
Two years tax returns
Financial worksheet
Proof of Income
Bank Statements
Preliminary Settlement Statement
Listing Agreement
Buyer Proof of Funds
Contract (purchase and sale agreement)
Authorization to speak with listing broker
What are the benefits of a VA Compromise Sale?
The borrower will not have to pay back the shortfall (if there was no fraud, misrepresentation or bad faith when the loan was obtained)
There is currently a $1500 relocation bonus paid to the VA borrower at closing
What are the negatives of a VA Compromise Sale?
You cannot obtain another VA mortgage loan unless you pay back the government loss
Your credit will be reported as "Paid in full for less than the full balance"
You may owe federal taxes depending on current tax law and your total financial picture
One of the key differences between VA Compromise Sale program and traditional short sales is that you must have a hardship. Nowadays, so-called “strategic” short sales are more common, where the borrower no longer wants the property, has no financial hardship, so participates in the loss by contributing cash or agrees to a promissory note to obtain a short sale. This is not the case with a VA mortgage. You must be at risk of default, and not have your own cash available to contribute.
More questions about VA Compromise Sale? Email me at itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call toll-free 1-877-487-9639 or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Navarre Florida Short Sale Agent
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in "Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine" and "Florida Realtor Magazine". She has successfully helped hundreds of families avoid foreclosure through short sale along the Emerald Coast of Florida. Wendy Rulnick is knowledgeable in all aspects of short sale, including VA Compromise Sale, FHA HUD pre-foreclosure sale, HAP military PCS, HAFA, Bank of America Coop program and more. She is also co-founder of www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com and short sale instructor to agents across the United States. Wendy Rulnick sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Panama City Beach, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.
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