Lynn Pineda-Coral Springs REALTOR, Short Sale Specialist

I've been reading here on AR the why's of why we participate in Short Sales. I just read Broker Bryants post and it moved me to elaborate here myself.

As many have said it's not just about earning a living. It is oh so much more. To play an active part in making a genuine difference in someone's life who is suffering from finanical and emotional stress is truly rewarding. When you know that what you are doing daily in your job can make a real difference in the life of others, this is what we're here for; this is so important in leading a fulfilling life.

Short Sales aren't easy;

• they require a lot of preparation on the part of the Realtor, particularly when you handle the Short Sale yourself, as I do.
• It's constant follow up and dealing with others who punch a clock that don't have the same passion in helping another.
• It's biting your tongue when what you would like to do is scream at the Lender representative on the other end of the phone
• It's sending documentation again and again if need be.
• It's sometimes settling for less commission than what you earned.

But primarily, it's about the husband, the wife, the single man, the single woman, the family, the extended family that just needs somebody to help them save their home from foreclosure and to really go to bat for them and never give up even when "no" has been thrown at you. Never, ever quit. Because when you're guided by such you'll be able to experience the true gratitude that your customers express when they always may not know where to begin with their expression of appreciation. Just reliving the moments here makes me excited about tackling the next Short Sale Listing, the next Lender call, the next Short Sale contract offer and the next Short Sale closing.

Here's a few of my customers sentiments that have moved me beyond words:

"I think I found the best Realtor on the planet and her name is Lynn Pineda!

When we decided to list our home with a Realtor, I did some serious searching for just the right person to help us. We were in a short sale situation. From the moment I first spoke with Lynn, I heard something different that I hadn't heard from other Realtors. Passion. Her passion for her job is amazing. She doesn't give up. She's persistent, compassionate, organized, conscientious, and thoughtful. If we had questions, she had the answers. She returned phone calls and responded to e-mails with lightening speed. She worked so hard for us, and kept me calm throughout the whole process. For all of you selling homes in this slow market, you know how stressful it can be. In football terms, Lynn was like a lineman to my quarterback. Linemen are the largest and strongest players on the field. (She's petite, but don't let that fool you!) She completely kept the "bad guys" away from me so I could concentrate on my job and my life outside the short sale.

In closing, it is our pleasure to endorse Lynn Pineda. We are thankful for her expertise and knowledge during this difficult time of selling our home in a short sale. Regardless if you're buying or selling, we hope you'll have an opportunity to know her and find out for yourself as we have. Lynn is genuine, and she's out there to help you."

Sincerely,

Diana and Adam

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"If you are reading this testimonial, then you are probably considering putting your home up for a short sale, or even worse, letting it fall into foreclosure. And if you are reading this testimonial, you are probably considering whether or not to utilize Lynn Pineda as your realtor. The answer to that question should be "Absolutely!!" I had no choice but to put my home on the market in hopes of completing a short sell in January of 2009. This was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make and by far one of the most stressful ones. The real stress didn't start until the process finally began, and believe me it is a lengthy one.

I couldn't have hoped for a better, more compassionate professional guiding me through this process. I know I was very difficult, demanding, and high maintenance at times. Never once did Lynn loose her patience, professionalism, and motivation to successfully complete this closing for me. In fact, the closing was delayed for several reasons, several times (which is very common) and Lynn never backed down or gave up even when I felt it was never going to happen. There are many so called "Short Sale Specialists" out there. Unfortunately, many are not and many have never even completed a short sale closing. Lynn is a competent professional and "Master of Her Craft" and truly knows how to attack these complicated closings in this most challenging of economic times.

Lynn Pineda will be at the top of my list when I finally decide to buy or sell a home again in the future, and she should be at the top of your list now.

Thank you Lynn!!"

R. Eisenman

"To anyone who may be thinking of using Lynn Pineda for their real estate needs please read the following testimonial

Recently I went through some tough times. I was taking care of my mother who had just undergone a cancer transplant and then had a stroke. I had also been in a financially destructive relationship which left me with nothing but foreclosures and debt. All my mortgages had fallen behind with the market changes, and all my properties were nearing foreclosure. I actually discovered Lynn Pineda through my search online for a short sales specialist. I called and left her a message, and she returned promptly and answered all my bombarding questions very kindly and professionally. I had a condo in Sunrise that was my first home I ever purchased-and I was so sad to see it go. I asked Lynn if she could manage a short sale on it even though we had already received the foreclosure papers for it. She said absolutely. All throughout the short sale process, Lynn was great about following up, answering all questions, and being professional and polite. She managed to sell my condo, and is now finishing up on a short sale for my mother as well on her condo. I could not have asked for a better person/agent to take care of my short sale than Lynn. She even recommended a good financial attorney to help me with my financial troubles as well. It's funny, but we almost consider her as family now. I would without hesitation recommend Lynn to anyone I know. Thanks so much Lynn, you rock."

Sincerely,

Jill H.

Happy to let you know what pure joy is all about!

The more you know, the better prepared, the better the outcome.

I serve Coral Springs and the surrounding cities such as Coconut Creek, Parkland, Tamarac and Sunrise in Broward and Dade and Palm Beach Counties of South Florida as your dedicated Realtor and CDPE Certified Distressed Property Expert ready to work for you. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Please call me at 954-464-1100 or email me at: lynnp@ImagineYourHouse and it would be my pleasure to help you!

Learn more about me and Coral Springs Real Estate as your Coral Springs Realtor

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First and Foremost, Hire a Professional who is experienced in selling Short Sales.This is not always so obvious but oh so true. Years and years of Real Estate experience is great for the general practitioner but not if you need to save your home from foreclosure. This is what can happen when you don't hire a professional Short Sale Realtor:

• The home will be priced inaccurately. I've seen many listings when I'm searching for a Buyer who is looking at Short Sales and the List price is either too high, perhaps trying to cover a mortgage (clueless in their attempts) or priced too low as using the bait and switch tactic or worse yet, the home has been on the market for months with no adjustment in price. Clearly an uneducated Agent. I'm not trying to bash other Agents but they should stick with what they know or at least educate themselves on the Short Sale process
• Multiple offers will be accepted. Madness when it comes to Short Sales. This only muddies up the process with the Sellers Lender who will really mess up the file and perhaps be more inclined to delay the approval in hopes of a better offer if they see so many offers flying in on the fax.
• The Buyers offer will be denied by the Seller's Lender and the Agent won't know how to negotiate for Lender acceptance, resulting in foreclosure.

Second, make sure your situation can be documented. Tell the truth of your particular circumstances.

• If you have a Hardship, make sure that you can support it with documentation. If you don't have a genuine hardship don't try and fudge one to gain approval; your Lender may still agree to a Short Sale if you present your circumstances.

Third, be prepared to supply documentation when needed. Your timely participation in providing the required supporting documents is critical.Do not expect the Realtor to have to chase down the required documents. Without documents there will be no approval.

Fourth, if you're living in your home that is being sold as a Short Sale, keep it neat! If a home needs to be sold, the better light it appears in the quicker the Buyer's offer will come.

Lastly, think positive! If you've done the above, there's a fabulous chance of avoiding foreclosure!

The more you know, the better prepared, the better the outcome.

I serve Coral Springs and the surrounding cities such as Coconut Creek, Parkland, Tamarac and Sunrise in Broward and Dade and Palm Beach Counties of South Florida as your dedicated Realtor and CDPE Certified Distressed Property Expert ready to work for you. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Please call me at 954-464-1100 or email me at: lynnp@ImagineYourHouse and it would be my pleasure to help you!

Learn more about me and Coral Springs Real Estate as your Coral Springs Realtor

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Did you know that Anxieties plague roughly 19.1 million Americans? There are many types of anxieties and levels of severity. This discussion will be on a less severe form, yet prevalent in today's Real Estate market with the growing number of foreclosures affecting millions nationwide.

Anxiety defined by Wiktionary: An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness or concern about some uncertain event; An uneasy or distressing desire (for something); A state of restlessness and agitation, often accompanied by a distressing sense of oppression or tightness in the stomach

Let's take a closer look at Short Sale Anxiety. Most of us have heard of it and some of us find it easier to handle head on. Here are some of the steps to overcome Short Sale Anxiety:

1. First and foremost, do not believe everything you read stating the negative of a Short Sale. We were taught that at a very young age, weren't we? So why do we need to be reminded? Is it stress perhaps that keeps us out of sorts?
2. Take deep breaths to analyze your particular situation. Imagine a Happy place!
3. Determine your goals:
   1. Avoid Foreclosure
   2. Be qualified to purchase again in a few years as FHA guidelines suggest in a Short Sale
4. Find a Professional to assist you.
   1. When you need Heart Surgery do you seek the advice of a General Practitioner or a Specialist? Seek out a Realtor who has had success with Short Sales, just like you would with your Heart Specialist.
5. When something causes anxiety we tend to avoid it. Do not avoid a Short Sale if it can make a positive difference in your life. Seek help and guidance.
6. If you're interested in a Short Sale and your current Realtor will not help you, seek out someone who will. Remember it's your decision. Do not let another's anxiety get in your way.
7. Have hope, be committed to a successful outcome and all can work out.

So the next time someone tells you to run from a Short Sale due to their anxieties, remember to take a deep breath and follow the steps above. Happy healing!

The more you know, the better prepared, the better the outcome.

I serve Coral Springs and the surrounding cities such as Coconut Creek, Parkland, Tamarac and Sunrise in Broward and Dade and Palm Beach Counties of South Florida as your dedicated Realtor and CDPE Certified Distressed Property Expert ready to work for you. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Please call me at 954-464-1100 or email me at: lynnp@ImagineYourHouse and it would be my pleasure to help you!

Learn more about me and Coral Springs Real Estate as your Coral Springs Realtor

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Once again the veins in my neck popped as I read a front page cover storyin the Sun Sentinel Broward edition this past weekend about the doom and gloom of Short Sales....eeeekkkk! I couldn't stand it and before I even went on to read one more news story, I plopped down in front of my computer to send a letter to the writer. I had to let him know that the information that he was receiving wasn't totally accurate as I know Short Sales are closing and are saving homeowners from the devastation of foreclosure.

Sure there are problems with Short Sale but do we have to continue to hear again and again that they aren't a viable option for avoiding foreclosure? How is that helping? Is it better to let the homes be foreclosed on? Of course not.

It seems that in life, bad news travels faster than the good news.

It's true. Someone will complain about a bad experience before they congratulate for a good experience.

What's bad about:

• Avoiding foreclosure
• Lessening damaging effects to credit
• Reducing health ailments to borrowers from reduced stress
• Buyers receiving a good value on a home
• Neighborhood home values not declining further
• Lenders lessening their losses
• Feeling good about playing an active role in the above

Are their parts of a Short Sale that need tweeking? Absolutely. But because of some needed tweeking, we should trash the whole gamut?

The more you know, the better prepared, the better the outcome.

I serve Coral Springs and the surrounding cities such as Coconut Creek, Parkland, Tamarac and Sunrise in Broward and Dade and Palm Beach Counties of South Florida as your dedicated Realtor and CDPE Certified Distressed Property Expert ready to work for you. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Please call me at 954-464-1100 or email me at: lynnp@ImagineYourHouse and it would be my pleasure to help you!

Learn more about me and Coral Springs Real Estate as your Coral Springs Realtor

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When did everything become so black and white? Are there not gray areas in life? Can we not go outside of the margins to take a closer look?

I posted a post to my blog a while back that detailed the story of a family in need here in South Florida. Through my post, I've had the pleasure of meeting Marilyn Mock of the Foreclosure Angel Foundation(FAF). She truly is an Angel as she seeks out to help people in true need. She's been featured on 20/20, Oprah, Good Morning America and others as being a truly caring individual. She'll go to a foreclosure Auction and buy a home back for a family. She had heard of the same family that I had posted on and through her online efforts she found me - lucky me.

Together we have been searching for a home for this family. Well I found what we thought to be the perfect home in the Condominium community of Bermuda Club in Tamarac Florida. I presented the offer to the Seller, they accepted and on to the Association. The application was completed by the family who the FAF was buying the home for...yes, the FAF was going to purchase the home for the family and the only thing that they would have to pay is their monthly association fees; no problem. Their debt to income ratio would be fine as they had no mortgage payment or rent payment. But guess what..........

The Association said he didn't qualify as he just didn't earn enough money to live in the Golden Castle of the Bermuda Club. Believe me it was far from a Golden Castle, yet the Association run by a group of resident volunteers

said "NO" you're not moving in here!

They knew the complete story of this family and of the Foreclosure Angel Foundation stepping in to help. This family has gone through life threatening medical illnesses that have wiped their savings out. After years of hard work this is now how they're facing their retirement. A hard working and honest man now in a position of not knowing what he'll do when he's thrown from his current home to foreclosure. The story is long yet his home cannot be saved for him.

A local Home Depot had even agreed to donate supplies to complete the condo as it was in the midst of a renovation never completed. So you see, everybody was coming together EXCEPT the Condo Commanders, again being heartless ... couldn't see beyond the black and white. Life is not simply black and white.

Needless to say, I've since found another home, just today in fact, and I'm off to see a Condo Association again. They all cannot be heartless can they?

The more you know, the better prepared, the better the outcome.

I serve Coral Springs and the surrounding cities such as Coconut Creek, Parkland, Tamarac and Sunrise in Broward and Dade and Palm Beach Counties of South Florida as your dedicated Realtor and CDPE Certified Distressed Property Expert ready to work for you. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Please call me at 954-464-1100 or email me at: lynnp@ImagineYourHouse and it would be my pleasure to help you!

Learn more about me and Coral Springs Real Estate as your Coral Springs Realtor

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