HAFA and Short Sales- How Will It Affect You?

As you may have heard on the news, the U.S. Treasury is trying to make short sales, well, shorter! Many homeowners and buyers in the Destin and Fort Walton Beach areas have been plagued for waiting months for short sale approvals. Realtors are at their wits end. Lenders are overloaded with requests. Waiting five months for a short sale approval is becoming the norm. The new program that is supposed to help is called "Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program" or "HAFA".

What Treasury is trying to do is help streamline the short sale process by suggesting guidelines to the participating lenders. That's "suggestions" and "guidelines". That does not equal "requirements" in the way I read it.

Here is a summary of the proposed short sale changes, who is eligible, and what you might expect to change if you do qualify for the HAFA program. Remember, I am condensing here and pointing out what might be important to you, the homeowner, as it relates to short sales. There are many details, requirements and forms that make up this new program.

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?
You might be eligible for HAFA if your lender participates in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), and your mortgage is not underwritten by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. HAMP offers you the opportunity for assistance by lowering your payments or delaying payments to keep you in your home. You must meet the HAMP requirements as follows, to be part of HAFA, whether or not you choose a modification.

These qualifications are:
1) You have missed payments or are about to default
2) The home is your primary residence
3) You got your primary mortgage before Jan. 1, 2009 and your balance is less than $729,750
4) Your monthly mortgage payment is greater than 31% of your gross income

The HAFA Supplemental Directive states that the servicers (your lenders) have the "option to determine the extent to which short sales or deeds-in-lieu will be offered". So this does not look like a slam dunk, guys!

Expanding on that, HAFA states that a participating lender must follow its investor guidelines to create their own policy, with criteria for your eligibility to include: how cooperative and "motivated" you are, the amount of the loss on your mortgage, and local market conditions, among other things. In addition, HAFA states that it is up to the servicer and investor to decide if allowing you to be in this special short sale program is in their best interest. That tells me they have a lot of leeway in deciding if you will benefit from HAFA at all.

THE GOOD NEWS if you get a short sale through this program, there can be no deficiency judgment later! That will help many leery Bank of America short sale sellers, whose approval letters reference the right to seek a deficiency in the future. More good news- your lender may not ask you for a promissory note or a cash contribution if they participate in HAFA and you do a short sale. More "positives"…

POSITIVE: If you are eligible for this program, and your lender participates, you must be given the chance to do a short sale or deed-in-lieu prior to the lender foreclosing.

POSITIVE: The program says you do not have to resubmit your financial paperwork for the short sale (a big pain for many short sale sellers) after you have already provided it for HAMP.

POSITIVE: Your lender will determine the acceptable net from your anticipated short sale prior to you participating in the program. This should save time versus a typical short sale, where the lender determines if a contract is acceptable after it is submitted for consideration. The minimum proceeds will be stated in terms of actual dollar amount, percentage of market value or percentage of your list price.

POSITIVE: Your lender will state what closing costs they will pay for the sale in advance. This will save contracts where the buyer asks for too much in closing costs- no wasted negotiating.

POSITIVE: You will receive $1500 relocation incentive upon closing your short sale.

*** OTHER THINGS you need to know:

You cannot remain in the home as a tenant after closing.

You must not be related to the buyer (arms length).

You cannot earn a real estate commission if you are a licensee and sell the home yourself.

You may be required to make payments deemed "affordable" by HAFA until your property is sold. This is based on a calculation of your income and expenses.

You must maintain the property and pay association dues until it is sold.

The servicer will pay your junior lienholder up to $3000 (or 3% of the junior balance) to complete the short sale, but YOU must take care of other impediments to selling, for example, an IRS tax lien or a judgment which might affect your sale. Your senior lienholder gets a monetary incentive when your junior lienholder waives the right to a future deficiency. This part of the program "may" inspire better terms from your second mortgage holder. NOTE: HAFA does not state this as a requirement, though, so you may still have a responsibility to pay your junior lienholder cash or a promissory note if they agree to the short sale!

If you have mortgage insurance (MI) on your note, the MI company must agree to waive its right to a cash contribution from you or note or you won't qualify for HAFA.

MORE PROCEDURES: When you receive an offer on your property, you will have three business days, with your Realtor’s assistance, to get a copy of the contract, buyer pre-approval, and junior lien documentation to your lender. If you are using the standard HAFA program with a pre-approved net price (SSA), you should receive an approval or rejection with 10 business days, or about three weeks of receipt. However, if you have not gone through the HAMP modification program and standard SSA (sorry I am throwing in acronyms again), then your approval time will be lengthened. In this situation (alternate RASS), the program requires 14 more days to allow you to decide if you want a modification (well, of course at this point you don't or you would have already done so, right), and for you to provide all the financial documentation necessary.

Finally, don't expect to get off the hook with credit reporting or tax obligations from your short sale. Even with HAFA, your short sale will be reported "account paid in full for less than full balance" and you should consult with an accountant to determine any tax liabilities from your cancelled debt.

There is a lot to this new HAFA program, which officially starts on April 5, 2010 (although your lender may participate sooner). How many people it will actually help is questionable. If it does work, it will speed up your short sale. If it does not, there are still many options available to you.

It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Search All Destin Florida Real Estate
Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
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Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy to sell your home or buy a home: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Call Wendy Rulnick, Destin real estate agent, to list and sell your home or condo or help you buy a home or rental property on the Emerald Coast of Florida in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County- Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field. Wendy is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and can help you sell or buy a short sale property in and around Destin Florida and the Emerald Coast.

HAP is Back! Eglin PCS and Hurlburt Field PCS- New Info!

Are you an airman PCSing from Eglin AFB or Hurlburt Field? Are you upside down in your mortgage and owe more than your current property value? If so, you may know I have been checking the HAP website daily for the last several months. As I have previously reported, the site was taken down at one point, and all information was removed.

Today, the site has changed and information is posted that may be useful to relocating military who might qualify for the government assistance to cover some of the loss.

1. Qualifications include: PCSing more than 50 miles, having purchased your home or entered into a contract to purchase prior to July 1, 2006, you lived there and it was your primary residence, and your orders were between February 1 2006 through September 30, 2012.
2. Your home must have declined at least 10% in value. (That should not be in problem in the Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field market).
3. Assistance will initially be emphasized to those who received orders through December 2009, with a report date no later than February 28, 2010.
4. HAP benefits are based on the amount you originally purchased the property for (prior fair market value PFMV verified by your settlement statement). The full amount of your negative value will not be reimbursed.
5. The site claims the government will provide benefits within 60 to 90 days of receiving your documents. I would use caution here, as that claim was also made several months ago and no HAP benefits have yet been paid to my knowledge.
6. You may be reimbursed your mortgage interest, tax and insurance premiums you paid from the time the Army Corps of Engineers receives your application.
7. The site states that no specific dollar amounts of loss reimbursement are addressed and HAP advises you to contact your local district CoE office. For Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field and Duke Field, please contact the Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District. However, elsewhere on its site, HAP mentions that up to 95% of your purchase price minus your sale price plus closing costs may be your benefit.
8. The government claims they will make up "liabilities" to servicemembers from a foreclosure, but not past due payments or junior liens you obtained after buying the property.
9. Some of your closing costs will be paid for, including title services and Realtor fees.
10. The government recommends you use a Realtor to sell your home and states that using a Realtor will may increase your chances of finding a buyer.
11. You are required to market your home for at least 120 days. Your initial list price should be obtained by the Corps of Engineers automated value model for at least 30 days.
12. Your benefits will be taxable as income to you.
13. Caution: Per the Realtor Guide , you or your Realtor must maintain records of price changes, showings, offers, etc to demonstrate that the house was not sold at too low a price. The CoE office will obtain an appraisal to verify the price was within market range. If the sales price is considered too low, no benefits will be paid.
14. There are maximum price range limits for assistance. In Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties the purchase price limit for benefits is $417,000.

Here is the HAP application checklist and HAP application.

As soon as you know you have orders from Eglin AFB or Hurlburt Field, apply for assistance immediately.

Analysis and questions to follow. I would like to hear from you, our local servicemembers.
If we can help with your move, call me at 850-650-7883 ext 204

It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, serving the entire Emerald Coast of Florida, Navarre, Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Destin, Freeport, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Santa Rosa Beach.
Rulnick Realty, Inc.
itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

HAP: Save Eglin and Hurlburt Airmen from Foreclosure!

HAP has done it again! I recently wrote about the military's Homeowner Assistance Program that is supposed to help our United States service members. When they have orders to relocate, or pcs, to a different military base, the newly expanded HAP would to cover up to 90% of the loss in the service member's upside-down mortgage. That would be wonderful, because many of our airmen, soldiers, marines and sailors purchased homes that are now worth less than the mortgage balances. The HAP program would probably save them from foreclosure or short sale. HAP has provided NO assistance since the initiative was expanded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that became law this February. HAP has continually removed information from its website. They have thousands of applicants awaiting help. They have done nothing.

And now it's worse.Just this morning, I was notified by Don Duft, a fellow Realtor serving military, that HAP HAS COMPLETELY REMOVED ITS WEBSITE.Friends, this is OUTRAGEOUS! Last time I wrote there is no help from HAP, now they are completely missing. It is time to take action! Don has shared a draft letter that I modified for your use. You may customize it to write your Senator or Congressman to do something to help our military members. Tell them HAP is TOO LATE to help thousands who have orders to pcs. Action must be taken NOW to support the men and women who defend us every day!
Honorable Senator or Congressman________

As Realtor working with Veterans and United States military members it appears that the DOD Homeowners Assistance Program is not responding to those authorized to be assisted in the 2009 Stimulus bill – those Active Duty Military in a Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS). The 2009 PCS season is at its peak and the DOD does not have the rules issued by which an applicant can benefit. In fact, nothing has been done.

It is time that you step in to intervene for these deserving Active Duty Military members so they can complete their PCS move assisted by the program the Senate and House crafted and was signed into law. These brave men and women do not deserve foreclosure or ruined credit, while defending our nation. It is not encouraging and when you call it is even more discouraging.

Sincerely,YOUR NAME HERE
You can find your Senators here and your Congressmen here. Please do what you can and take a stand to help those who help us.

It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc. 850-650-7883
Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field FL Real Estate
Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help for Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field.
Read Real Estate Blog
Email Wendy to sell your home or buy a home: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Call Wendy Rulnick, Broker/Owner, to list and sell your home or condo on the Emerald Coast of Florida in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County- Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field. Wendy is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in "Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine" and "Florida Realtor Magazine".

HAP - Help Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field PCS to New Bases!

HAP, where are you?

HAP is the Homeowner Assistance Program for U.S. military members "who face financial loss" when selling their homes in order to PCS, or permanent change of station, to a new base. In other words, if you are an airman stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field or any other base and you have “orders” to move and your mortgage amount is more than the current value of your home- HAP is supposed to help you. HAP was meant to help cover a significant portion of your losses so you can dispose of your real estate to PCS, even if you are upside-down in your mortgage, without facing foreclosure.

But what is HAP doing? I am sorry to say- NOTHING! Thousands of servicemen have applied for help and many have already relocated - with no financial assistance. I have written a series of posts with information every time I get updates about the HAP program. Each time I write a new blog, HAP changes its story and so far has done NOTHING to help upside-down Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field airmen who are forced to relocate to new bases. On a previous blog I posted a link to the Department of Defense Directive that detailed the new HAP policy for PCS moves. When I checked the blog links about a week later- I found the information had been REMOVED from the HAP site. Further, the HAP site used to have an expanded FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section that answered many questions about the new PCS help. Those questions have been since REMOVED. But not before I quoted them in another post.

Our military members are good citizens and purchased homes when they moved to Eglin AFB or Hurlburt Field. Now, forced to PCS, they are faced with a choice:

1. Rent out their property, for an amount insufficient to cover their mortgage payment, due to declining rentals. Most military do not have enough to cover the shortfall.
2. Let the property go to foreclosure.
3. Do a short sale.
4. Bring money to closing to cover the loss- highly unlikely since most Fort Walton Beach, Crestview and Navarre Florida homes purchased in the last few years are $100,000 or more upside-down.
5. Wait for HAP while doing any of the above.

When HAP finally puts an assistance policy in place, these servicemen may get reimbursed part of the loss on their upside-down mortgages. But my question is- what good is a reimbursement after a lender has foreclosed or a short sale has been completed? By the time HAP starts working, it would be too late. There will already be a hit on the airmen’s credit. HAP representatives have suggested to me that the affected homeowner "borrow" an amount sufficient to cover the loss in a short sale, then wait for HAP funds. My question is - "HOW can an airman who earns $50,000 borrow a $100,000 note to “cover” an upside-down mortgage?" He cannot.

HAP, you've got to help... NOW.

It's Wendy!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.

Emerald Coast FL Real Estate
Emerald Coast Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Read Emerald Coast Real Estate Blog

Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy to sell your home or buy a home: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Call Wendy Rulnick, Broker/Owner Rulnick Realty, to list and sell your home or condo on the Emerald Coast of Florida in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County- Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field. Wendy is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in "Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine" and "Florida Realtor Magazine".
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Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field: HAP Program Gets DOD Directive

The Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) for the military has just received the Department of Defense directive that will affect military PCS sellers who are upside down on their mortgages. I have published a series of updates on HAP, and this just-released update is summarized from the HAP website due to the urgent need for Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field airmen who have received orders:

Although DoD guidance has been established, we are unable to begin processing applications until we comply with rule making procedures established by the Administrative Services Act. District field offices are reviewing applications for compliance with DoD guidance and will notify applicants of eligibility as early as possible.Implementation Rules and Eligibility Criteria for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Expansion of the DoD Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP)
The overall goal of the HAP is to minimize the amount of financial harm, risk of foreclosure, credit damage, or bankruptcy experienced by servicemembers and DOD civilian beneficiaries when they are compelled to move in an unprecedented real estate market as a result of their service to the United States. In that vein, the following policies provide a solid basis for determining eligibility for the ARRA HAP expansion and ensure this effort is managed efficiently and successfully.

• As the second priority category, the new policy will expand the HAP BRAC benefit by removing the requirement that the homeowner show that the BRAC closure or realignment action was the cause of the drop in the value of the home.
• The Department is also creating a temporary benefit for qualifying Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves
• In all cases, the benefit is for a primary residence only, and the benefit may only be used once.
• Use Purchase Price as the Prior Fair Market Value (PFMV) for all beneficiaries, including BRAC
o Current Policy: PFMV is determined at the date of the BRAC announcement.
o Description of Change: The BRAC announcement date is not relevant to many new HAP beneficiaries. The best equivalent PFMV is to use the purchase price of the home. For BRAC and PCS moves, the home must have been purchased prior to July 1, 2006.
o Outcome: Avoids unnecessary claim costs because BRAC announcement date was near the peak of housing market and BRAC announcement date is no longer relevant.
• Set the allowable Private Sale reimbursement to 90% of Prior Fair Market
Value for BRAC (non-causation) and PCS move beneficiaries
o Current Policy: Prior HAP allows for 95% Private Sale reimbursement
o Description of Change: Losses on private sales will be reimbursed at 95% of PFMV for Wounded Warriors and Surviving Spouses, as well as BRAC communities that can prove causation. It will be reduced to 90% of PFMV for all other beneficiaries.
o Outcome: Communities that can show BRAC causation have an incentive to do so; reduces per-claim costs for BRAC (non-causation) and PCS moves; maximizes assistance to the fullest extent for Wounded Warriors and Surviving Spouses, and makes overall policy consistent with 10% individual loss eligibility threshold.
• Government acquisition (or mortgage payoff) will be 75% of PFMV for all beneficiaries (except Wounded Warriors/civilians and surviving spouses) who have made reasonable efforts to market their home and cannot sell under reasonable terms and conditions. Wounded Warriors, wounded civilians, and surviving spouses who cannot sell under reasonable terms and conditions will receive 90% of PFMV.
o Current Policy: Government acquisition is 75% of Prior Fair Market Value.
There is no standard level of effort a homeowner must make before the government acquires a home or pays off the outstanding mortgage.
o Description of Change: While statute allows purchase up to 90%, current policy limits government acquisition to 75% of PFMV. Only wounded warriors, wounded civilians, and surviving spouses would receive the full 90% of PFMV for government acquisition of their houses. As previously noted, losses from private sales will be reimbursed up to 95% of PFMV for wounded warriors, wounded civilians, and surviving spouses. These changes also strengthen current policy by specifying government acquisition is allowed only if applicant is not able to sell home after 120 days of marketing it at a price level deemed appropriate for its local market circumstances by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and therefore the applicant is in danger of foreclosure.
o Outcome: Prior HAP experience with government acquisition of homes has shown significant maintenance costs from acquired homes and resulted in reduced HAP resources being available to pay other applicant claims. Incentives have been built into the existing HAP program over time to favor private sales rather than government acquisition. Strengthening current policy discourages government purchase of homes and costly carrying expenses. It also allows HAP resources to go further and assist more applicants.
• Cap the Maximum Home Purchase Price as an eligibility threshold
o Current Policy: There is no maximum home value established for a beneficiary receiving a HAP benefit.
o Description of Change: Links the maximum cap to the 2009 Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Conforming Loan Limits (as amended by the ARRA of 2009), which range from $417,000 to $729,750 (depending on county or Metropolitan Statistical Area). The 2009 Conforming Loan Limits would apply to all homes in the program from FY 2006 to FY 2012.
o Outcome: Prevents taxpayers from ‘bailing out' million-dollar homes, but is adjusted by region to account for cost variations.
4• Claims Processing
o For BRAC or PCS moves, the ARRA requires that home must have been purchased before July 1, 2006.
o For BRAC moves to be eligible, the property must be sold by September 30, 2012.
o For PCS claims to be eligible, the home sale must result from PCS orders issued on or before December 31, 2009, and the application must be recieved by March 31, 2010.
o Outcome: These policies are designed to ensure that regardless of when a claim arrives, there will be sufficient resources available for Wounded Warrior, wounded civilian, and Surviving Spouse claims, as well as for BRAC claims (most of which will occur in FY 2010 and FY 2011).
• Pay PCS claims for home sales resulting from PCS orders issued by December 31, 2009, or until available ARRA resources are depleted.
o Outcome: Uses allowable statutory authority under the ARRA to set an end date for the PCS portion of expansion program based on projections of when the available funding will be depleted. The PCS home sale deadline will be reviewed as initial claims are processed and can be extended, if resources allow, based on a close monitoring of claims payment history.

Here are the program sales price limits, based on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, for Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field and the rest of the United States.
Also, read Major Jason Trew's letter to Congress regarding the HAP July 2006 cut-off date for assistance.

We expect more details to be forthcoming, check back on this blog. As always, consult an experienced real estate agent to help you with selling your PCS property.

It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.

Emerald Coast FL Real Estate
Emerald Coast Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Read Emerald Coast Real Estate Blog

Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy to sell your home or buy a home: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Call Wendy Rulnick, Destin real estate agent, to list and sell your home or condo or help you buy a home or rental property on the Emerald Coast of Florida in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County- Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.

HAP Update: Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field

Since writing Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field: Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) for Short Sales, more information has come to light. Or lack of thereof! I have received numerous calls and emails looking for clarification on how the program will be implemented, and how it will affect PCS sellers (military relocation term meaning "permanent change of station"). Currently, the issue is there is no directive from the Department of Defense as to how to process HAP applications, nor many program specifics. My area, from Navarre to Destin, Florida and up through Niceville and Crestview has approximately 3000 airmen relocating to other bases around the country and the world. Many of those airmen purchased homes during 2004-2006, and do not have enough equity to sell their houses when they must relocate and pay off their mortgage balance. HAP is supposed to help, but as of yet, there is no help.


Here is the latest result of my HAP research:

Mr. Frazier, of the HAP Savannah District told me:

There is no true timeframe by which the DOD directive with program details will be published.
Rumor is at the end of May, but it is far from confirmed.
Applications can not be "processed" at this time, but you can mail one in.
HAP will not buy homes.

When the DOD directive is implemented, he said:
Qualified military members may sell their homes at market value or 90% thereof.
At time of contract, use a 90 day closing date, HAP will try for sooner.
Make the offer contingent on HAP approval.
When a contract is entered into, call your HAP district for instructions.

Additionally, I inquired by email and received this communication from HAP Realty Specialist, B.M. Reed, summarized and with emphasis added:

Ms. Rulnick,

The Department of the Army, in coordination with the other military departments, is in the process of finalizing implementation guidance for the expanded HAP, including determining eligibility, restrictions, and disqualifications.

Based on the current HQ timeline for review and official approval of the guidance, it may not be until late May before the implementation guidance is at district level. When the implementation guidance is issued, it will be published on the official HAP website, which can be found at http://hap.usace.army.mil/ Unfortunately, without the referenced implementation guidance any attempt to provide detailed information on the Stimulus Bill HAP eligibility, disqualifications, benefits, or how benefits will be calculated would be merely speculation.

Under this program the Government might be able to reimburse applicants part of the loss from selling their home (private sale benefits) or assist applicants if they do not have enough proceeds from the sale of the home to pay off the mortgage at Closing (private sale augmentation). Benefits may be based on the difference between the prior fair market value (PFMV) of the property and the current fair market value (CFMV). The PFMV may be determined by an appraisal effective 1 July 2006, or possibly the purchase price of the property might be used; the CFMV may be determined by the appraised value at the time of sale or possibly the selling price itself. The Government could pay an amount up to a stipulated percentage of the difference between the two figures used for the computation.

Again, guidance has not yet been published so a completely different scenario might be used to compute benefits.

The term 'private sale augmentation' merely means when an applicant's benefit payment is brought by the Government to a Closing in order to assist the applicant with the payoff of a mortgage and typical seller closing costs so that the sale can be finalized. In order to be eligible for a private sale augmentation, an applicant must maintain current payment status on his/her mortgage from the time an application is submitted through Closing.

While the implementation guidance is being finalized, potential applicants are free to apply now by visiting the HAP website to fill out, print and mail in an application to the appropriate district for the area in which the property in question is located. Instructions on how to apply can be found at http://hap.usace.army.mil/HowToApply.html I've attempted to provide you some information as best I can without having yet received implementation guidance on the program from the DOD. What information there is available on the Stimulus Bill HAP (ARRA) can be located on the Army's official HAP website at http://hap.usace.army.mil/. There is wealth of information under the section of FQAs at http://hap.usace.army.mil/FAQs.htmlB. M. Reed, Realty SpecialistHAP Section, Acquisition Branch, Real Estate Division (RE-HA)US Army Corps of EngineersPO Box 889Savannah, GA 31402-0889

What a predicament for relocating servicemen. How can you put a home on the market contingent on HAP approval, unless you get a buyer willing to wait with no closing date? What if you have already changed bases and cannot continue to make mortgage and/or rent payments in both locations? According to HAP, you must stay current on your mortgage payments to qualify for the program.

I encourage servicemen to contact their state and federal representatives to hasten a resolution of the HAP quandary. Meanwhile, stay tuned for the latest updates.

It's Wendy!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy to sell your home or buy a home: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

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Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field: Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) for Short Sales

Due to the draw-down of the 33rd Fighter Wing at the Eglin AFB complex, approximately 2000 airmen are being relocated from the Emerald Coast of Florida to other air force bases around the country and world. In addition about 1000 personnel from Hurlburt Field are moving to Cannon AFB in Clovis, New Mexico. Unfortunately, airmen in the Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Navarre, Niceville and Destin areas of Florida are facing the same predicament as most Americans. Many have mortgage balances that are more than the market value of their homes. Thus, when faced with a forced military move, and such choices as to lease out their homes with insufficent rent to cover the mortgage, or foreclosure, the preferred strategy is to conduct a short sale. A short sale occurs when the seller's mortgage holder accepts fair market value at sale of the property, and, in the best case scenario, forgives the rest of the mortgage debt.

The good news for Eglin and Hurlburt Field military personnel is that further financial help may be available through the Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP). HAP is a long-established Department of Defense program that is managed by the US Army Corps or Engineers. HAP was initially used only to assist in Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) moves, but the new economic stimulus plan has expanded the program to include Permanent Change of Stations (PCS) moves.

What HAP offers in terms of relief is the following:

The Government may-
1. Reimburse you for part of your loss from selling your home
2. Assist you, if you don't receive enough proceeds from the sale of your home to
pay off your mortgage
3. Buy your home by paying off the mortgage
4. Help you, if you default on your mortgage

Further, HAP states you should continue try to sell your home on the open market. According to the program, you may be paid up to 95% of the difference of the Fair Market Value prior to the BRAC or PCS announcement affecting you, and the appraised value at time of sale, with potential for some closing cost reimbursement. HAP will not reimburse for the total loss. At the time of this writing, I have three Hurlburt Field and Eglin AFB home sellers who have applied for HAP simultaneously while attempting a short sale. How the government will interact with short sale lenders is to be determined.

Local Eglin AFB commanders are still trying to get formal interpretation of the program as it applies to Emerald Coast airmen. One of the controversial limits of the program expansion in the new American Recovery and Stimulous Act is that it applies only to homes purchased prior to July 2006. This limiting date does not correspond to the still-inflated real estate market in the ensuing months, in which many military members continued to purchase homes as outlined by Air Force Major Jason Trew's Letter to Congress.

While the language in the current bill is still being interpreted by Air Force authorities, you might be eligible to receive benefits under the new legislation. If you are in a short sale situation, stationed at Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field or Duke Field, you should see your commander or first sergeant and make your Application for Homeowner Assistance. As always, consult an experienced real estate agent who specializes in short sales to help you through the process.

It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty
Featured Short Sale Specialist in "Kiplinger Magazine"

Eglin AFB Short Sale Help

Email: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Call Wendy at 850-650-7883 ext 204

All Rights Reserved. *Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field: Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) for Short Sales* Contact Wendy Rulnick regarding Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field, Florida real estate and vicinity. Copyright © 2009 by Wendy Rulnick.