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How does a short sale affect my credit?

Writer Robert Bradley

A short sale will blow a hole in your credit score, dropping it as much as 100-150 points, depending on where you started. The higher your credit score, the more you will fall.

What is the downside of a short sale on a home?

Disadvantages of a Short Sale A short sale comes with quite a few catches. There are more parties involved than a typical sale making the process complicated and often lengthy. In a traditional home sale, price negotiations happen between the buyer and seller (or their representatives), not the seller’s bank.

Who pays closing costs in a short sale?

These seller closing costs include things like property transfer fees, realtor commissions and attorney or title company fees. In a short sale transaction on the other hand, the seller’s closing costs are usually paid out of the money the buyer brings to the closing.

What is the benefit of a short sale?

Benefits of a Short Sale to a Home Buyer Primarily, the big benefit is the increased odds of getting the home for a reduced price, knowing that the house is in short sale mode, and that the owners, and likely even the bank or lender in many cases, will want to sell the home and get out from under the home loan.

How does a short sale affect a seller’s credit?

Short Sale. Steep maintains that the effect of a short sale (providing the sellers are more than 59 days late) on a seller’s credit report is identical to that of a foreclosure. The ding on credit will show up as a pre-foreclosure in redemption status, Steep says, which will result in a loss of 200 to 300 points.

How does selling your home affect your credit score?

Over time, this can raise your scores. However, if you sell your home and choose to rent and therefore do not carry a mortgage anymore, it won’t hurt your credit, but it also will not raise your score. You might also decide to pay down existing credit card debt if you’re able to allocate some of the funds from the sale of your home.

Which is worse a foreclosure or a short sale?

Many homeowners prefer a short sale to a foreclosure because they believe there’s less of a stigma attached to a short sale and that it won’t necessarily damage their credit as much. However, both a foreclosure and a short sale can lower your credit score and will stay on your credit report for seven years.

How does a foreclosure affect your credit score?

A foreclosure won’t be removed from your credit history until seven years after the first missed payment. Late payments have one of the most significant negative impacts on credit score. Late mortgage payments could lead to a double-whammy on your credit score, impacting it long before your short sale or foreclosure happens.