Hi Donna,
It certainly sounds like a mess to me, sad to say, this is happening alot lately especially in the Montague area. I happen to live in Montague and am very familiar with HPCC and all of the issues that come with it, as well as the surrounding area.
I do agree with Kim and Joanna, this particular problem needs to be adressed by a designated real estate attorney. You don't want these issues handled by a flunky. I think I'll stop there because I can name a few flunky's in this area, but I'll be nice and say no more.
I do know the real estate market in HPCC and the local area has become more active lately. Properties are going under contract quicker, as long as they are priced correctly. I guess the best advice I can give you is list the property quickly, at a reasonable price, if it hasn't been listed already, and just get the property sold. Once you have a contract on the home you may be able to ward off more expenses or atleast keep them at bay, depending how fast the sale goes, and able to work with the mortgage company / bank more effectively now that you have a buyer for the property. If you need any help with that don't hesitate to give me a call.
You do have to remember, Short Sales do not happen like conventional sales. The sale needs to be approved by the mortgage company / bank. That may take a while.
Unfortunately, there is no quick remedy to this problem. The best thing to do at this point is try to take hold of the problem, the best way you can, but that requires getting a contract as quickly as possible.
A sale contract in hand provides you with the most power at this point and the most cooperation from your financing company.
Good luck Donna, hope everything works out. - Sat Oct 31 2009, 12:56