While many say that a short sale is less damaging to one’s credit than is a foreclosure, documenting that claim is another story. This writer has looked hard, but can’t find any verification from Fair Issac (the developer of the FICO scoring system) or any of the major credit providers. That is probably no surprise, because their systems are proprietary. Nonetheless, one wonders what might be the source of the claim.
On the other hand, people who apparently should know deny that there is any difference. Greta Guest of the Free Press (Freep.com) quotes John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education for Atlanta-based Credit.com. Ulzheimer spent seven years at Fair Issac. “The credit bureau sees those all as equal,” Ulzheimer said. “They are all essentially in the eyes of FICO a major delinquency.” Elizabeth Razzi wrote in the Washington Post (July 20, 2008), “A foreclosure and short sale inflict equal damage to your FICO score, according to Fair Issac…” though she provides no specific citation.
Moving on from the credit score issue, there is the question of being again eligible to buy. More precisely, it is a question of when, in the future, the defaulting borrower could get a loan that would be purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The issue is dealt with in Fannie Mae Announcement 08-16, released June 25, 2008.
When it comes to foreclosures and deeds in lieu of foreclosure, the policy distinguishes between events that were precipitated by extenuating circumstances (e.g. job loss, major illness) and those that were not (e.g. financial mismanagement). If you’ve had a foreclosure without extenuating circumstances, you can’t purchase with a Fannie Mae – backed loan for five years. However, if there were extenuating circumstances, it drops to three years. Suppose you chose the deed in lieu of foreclosure option. If there were no extenuating circumstances, the period would be four years, but with such circumstances, it drops to two. Fannie Mae doesn’t draw the distinction when it comes to short sales: the period is two years, the same as doing a deed in lieu with extenuating circumstances.
Posted from an article that I found.
John Holbrook - Realtor Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach & Yulee, Florida
Cell: 904-415-0171 Email: holbrook66@msn.com Web: www.nassaumls.net
www.johnholbrook.blogspot.com
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