Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR® Expertise in Distressed Sales

Indianola, Iowa, May 10, 2010 — Misty Soldwisch with RE/MAX Innovations has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.

According to a recent NAR survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” transaction. REALTORS® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.

“While our area is fortunate enough to not have been affected like more volatile housing markets, declining market values and economic factors have put many central Iowans in the position of negative equity and foreclosure risk.” says Soldwisch.  “Banks prefer to negotiate sales when a homeowner is still living in the home, rather than to take the home into their inventory and risk the deterioration that comes from vacancy and lack of care.  I am glad to have the tools to lead people through these situations – it is not something that every REALTOR® likes to do, but I find it very satisfying to help community members attempt to preserve their credit and move on.”

The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.