Is a Short Sale Right for You?

As our country seemingly reaches an economic stalemate, we are finding ourselves in situations that are less than financially appealing. What we do not realize, however, is that these situations can sometimes stand to jeopardize our livelihoods altogether. In an ugly world of job loss, declining market value and foreclosure, the days of the white picket fence seem to drift farther and farther away.

If keeping up with your mortgage becomes increasingly difficult and borderline impossible, don’t give up hope altogether. While not the best-case scenario, and yet far from the worst, consider a short sale as a means to cut your losses and keep credit damage at a minimum. Simply put, short selling your home means selling your property for less than the balance owed on the property’s loan. While neither the borrower or lender profit, it is a mutual agreement that, when done right, can avoid serious ramifications on the borrower’s behalf. As opposed to a foreclosure, a short sale will appear on a credit report as a debt settlement and not a “paid-in-full.” You will receive a lower credit score and have to pay higher interest rates for borrowing down the loan. Nevertheless, while notice of the settlement will remain on your report for seven years from the initial default date, a short sale will harm your score drastically less. If all goes according to plan, the difference on what you sold the house for and what you owe will be forgiven.

According to the National Association of Realtors, short sales and foreclosure account for a whopping 40% of all homes sold today. With that said, maybe it is time for you to consider a short sale as a sensible alternative to facing property foreclosure down the line.

I am available day or night to offer you the help you need in dealing with this delicate situation. I have over ten years of real estate experience, including dealing with short sales, and am ready and willing to negotiate with the mortgage company/ies for you and your family. The FHA does not currently have a policy regarding the time required to obtain a new FHA loan and reestablish your credit score. This means we can get you out of your property snare and into a new life as soon as humanly possible.

All the best,
Travis Senenfelder
651-216-9466
BSL Real Estate
440 2nd St.
Excelsior, MN 55331

Fore!

It’s not every day one can play a few rounds all the while taking in the arts. Even so, Big Stone Mini Golf seems to blend these two distant worlds with ease. Situated along the rural countryside between Mound and St. Bonfacius, Big Stone Mini Golf is a 17-acre putter’s paradise. Created and owned by local artist Bruce Stillman, Big Stone received its ambitious start back in 2003. In an attempt to create truly functional art, Stillman and some fellow artists crafted the 12-hole miniature-golf course using a variety of wood, stone and metal elements. The end result was a whimsical landscape of mini-golf amongst intensely interactive sculptural terrain.

The creative layout features fun for all ages, with each hole offering a new artistic obstacle and challenge. Take the start of the course for instance, which is a forest of fossilized tree trunks with no clear shot in sight. Move through a few more twists and turns and you’ll soon find yourself squaring up against the overturned hull of a sunken ship. By the time you sink your last put you’ll swear you’d just been through one of Picasso’s daydreams.

But that’s not all Big Stone offers – far from it. Enjoy a game or two on the carved checkerboards, break out the basket in the picnic area or get nice and cozy around the fire pit – it’s your call. There are also several goats, miniature horses and chickens scattered about the property (should you need to seal the deal with the kids).

Big Stone Mini Golf is an absolute blast -- take it from me. You’d think I was being biased, considering my passion for golf, but this place is sure to please young and old alike.

I’m always up for a round so consider calling me Travis Senenfelder, Minnetrista, Lake Minnetonka real estate broker at 651-216-9466 in relation to any real estate questions you may have while putting your way through this 12-hole maze. To preview properties for sale visit my website, http://www.BuySellLeaseMN.com, or http://www.MetroRentalsOnline.com to view rental properties in Mound, Minnestrista or St. Bonfacius.

All the best,
Travis Senenfelder
BSL Real Estate
440 2nd St.
Excelsior, MN 55331

Big Stone Mini Golf
http://bigstoneminigolf.com/
7100 County Rd 110 W
Mound, MN 55364
952-472-9292