When a property owner is trying to avoid foreclosure, there are many options available. Some of them may work and others may just be a waste of time in a given situation. The person facing foreclosure needs to look at the circumstances and the availability of various options. One option that makes a lot of sense is to list the home with a realtor.

There are few things to realize when listing a home in foreclosure with a realtor. The amount of time available to list and market the house is crucial to making it work. If the house is in foreclosure and going to auction in a week, listing with a realtor may not be a hopeful option. But if the foreclosure process has just begun, listing with a realtor may be the way to go.

The first step to take is to call the lender and communicate your intentions. Contrary to popular belief, most lenders do not actually want to foreclose on a home. It is costly and time-consuming. Because of this, if the borrower is willing to work with the lender and keep the lines of communication open, a lender will generally work the borrower. Ask for a mortgage forbearance and list the house with a competent realtor as soon as you decide this is what you want to do. A forbearance means that the lender is giving a short time to bring the mortgage current before proceeding with the foreclosure. Usually the time period will be around 60 days, but some lenders will give more or less time.

Realtors have many tools at their fingertips and a good realtor can give a property owner a realistic idea of how feasible it is to sell the home before it is foreclosed upon. A realtor will have access to the average number of days on the market (DOM) it takes for a home to sell in a particular neighborhood. Be sure to ask the realtor for an adjusted DOM for the home that is in foreclosure. An adjusted DOM will give you an idea of how long it will take to the sell the home and at what price it should be listed given the unique qualities the home has. For example, if most homes similar to your property are being sold in 45 days at the price of $120,000, then that gives a starting point for what the house should be listed at and how long it will take to sell. Adjusting for differences in the property is crucial because a major problem or major renovations can affect these calculations.

Listing with a realtor is best for someone with a small amount of equity in the home. In fact, the more equity there is in the home, the more likely that an offer will be made on the home that is sufficient enough to accept. An ideal situation would entail enough equity to cover the amount of any liens against the property and closing costs.

To get started, look for a realtor who has experience in the business and who has a good track record for selling homes without the listed properties spending too many days on the market. The only major drawback is that most realtors will charge a commission fee of about six percent. Nevertheless, the benefits definitely outweigh the expense here. Get the best realtor available who is willing to work with you. It is better to sell the home than to end up with nothing.