Resolving non-performing mortgage notes is as much an art as it is a science. It’s a delicate balance between being aggressive and compassionate with the goal of reaching a win-win that resolves a difficult situation with the most practical solution.
Getting in Touch with the Borrower
The most difficult part of the non-performing loan resolution process is getting the borrower to pick up the phone, respond to a letter or answer your email. Although there are a many strategies to utilize (skip-trace, door knock, send Welcome Packages and more), the simplest way to set-up your note business is with two vendors in place:
Attorney: your legal counsel (licensed in the subject property state) is a creditor attorney that can proceed with foreclosure if necessary. Negotiate an agreement with your attorney to send a Demand Letter (for <$200) and let you know as soon as the borrower reaches out to negotiate
Loan Servicer: the most important vendor that you’ll work with as a note investor is your Loan Servicer. Some investors attempt to “self-service” but it isn’t advisable (my thoughts here). Once your attorney gets the borrower on the hook and you’ve negotiated a resolution, loop your loan servicer in to start a loan modification & begin collecting payments.
TIP: Members of our top-level program, the Mortgage Note Mastermind utilize our nationwide database of reputable creditor attorneys to send their Demand Letters/manage their foreclosure filings and recommended Loan Servicers to handle their accounting/admin.
The Three Questions
There are really only three questions necessary to open a dialogue with the borrower. Whether that be through your servicer, attorney or handled yourself is on you to decide (and be aware of the risks). These questions are:
- What happened?
- Where are you now?
- What do you want to do?
Once you have an answer and further details from the borrower into each of these lines of inquiry, you’re ready to move on to pursuing one or more of the many exit strategies. For now, let’s unpack these three questions.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Referred to as the borrower hardship, what you’re trying to get to here is the reason the borrower stopped making their payments. Before this question is asked, make sure you have studied the loan data and are familiar with the general information (such as the last payment date). If you have access to a skip trace, you may have a head start on some follow up questions.
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
You’ve established what caused the default, now you’re determining whether this hardship has been overcome, if the borrower’s situation has improved. Make sure detailed notes of this conversation are recorded because you may require evidence or followup from the borrower on some of the information provided.
Find out where the borrower is currently residing. If they’re working, find out where and how much they’re earning. Ask some specific followup questions based on their hardship. Get as much, detailed information as you can. The more they share, the better you will be able to help them come to a mutually agreeable resolution.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?
There are two paths that the answer to this question may take: does the borrower want to keep the house or move on. If they want to stay in the house you will need to discuss their monthly budget for a re-payment plan or the possibility of a lump-sum payoff.
If they are ready to cut their losses and move from the property, the conversation will take a different course. Ask if they’ve tried to sell the home before. If they know how much it’s worth and whether there are any substantial repairs necessary. Don’t make any promises at this time, just get as much detail as you can.
Once you are satisfied with the amount of information you have gathered it’s incredibly important to set a follow up meeting. Depending on how the conversation went, the borrower might have some homework to do. It’s very helpful to have them put together their financial information including bank statements and pay stubs.
EXIT STRATEGIES
The following exit strategies are reviewed in detail in the Foundation Series video training: Advanced Resolutions (for Note Investor Network members). For now here is a summary of the many ways to monetize an NPL:
Discounted Payoff: Unless there is substantial equity for the borrower to afford a full payoff, distressed note investors typically seek a lump sum discounted payoff.
Payment Plan: If the borrower doesn’t have the funds available for a lump sum payoff, a payment plan is the next best option. Often, you will negotiate for a downpayment to cover past due interest or late fees in addition to a monthly commitment.
Sell the Note: A note sale is a great strategy after a payment plan has been put in place and “seasoned” for six months or longer. It’s also a way to cut your losses if you need to liquidate a non-performing loan.
Short Sale: If the borrower is not interested in keeping the property the note investor can help them put the home on the market for sale. If there is not enough equity to payoff the lien(s), the sale is referred to as a short sale.
Deed-in-Lieu: This gives the borrower the ability to walk away from their debt in exchange for signing over the property to the lender. Depending on the investor’s intention and the value of the property, they may be able to offer “cash for keys” to help the borrower afford a downpayment or security deposit on their new residence.
Foreclosure: A very small percentage of investors that file foreclosure actually end up taking back the property. Foreclosure is often times the “wake up call” the borrower needs to realize that they need to make a decision or one will be made for them.
FORUM DIscussions
Continue learning in our Note Investing Forum!
Here are some discussions to join with your questions:
- Borrower Outreach & How To Get More Deals Done
- Our Fastest Loan Mod Ever
- Short Sale from 2nd Position
Next Steps for Note Investing Success
Invest in the next level of education with the Real Estate Wealth Accelerator and unlock lifetime access to all of our advanced video training. Click here to see the curriculum/course content.
Joining the Real Estate Wealth Accelerator will also give you 90 days of access to the Mortgage Note Mastermind where you’ll:
- Connect with top note investors in the Member’s Only Forum,
- Access Exclusive Deal Flow and industry-wide opportunities
- Attend monthly Expert Sessions for emerging strategies
- Get consulted in our weekly Open Office Hour Zoom calls
- Use our templates, tools, calculators & nation-wide database
- Follow along with our case-studies, event calendar and more
See the options & power of our paid memberships here.