Short Sale Client Stories
Tom and Jeanne C's story about selling their Gulf Shores condo in February 2010 (IndyMac)
We first began the Short Sale process in July or August of 2009. We were hesitant to enter this process because we had just had a horrible experience with a loan modification. We called Donna Fitts at Remax and discussed our situation with her. She immediately gave us the confidence we needed that we could trust her. She was able from the beginning to clearly explain the process and to take the necessary steps to get it done. After the initial contact with Indymac the Short Sale seemed to be going well and as planned. However, the first promise broken by Indymac occurred in mid August when they did not assign it to a negotiator. I appreciate Donna because I realize how hard and frustrating it is to deal with them. This was only the first of many times when Indymac did not do what they told her they would do. In October they still delayed and Donna called them and "regave" them information and explained that this needed action. Honestly, I cannot remember the details of what happened then but, once again, I felt confident Donna was doing everything she could to move the process along. I can remember one discussion with her in this time frame where she gave me dates and times of phone calls and communication she had with Indymac. I was impressed by this level of detail and competence. It is just simply something that I have not experienced from a realtor before. In November and December, despite repeated contact with Indymac the process seemed to be bogged down. Under Donna's direction and with her help we wrote Indymac a nice but blunt letter explaining our frustration and their failure to this point. Again, this did not seem to benefit at all.
In January it became evident that the status quo was not getting anywhere. Donna told us toward the end of January that she had done some research and was going to try a new tactic. She contacted a high level Vice President at Indymac. I am not sure exactly what she did at this time but I can remember that she was determined to follow this path and was highly confident we could prompt Indymac into action. By this time we were getting advice from everyone. I called her once and suggested that I get more actively and personally involved and push Indymac into action. She prudently advised against it and reassured me that she was confident that her tact would work. It did. Just a short time later we received a call from Donna telling us they agreed to the Short Sale.
I am absolutely sure that it was only through Donna's persistence, determination and thorough dealings with Indymac that this Short Sale occurred. I feel Donna did everything she could to help us in a situation that was emotionally draining, intellectually complicated and simply frustrating. We appreciate her and owe her our deep gratitude.
Pat M's story about short selling her Orange Beach condo in January 2010 (Flagstar)
With no results after two years of my condo on the market, exhausting my savings and home equity to keep up the payments, I made the difficult decision to foreclose on the mortgage of my Orange Beach condo. I thought I did not have any other choice, even a consult with an attorney told me I would probably have to declare bankruptcy to be able to stay in my home. I was devastated.
The very week I spoke with an attorney, I received a post card from “The Fitts Team”, stating “If you know someone facing foreclosure, we might can help.” It was a Saturday morning and I knew no one would be answering the phone, but Donna Fitts did, and just the initial conversation gave me some hope. Donna explained a “Short Sale”, suggested the plan to sell and started the paperwork. After 6 weeks on the market, she received an offer, shortly thereafter an approval from the bank, and we have just signed the closing paperwork. I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am to have that burden taken from me.
Donna Fitts is the most professional and knowledgeable realtor I have ever worked with. She handled every aspect of the transaction, taking all the anxiety from me. No one else gave me any alternatives, including my attorney. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate how the entire process was handled.
Fran D's story about short selling her condo on Perdido Key in August 2009 (Chase)
"Having never gone through the short sale process I had no idea what to expect. Donna Fitts guided me the entire way. I was living in another city and she handled everything. I couldn't have ask for a better experience. She was able to sell my condo in a very down market as well as manage the requirements of the mortgage company. She did all of this while making me feel that my situation was very important to her. She is the BEST! and I recommend her very highly."
" I not only would use Donna again but recommend her very highly."
Carol .A's
Like too many folks, we found ourselves way over our heads on a house that we knew would never, in our lifetime anyway, sell for what we owed. A friend in the mortgage business advised us to stop making payments, and to start the paperwork for a short sale. We did this for several months and got nowhere with our mortgage company. Meanwhile, mostly because we were so embarrassed, we chose not to discuss this with our real estate agent, who was Donna Fitts. Looking back, that was the dumbest thing we did throughout the whole process.
Little did we know that Donna was already helping lots of people just like us. If we had involved her earlier in the process, it would have been far less painful. Once Donna got going on it, things started happening quickly. She knew our odds were about 30% for getting an agreement on a short sale, but she chose to focus on the "one in three" versus the other two. It got down to the wire, but she never gave up and wouldn't let me give up, either. We stopped making payments in Sep. 2008; Donna got involved in March. 2009 and the house sold in May.
Not only did we receive a letter forgiving what we owed, but my credit score still has not been affected. My advice to anyone contemplating foreclosure: PLEASE consider a short sale, and choose the Fitts Team to help you.
We can never thank you enough, Donna.
