Behind on Mortgage Payments? Sell Fast & Keep Your Equity in Jupiter FL
You Never Thought You'd Be in This Position. Job Loss, Medical Bills, Divorce. Things Happen in Life, and Suddenly You Can't Make the Mortgage Payment.
I lost my home to foreclosure in 2009. I know exactly what you're going through, and I can help you avoid losing your equity.
You're behind on your mortgage. Maybe two months. Maybe three. Every time the phone rings, your stomach drops. You're avoiding opening the mail because you know what's in there. Another late payment notice. Maybe a foreclosure warning.
You lie awake at night running the numbers over and over in your head, trying to figure out how to make this work. But the math doesn't add up. The money isn't there.
You never imagined this would happen to you. You thought home ownership was the right decision. You thought you'd figure it out. But a job loss happened. Or medical bills piled up. Or divorce destroyed your finances. And now you're drowning.
You're scared. You're embarrassed. And you don't know what to do.
I've Been Exactly Where You Are
In 2009, I lost my home to foreclosure. I know what it feels like to be behind on payments, to dread every phone call from the bank, to not know what to do because you can't keep your house.
I'm going to be honest with you. I'm not going to lie and say I know of a magic solution that lets you keep your house without paying for the mortgage each month.
Here's what I learned from my own foreclosure mess: The faster you act, the more you can save.
I waited too long. I hoped things would get better. I buried my head in the sand and pretended it wasn't happening. I thought I would come up with some kind of solution. By the time I finally faced reality, it was too late.
Don't make the mistake I made if you can avoid it.
The Hard Truth
There's no fairy godmother coming to save you. There's no program that makes the bank go away. There's no miracle that lets you stay in a house you can't make payments on.
The bank wants their money. That's it. They don't care about your situation. They don't care that you lost your job or got sick or went through a divorce. They just want to get paid what they're owed.
If you don't pay them, they will take your house. That's not a threat, it's just reality.
But here's the other part of the truth, the part that actually gives you hope:
If you own a home in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, or anywhere in Palm Beach County, and you bought it more than two years ago, you almost certainly have equity.
That equity is yours. It's money you've built up through your mortgage payments and through the appreciation of your property.
That equity is what we need to protect.
Because here's what happens if you do nothing:
You keep missing payments
The bank files a lis pendens (a public legal notice that you're in foreclosure)
Your credit gets destroyed
The foreclosure process moves forward
The bank takes your house
You lose your equity
The bank's lawyers get paid. You get pennies if you’re lucky.
That's the nightmare scenario. It's exactly what happened to me.
But it doesn't have to happen to you.
You Have Equity to Protect. Here's How We Save It.
The bank doesn't want your house. They're not in the real estate business. They just want their money.
So let's give it to them, and keep the rest for yourself.
Here's the reality: If you sell your home now, before foreclosure proceedings really get going, you can walk away with the most amount of your equity intact. You can pay off what you owe the bank, cover closing costs, and keep whatever's left.
Depending on how much equity you have, that could be tens of thousands of dollars, or more, in cash that you get to keep and use to start over somewhere else.
But you have to act fast. Because every day you wait:
You fall further behind on payments
Your credit takes more damage
You get closer to a lis pendens filing (once that happens, Buyers know you're desperate and your negotiating power disappears)
Your options shrink
The window is closing. But it's not closed yet.
What Happens If You Wait Too Long
Let me explain what a lis pendens is, because this is the point of no return.
A lis pendens is a public legal notice filed against your property when foreclosure proceedings officially begin. It shows up in the public record. It shows up in title searches. Everyone knows you're in foreclosure.
Once a lis pendens is filed:
Buyers and their agents see it immediately
They know you're desperate to sell
They make offers based on that desperation
Your negotiating power is gone
You're selling from a position of total weakness
Typically, a lis pendens gets filed after you've missed 3-4 mortgage payments. If you're already at that point, your situation is urgent. If you already have a lis pendens filed, your situation is beyond urgent, you need to act immediately.
This is why I'm telling you: don't wait.
The earlier you call me, the stronger your position. The more time we have, the better price we can get. The better price we get, the more equity you walk away with.
What NOT to Do: The "We Buy Houses" Trap
You've probably seen the signs. "We Buy Houses For Cash!" They're on highway exits, telephone poles, maybe you've gotten postcards in the mail.
Here's their business model: They find desperate homeowners, offer them 60-70% of what their house is actually worth, and count on desperation and fear to get people to say yes.
Do not call these people.
Yes, they'll close fast. Yes, they'll buy your house as-is. But they're going to lowball you, sometimes by offering half of what your property is worth, or less, because that's how they make their profit.
You have equity to protect. Don't hand it over to an investor who's counting on you being too scared or too embarrassed to explore your real options.
There's a better way.
What TO Do: Sell Smart, Sell Fast, Keep Your Equity
Here's a plan, not a dream, a real plan based on what actually works:
1. We Assess Your Situation Immediately
We'll sit down together (in person or over the phone) and I'll ask you the hard questions:
How many payments have you missed?
Has a lis pendens been filed?
What do you owe on your mortgage?
What's your house worth?
How much equity do you have?
How much time do we have?
Once I understand your situation, I'll tell you exactly what your options look like. No sugar-coating. Just the truth.
2. We Price Your Home Strategically
We're not pricing at full market value and hoping for the best. We don't have time for that.
We're pricing just below market. Enough to attract serious buyers immediately, but not so low that you're giving your equity away.
The goal is to generate multiple showings quickly and get offers within 7-14 days. We want buyers competing, not waiting around to see if you'll drop the price more.
3. We Get Your Home Ready Fast
Most people in financial distress don't have money for major repairs. I get it.
We're not doing a full renovation. We're doing the things that matter:
Basic landscaping and curb appeal
Deep cleaning so the house shows well
Touch-up paint if needed
Decluttering
If you don't have money for this, we'll figure it out. Sometimes we can negotiate covering these costs at closing. We'll find a way.
The house needs to show well so we get top dollar for it. If buyers walk in and see a mess, they'll offer less. We can't afford that.
4. We Market Aggressively But Quietly
Here's what's different from a normal sale: We don't advertise your motivation.
We're not putting "motivated seller" in the listing. We're not telling anyone you're in distress. As far as the market knows, this is just a normal home sale.
But behind the scenes, we're pushing hard:
Professional photography
Online advertising everywhere
Showings available with short notice
Priced to move fast
We want every qualified buyer in Palm Beach County to see this listing and think "that's a good deal, we should move on it now."
5. We Accept the Right Offer, Not Just Any Offer
Speed matters, but we're not accepting the first lowball offer that comes in just because you're scared.
We need an offer that:
Actually closes (we don't have time to go in and out of contract multiple times)
Is as close to asking price as possible
Has reasonable terms and a realistic timeline
Comes from a buyer who's qualified and serious
I'll negotiate hard on your behalf, and advocate relentlessly for you.
6. We Close Fast and You Walk Away With Your Equity
In a distressed situation, we can typically get a house sold in 30-45 days if it's priced right and shows well.
Sometimes faster if we get a strong offer early.
At closing, the mortgage gets paid off. Closing costs get covered. And whatever's left, that's yours.
You walk away with cash. Your credit takes less damage than a foreclosure. And you can start over somewhere else without the weight of this house crushing you.
The Choice You Need to Make Right Now
You're standing at a fork in the road.
Path One: You act now.
You call me. We assess your equity position. We create a plan to sell fast and protect what you've built. You walk away with cash, your credit takes less damage, and you get to start over somewhere else with money in the bank.
Yes, you lose the house. That hurts. I know it does.
But you keep your equity. You avoid foreclosure. You don't destroy your credit for the next 7-10 years. And you have the financial foundation to rebuild your life.
Path Two: You wait.
You hope something changes. You hope you find a way to make the payments. You avoid dealing with it because it's painful and scary.
The bank files a lis pendens. Your negotiating power disappears. Foreclosure proceedings move forward. Your credit gets destroyed. The bank takes the house. The bank's lawyers get paid.
You lose everything. Your equity. Your credit. Your home. All of it.
That's what happened to me. I chose Path Two. And I lost everything.
Please don't make the same mistake I did.
You Likely Have More Options Than You Think
If you own a home in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, or anywhere in Palm Beach County, there's a very high likelihood you have equity, especially if you bought more than two years ago.
That equity is yours. It's money you've earned through your payments and through your home's appreciation.
We can protect it. But we need to move now.
I'm not going to lie to you and say this will be easy. Selling your home when you're in financial trouble is hard. It's emotional. It's painful.
But it's the right move if it means you walk away with your equity instead of losing it to the bank.
Call me. Let's talk about your specific situation. I'll tell you honestly what your options look like and what I think you should do.
Every day you wait, you lose leverage. Every day you wait, the situation gets worse.
Don't wait until it's too late.
Questions People Ask Me When They're Behind on Mortgage Payments
How much time do I have before foreclosure starts?
It depends on where you are in the process. Most lenders don't start formal foreclosure proceedings until you're 3-4 months behind on payments. That's usually when a lis pendens gets filed. If you're 1-2 months behind, you still have time, but not much. If you're 3+ months behind or already have a lis pendens filed, your situation is urgent and you need to act immediately.
What is a lis pendens and why does it matter?
A lis pendens is a public legal notice that foreclosure proceedings have started on your property. It shows up in public records and title searches. Once it's filed, everyone knows you're in foreclosure; buyers, agents, title companies, everyone. This kills your negotiating power because buyers know you're desperate. It's much better to sell before this gets filed.
Can I still sell my home if I'm behind on mortgage payments?
Yes. You can sell your home at any point in the process, even after a lis pendens is filed. The mortgage gets paid off at closing from the sale proceeds. If you have equity, you keep whatever's left after the bank gets paid and closing costs are covered. The earlier you sell, the stronger your negotiating position and the more equity you're likely to keep.
Will selling hurt my credit less than going through foreclosure?
Absolutely. Selling your home, even if you're behind on payments, has much less impact on your credit than a completed foreclosure. A foreclosure stays on your credit report for 7 years and can drop your score by hundreds of points. Late mortgage payments hurt your credit too, but nowhere near as much as foreclosure. If you sell before foreclosure is complete, you're in much better shape.
What if I owe more than my house is worth?
This is relatively rare in Jupiter and Palm Beach County right now because of how much home values have appreciated. But if you are underwater, we'd need to discuss a short sale, where the bank agrees to accept less than what you owe. Short sales are complicated and take longer, but they're still better than foreclosure. I can walk you through that process if it applies to your situation.
How fast can you actually sell my home?
If we price it right and the house shows well, I can typically get a home sold in a distressed situation within 30-45 days. Sometimes faster if we get a strong offer early. Getting the house ready to market can take 10-14 days if we're moving fast. So realistically, from the day you call me to the day you close, we're looking at 6-8 weeks in most cases. If you already have a lis pendens filed, we move even faster.
Should I talk to those "we buy houses for cash" investors?
Almost never. Their business model is to offer you 60-70% of what your house is actually worth and count on you being desperate enough to say yes. Yes, they close fast. Yes, they buy as-is. But you're leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table, money that should be yours. We can sell your home on the open market, price it aggressively to move fast, and get you significantly more money than an investor will pay. Cash investors are a last resort, not a first option.
Can I work with my lender to stop foreclosure?
Sometimes. If you have a sales contract in place and a closing date scheduled, some lenders will delay foreclosure proceedings to allow the sale to close. Local lenders and credit unions are generally more willing to work with you than big national banks. But don't count on your lender being helpful, most just want their money. The safest bet is to sell as quickly as possible and pay them off at closing.
What happens to my equity when I sell?
At closing, your mortgage gets paid off first from the sale proceeds. Then closing costs get covered (title insurance, realtor commissions, transfer taxes, etc.). Whatever money is left after that is yours. That's your equity. Depending on how much your home has appreciated and how much you still owe, that could be $50,000, $100,000, sometimes more. You get a check for that amount at closing and you can use it however you want.
I'm embarrassed about my situation. Will people know I'm in trouble?
No. We don't advertise your motivation. As far as anyone looking at your listing knows, this is just a normal home sale. We price it competitively to move quickly, but we don't put "motivated seller" or any language that signals distress. The only people who know your situation are you, me, and whoever absolutely needs to know (like your lender). I protect your privacy and your negotiating position.
What if I don't have money for repairs or to get the house ready?
Most people in your situation don't. We'll focus on the essentials like basic cleaning, minor landscaping, decluttering, things that make a big difference but don't cost much. If there are things that absolutely need to be done and you don't have the cash, sometimes we can negotiate covering those costs at closing, or I know vendors who'll work on deferred payment. We'll figure it out. The house needs to show well so we get the best price possible, but we'll find a way to make that happen without you having to come up with money you don't have.
What's the difference between what you do and a short sale?
A short sale is when you owe more on your mortgage than your house is worth, and the bank agrees to accept less than what you owe. Short sales are complicated, take a long time, and require bank approval for every offer. What I'm talking about is a regular sale where you have equity. You sell the house, the bank gets paid what they're owed, and you keep the rest. That's much faster, much simpler, and much better for you. Short sales are rare in Jupiter and Palm Beach County right now because most homeowners have equity.
Don't Wait Until It's Too Late
If you're behind on your mortgage payments, if you're scared about foreclosure, if you don't know what to do, call me.
We'll talk about your situation. I'll tell you honestly what your options look like. And if selling makes sense, we'll create a plan to do it fast and protect your equity.
You have money to save. But only if you act now.
Call me: (786) 443-7203
Or fill out the form below and I'll call you within a few hours. This is urgent. Don't put it off.
Casey Prindle, PA
Licensed Florida Realtor
Serving Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach County Since 2009