Trustee Sale: How You Find Out Your House is on the Block
March 1, 2010 by Kristin LaVanway · 6 Comments
In the course of my business as a Realtor, I meet many distressed property owners who are losing their homes either through a short sale or a Trustee Sale. This year, my family will become yet another statistic as we will be losing our home as well.
I have come a long way over the last year and a half as I tried unsuccessfully to save my family home. Although the battle was hard fought – perhaps too hard fought – in the end, the best decision has evolved to my current situation – giving up my house and moving forward. What I have found very interesting is how I have evolved myself . Like many of life’s events that require great fortitude, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I am fairly invincible at this point…Even more remarkable is how this evolutionary process is so common among other homeowners who are giving up the keys. It is a learning process, a growing process and a process that shakes up your concept if what’s important…and what’s not.
When I started this process, one thing that helped my a great deal was a blog I discovered called Love in the Time of Foreclosure. It was written by a woman named Stephanie Walker about her efforts to save her home in Los Angeles and how she and her husband ultimately sold their home through a short sale. This story is beautiful – it is a love story – and it showed me what could lie ahead if I held my head up and never gave up on what was best for my family. I owe Stephanie a lot…
So, now I hope to pay it forward and share my story with someone else out there who could use a little glimpse into the future. My story is different than Stephanie’s in a lot of ways – I am doing this as a single mom with four boys in tow – but in a lot of ways it’s the same. Although losing your home is a traumatic event – one of the worst things some families will experience – many people I talk to come out of it wiser, more grounded and ultimately happier. That’s what I want to pass on…
I am going to check in every once in a while with an update or observation about my experience and I hope it helps someone out there who is going through the same thing. And please pass this along to anyone you know who might benefit.
So catch my video about how I found out my house was scheduled for Trustee Sale…no surprise to me, but kind of odd how most people learn about this serious turn of events. Actually the entire process from late payments to Trustee Sale can be traced through….junk mail.
About the Top Ramen Chronicles…when things started to look dire in the family finances, I held a family meeting with my four sons. We discussed the fact that we were in danger of losing our home and all agreed that we would do anything to save it, even if it meant eating Top Ramen everyday. We ate a lot of Top Ramen, but ultimately will be losing our home. But we sure have learned a lot along the way.
![[Facebook]](http://hereinphoenix.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://hereinphoenix.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Twitter]](http://hereinphoenix.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
I am a Realtor in Gilbert, AZ, working with clients throughout the Phoenix Metro area. I am lucky to love what I do and appreciate the difference I can make in people's lives.
In a previous life, I was a rocket scientist - really! - but decided to step away from corporate America to be a Mom to my four boys. Found it hard to do bake sales, so I ran a small independent programming business instead.
Flash forward...I am now a single mom and I face many, many challenges everyday. I am living through the hardships that many are facing in this economy. These experiences have motivated me to help other people in my shoes.
I have teamed up with Dean Ouellette to form the East Valley Team - the best darn team in the Valley. Check out our site at http://www.EastValleyTeam.com. I spend way too much time on YouTube - check ou tmy channel at http://www.youtube.com/klavanway
My friend recently had their home in Maricopa go to foreclosure… I was fidding around on the web and ran into their address listed on a website that posts homes for investors to look at… they were disgusted to say the least. But what can you do really? I felt for them… their home sold and was purchased by an investor from GA.
anyway, found your site to be a great resource.
These are tough times, no doubt. In the end, though, you have to let it go…when it comes right down to it, a house is just a container. What’s really important is what’s inside. At least that’s what my family is realizing. I wish your friends the best of luck.
I came across your site, i think your blog is cool, keep working !
this site is incredible !! good work buddy
Great read, I just passed this onto a associate who was doing a modest research on that. And he actually decided to buy me lunch mainly because I discovered it for him .So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch! Best wishes, Criselda.