When Can I Buy a Home After Bankruptcy?

Buying a home in Washington after a bankruptcyThis is a question I get more often than you’d think, and the answer surprises most people: a bankruptcy doesn’t permanently disqualify you from getting a mortgage and depending on the type of bankruptcy you filed and which loan program you use, you may be eligible sooner than you’d expect — in some cases, before your bankruptcy is even fully discharged.

The two things that determine your timeline are which chapter you filed and which loan program you use. Let’s break both down. [Read more…]

Reader Question: What can We do during the Waiting Period?

What do during the wait period after a short sale or foreclosureThis question comes up constantly from clients counting down the days on a waiting period after a short sale, foreclosure, or bankruptcy:

We’ll hit our 4-year mark in March. Is there anything we can do before then to get the process started, or do we just have to sit and wait until the exact date?

The short answer: you can’t make an offer before your wait period ends, but there’s a lot you can — and should — be doing in the meantime. [Read more…]