Westfield NJ Realtor Earns Prestigious CDPE Designation to Help Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

Westfield, NJ, April 04, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Sean Carroll of Team Carroll of RE/MAX Classic Group has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when the area is ravaged by “distressed” homes in the foreclosure process.

Short sales allow the cash-strapped seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this can save many people from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures.

In the Union County, NJ area, more the number of homes in danger of foreclosing is clearly on the rise. As job losses mount, and real estate prices have come down, more distressed properties are surfacing in the area. It is happening in all price ranges. Local experts say that even high-priced homes are not immune.

“This CDPE designation has been invaluable as I work with sellers and lenders on complicated short sales,” said Sean Carroll. “It is so rewarding to be able to help sellers save their homes from foreclosure.”

To provide free information for homeowners in distress, Team Carroll has even created a website designed specifically to help these clients at www.HomeOwnerHelpSite.com. Sean Carroll says of this website: “We’ve tried to layout an easy to read informational website for clients who want information about short sales vs. foreclosures, and other options such as mortgage modification.

Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Raton, Fla., said that Realtors® such as Sean Carroll with the CDPE designation have valuable training in short sales that can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to foreclosure. These experts also may better understand market conditions and can help sellers through the emotional experience, he said.

The Distressed Property Institute opened in January 2008 and provides training on-site and online. The CDPE is the premier designation for Realtors helping homeowners in distress and handling short sales.

“Our goal is to educate as many people as possible so we can help as many homeowners as possible,” Charfen said.

For more information about CDPE designation or to find a certified distressed Realtor in your area, please call 1-800-482-0335.

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