Deed in Lieu

A deed in lieu is usually a shortened term to refer to a deed in lieu of foreclosure. A deed in lieu of foreclosure is an agreement between a homeowner or property owner and the lender, such as mortgage brokerage firm. A deed in lieu will usually entail the real estate owner turning over the deed to the home or property to the lending party in order to avoid or to halt foreclosure proceedings. In other words, a deed in lieu is essentially a legal document that negotiates a way for a homeowner or property owner to avoid foreclosure.

A deed in lieu of foreclosure will usually be a homeowner or property owner's last resort when facing foreclosure. Typically, engaging in a deed in lieu negotiation will usually have a negative effect on a person's credit, and thus, making more difficult to manage one's finances and secure future loans. They way that the deed in lieu works is fairly simple.

The owner gives the deed to the property over to the lender, effectively canceling the debt. However, depending on the negotiations of the deed in lieu, a lender may, for example, include provisions in which the homeowner will have to pay back any amount that was not covered by the property being sold. Furthermore, this could also have negative effect on the homeowner's credit, for it will be seen as the negotiations not properly settling the debt of the loan.

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