If you've gotten a notice about your mortgage — or you're just lying awake worried about it — please hear one thing: you don't have to figure this out alone, and you have real choices. Many of them protect your money and your credit. Some people even find they can sell and walk away with cash instead of a foreclosure on their record.
I'm Robin Guajardo, a local Realtor with Real Estate One, and I'm certified in short sales and foreclosure (SFR). I'm not an attorney — I'm someone who knows this process and can help you see the whole picture, privately and without pressure.
Free. Private. No obligation. I'll reach out personally, gently.
"Falling behind on a house payment doesn't make you a failure. Life happens. There's no judgment here — just help, if you want it."
No. My job here is to help you understand your choices — even the ones that don't involve selling, and even the ones that don't involve me. What you do with that information is entirely yours.
I can't promise that, and anyone who does is not being honest with you. What I can do is help you understand your real options — and acting sooner usually means more of them are still open.
No. I'm a licensed Realtor with Real Estate One, certified in short sales and foreclosure (SFR). For legal advice or loan-modification help, I'll point you to an attorney or a free HUD-approved housing counselor — that's part of being honest with you.
No. Understanding your options costs you nothing, and there's no obligation. I never charge a fee up front for anything.
Usually not — a short sale is a before-the-sale option. Once your home has gone to the sheriff's sale, you enter Michigan's redemption period (often six months), and the choices change: you may still be able to sell if the price covers what's owed to redeem, but a traditional short sale is typically off the table by then. This is exactly why reaching out early matters so much — the sooner we look, the more doors are still open. For your specific timeline an attorney should weigh in, and if there's still time before your sale, I can move quickly with you.
When a lender forgives part of what you owe in a short sale, the IRS can treat that forgiven amount as income, and you may receive a Form 1099-C at tax time. There are important exceptions — for example if you were insolvent when the debt was forgiven, or it was discharged in bankruptcy — and there's long been a special exclusion for forgiven debt on a primary residence, though those rules change over time. Whether any of it applies to you depends on current tax law and your specific situation, so this is a question for a CPA or tax professional. I'm a Realtor, not a tax advisor — but I'll always make sure this is on your radar before you decide anything.
Usually, yes. Both affect your credit, but a short sale is generally the gentler path in the ways that matter most. The biggest one: you can typically buy a home again much sooner — on a conventional loan, the wait is about four years after a short sale versus seven after a foreclosure (and it can be shorter with certain loan programs or extenuating circumstances). A short sale is also private and handled on your terms, instead of a public foreclosure and a forced move — and sometimes the remaining balance can be negotiated with your lender. Every situation is different and lenders' rules change, so confirm the specifics with a lender or attorney. But as a rule: if a short sale is available to you, it's usually the better road.
Yes — and I want you to really hear that. People recover from both a short sale and a foreclosure. Credit rebuilds with time and steady, on-time payments; the waiting periods pass; and many, many people go on to own a home again. A short sale usually lets you bounce back faster, but neither one is the end of your financial life — it's a hard chapter, not the final one. The sooner you act, the more you protect, and the quicker the recovery begins.
Only me. Your information is never sold, shared, or handed to a lead company or investor. You're reaching one local Realtor, and one local Realtor is who responds — privately.
If you're looking for a short sale realtor in Downriver, you've found someone who does this work with real care. I'm Robin Guajardo, a Realtor with Real Estate One and a certified Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR), helping homeowners across Wyandotte, Trenton, Taylor, Southgate, Riverview, Woodhaven, Allen Park, Lincoln Park, Brownstown, and Romulus. Whether you have equity and can sell traditionally, or you're underwater and a short sale is the right way to avoid foreclosure, I'll give you the honest options — and point you to an attorney or a HUD-approved counselor when that's what fits best. Not an attorney; just a knowledgeable local Realtor in your corner.
One private, no-pressure conversation. You don't have to have it figured out to reach out — that's my job.
Show Me My OptionsRobin Guajardo is a licensed real estate salesperson with Real Estate One — not an attorney, credit counselor, lender, or government-affiliated program. The information here is general and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. No one can guarantee a specific outcome, and reaching out does not stop or delay a foreclosure.
If you are facing foreclosure, you may also want to speak with an attorney and a free HUD-approved housing counselor — call 800-569-4287 or visit hud.gov. Robin does not charge any fee to discuss your options and never requests payment in advance.