First off, before you begin commenting that Wells Fargo has been using Equator for a while, let me begin by saying that Wells Fargo has now extended its use of Equator.
This is great news. If you have ever completed (or attempted to complete) a Wells Fargo short sale, you’ll know that frequently lots of time is spent on hold, listening to Musak, and waiting for return phone calls.
The following loans and short sales will now be processed through the Equator system:
- Wells Fargo Home Mortgage conventional loans (including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac)
- America’s Servicing Company (ASC) loans
- Veteran’s Association (VA) loans
- Home Credit Solution (HCS) loans
As you probably already know, you can use the Equator Internet-based short sale platform in order to initiate the short sale process, check the status of a short sale in process, upload documents, and communicate with short sale processors at the bank.
Other mortgage lenders that currently use Equator to process short sales include GMAC, Bank of America, Nationstar, and Service One. Have experience with Equator that you want to share? Please write to your heart’s content in the comment box down below.
Want to learn more about Equator? Check out one of these scintillating articles:
Short Sale Expeditor
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Melissa,
Thank you for your great articles and for using Equator; we greatly appreciate your patronage. Equator builds software that enables Lenders and Servicers to provide transparency and efficiency to real estate agents. Equator is dedicated to providing fast, easy to use, 24/7 accessible tools to assist Lenders, Servicers and Agents in managing many types of default properties – from REO and Foreclosures to Short Sales, Deed in Lieu and Loan Modifications.
Equator does not manage or have any specific information on any of the properties on our system. We do not have answers to property-specific questions regarding Short Sales. For all questions pertaining to the business aspect of a Short Sale property, please call your Lender or Servicer.
We have noticed that many agents have questions about initiating short sales on Equator, so we have put together a comprehensive list of FAQ’s to help you through the process. Please see below:
Q. If I am an Agent, how do I log into Equator?
A. Go to http://www.equator.com. If you have been assigned a Short Sale property and are not a currently registered Agent on Equator, you will receive an email indicating that a free Equator account has been created for you along with your login ID (which is your email address) and password. Enter your login ID and password in the upper right portion of the Agent login screen, and follow the prompts to complete your registration. Proceed with navigating to tasks on the Short Sale property assigned to you.
Q. Where does the Borrower/Home Owner register?
A. Borrowers/Home Owners cannot access the Equator website. Borrowers/Home Owners must contact the Lender or Servicer, or delegate an Agent to act on their behalf, if they wish to be considered for a Short Sale. Agents can initiate a Short Sale request on behalf of their clients via their account at http://www.equator.com. Equator has no information regarding the Short Sale process.
Q. How are Short Sales initiated?
A. Currently, Short Sales may be initiated in one of two ways: via the Equator Marketplace or by calling the Lender or Servicer directly. Some Lenders or Servicers allow Agents the ability to request a Short Sale through the Agent Workstation at http://www.equator.com. Simply log into Equator, click “Initiate Short Sale” located in the header under the “My Properties and Offers” section, choose the Lender or Servicer, input the loan number provided by the Lender or Servicer and request a Short Sale (note: Equator does not have the loan numbers; these must be obtained from the Lender or Borrower/Home Owner). For further details on the Agent-Initiated Short Sale, please visit http://www.equator.com. Equator cannot initiate a Short Sale nor does Equator have any information on the status of any Short Sale.
Q. How can I check the status of my Short Sales?
A. You can check the status of Short Sales at any time by visiting http://www.equator.com, logging in and clicking on “My Properties and Offers” at the top of the screen. From there you can view a list of all properties on which you are currently working and check each individual status. If you wish to speak with someone about the status of your Short Sale after reviewing it online, please contact the Lender or Servicer directly. Equator does not have any information on the status of the Short Sale.
Q. How can the Borrower/Home Owner check the status of their Short Sale?
A. Equator does not provide access to any Borrower websites. Certain Lenders have Borrower/Home Owner Websites that enables Borrowers to view status and participate in the Short Sale process by completing tasks such as uploading financial documentation. For those Lenders that do not have a Borrower Website, Borrowers should contact their Agent or Lender for Short Sale status.
Q. What is a task?
A. Tasks are steps that the Lender requires the Agent to complete in order to move the property through the Short Sale process. Tasks can include entering information into the system, providing signed documents, completing certain forms and/or providing offers and related documentation. If you have task-specific questions, please contact the Lender or Servicer.
Q. When working an existing Short Sale property, do I need to re-do tasks I have completed outside of the Equator platform?
A. It is necessary to complete all assigned tasks within the Equator Workstation. Any tasks that were completed outside of the Equator Workstation will have to be redone. This is an audit requirement from the Lender or Servicer and includes uploading all of the Borrower/Home Owner financial information and all offers.
Q. Why have I not been assigned a Negotiator?
A. Many lenders do not assign a Negotiator until late in the process when all necessary Borrower/Home Owner financial information and valuations have been received. Until that time, the “name” of the negotiator remains “generic” in the system. Messages sent to this generic negotiator will not be received by a live person. Instead, contact the Lender directly for assistance. Only the Lender or Servicer can make decisions on Short Sales.
Q. Why am I not receiving a response from a Negotiator?
A. For best results, send a message to the “NEGOTIATOR” Role for your property through the Equator Messaging system. This will tell the Negotiator which property you are inquiring about, and will keep all communication about such property in one location. To do this, log into http://www.equator.com, navigate to your property and click on the “Messages” section to email the Negotiator directly. Equator does not have any information on the status of the Short Sale, nor is Equator authorized to contact the Lender or Servicer on your behalf.
Q. What is required from potential Buyers?
A. Each Lender has unique requirements about what documents and information they need. Please check with your Lender or Servicer for any questions you have regarding the forms and information that are required. Equator does not have this information.
Q. How are Short Sale Agents selected?
A. Borrowers can select any Agent they wish. If the Borrower requests assistance, the Lender or Servicer can search Equator for registered Agents to suggest to the Borrower. Results of the Agent search are determined by the zip code areas the Agents selected through Equator.
Q. How are Short Sales managed and approved?
A. The entire Short Sale process is managed through the Equator software application; however, all decisions related to the Short Sale, such as Accepting Short Sale requests, Reviewing Offers, etc., are made by the Lender or Servicer. Any and all questions about the business aspects of the Short Sale process should be directed to your Lender or Servicer. Equator makes no decisions nor has any information on the status of the Short Sale process (including acceptance of an offer).
Q. Whom do I call to get information?
A. If you have a question on the Short Sale process or status, call the Lender. If you have a question on how to use the software, call Equator. Equator is a software provider and does not have access to any business aspect of the Short Sale.
Q. Whom should I call for Short Sale questions?
A. For any questions pertaining to the Short Sale process, procedures, status or progress, please call the Lender or Servicer. Equator does not have any information about Short Sales.
Q. Whom should I call for technology questions?
A. For any questions regarding account issues, password issues or other technology-related questions about our site, please call Equator at (310) 469-9167. For questions specifically related to a particular Short Sale, please call your Lender or Servicer. Equator does not have any information regarding Short Sales.
Q. How can I be sure I’ve reached Equator?
A. To ensure you are speaking with an Equator representative, please call (310) 469-9167. Please remember that Equator’s representatives can assist you with Equator website issues only. Equator representatives have no information regarding the Short Sales or any properties on the Equator system.
Q. Which Lenders are currently using Agent Initiated Short Sale?
A. Please go to http://www.equator.com, log-in or create an account, and then click the “Initiate Short Sale” link for a list of Lenders and Servicers. Check back regularly to see if new Lenders or Servicers are allowing Agents to initiate Short Sales via the Equator Marketplace. Equator does not have any additional information about any other Lenders or Servicers leveraging this initiation process. Please contact the Lender or Servicer to inquire when this feature will be added.
Please feel free to contact us at http://www.equator.com if you have any more questions.
Sincerely,
The Equator Team
I have received 3 emails since initiating a short sale for 1740 LA Grant Pkwy #18 in Waukee, Ia, 50263 telling me to login to equator to complete a task or review a message. I have done so and find nothing. I received an email saying it had not been assigned by Wells Fargo into HAFA or Traditional Short Sale.
Can someone tell me the status of this and what procedure I need to follow.
Thank-You in advance for your help.
Merle
I think the best thing to do would be to call Wells Fargo and ask them why you cannot see these messages or tasks on your end. Obviously, they have some sort of technical glitch. Their Equator process definitely can be frustrating.
Please contact me regarding the pending short sale package on 1509 Alpine Drive Janesville ,WI. Equator keeps sending me notices for updates, and this deal is dead. The buyer walked weeks ago due to no reply from Wells Fargo after more than two months waiting. 6087512760
Verna Saladino
Briggs Realty Group
If you need some help processing a short sale, please email our office at info@shortsaleexpeditor.com Thanks
Is there a real estate agent resource center website for wells fargo like bank of america has with training and the necessary forms to download to initiate a short sale? Thanks.
we have been waiting 5 months for our short sale,i’m sick over it we came to fl to realize our dream of retirerment, and it’s tured into a nightmare!!! would like to have some resolution soon hope this will at least get to someone who can help? thank you for your consideration on this matter
Are you buying a short sale? If so, you may want to begin to look at other properties–just in case this deal does not work out.
Hello,
In my opinion this process is very flawed. My husband is trying to sell his house, it is a short sale, one buyer has walked already because we never heard anything back for 3 months. I have a contact at Wells Fargo (the home preservation specialist), and I keep calling for status, and at one point, there have been items that the short sale department has asked for that has taken *28* days to be uploaded from Equator to the real estate agent – for 1 form. THIS is why buyers walk! Now, we sit here and wait for the negotiator at Equator to reset our account so they can upload the new contract, and its been 4 days. This is unacceptable to let peoples lives hang in the balance like this.
Is your agent using the Equator online platform for short sale processing? If that’s the case, then you should always know the status through the platform, and it should not take a year. It is unacceptable, but maybe the bank is not 100% to blame here. Was the contract airtight? Is the agent experienced in processing short sales? Does she have contacts that can help when things go awry? Were documents all returned within 24 hours? There are so many things that can go wrong in a short sale; it’s not always a well-oiled machine, but it does help to have a strong team in place.
The short sale I am handling is an estate. The owner of the home is deceased, however, equator keeps asking me for employment information on the deceased owner.
Try this: Upload a blank piece of paper that says that the seller is deceased and refer to the death certificate. Upload the death certificate into the library. That might work. Good luck!
Since 12/2011, I have made 5 offers to Wells Fargo for a Short Sale of theirs that I have listed. The wait time has been unacceptable. They recently accepted a financed offer, but the buyer walked because of flood insurance. Within less than 1 week, I submitted another offer (cash) netting the bank even more than the one from only a week ago that they had just accepted, but they declined it and are now requesting a net that is higher than the last appraisal, which was done in the last 45 days. I asked the negotiator to simply ask the investors if it’s in their best interest, and their intention, to let this property foreclose. If so, we will withdraw the listing. They would not pose the question to the investors. I wish I had a log of all the hours spent on this file, by myself and all the different contacts over the past year. So much time and money has been wasted just on this 1 file.
The system is definitely very frustrating and not cost effective at all. Wells Fargo has recently announced some improvements to their Equator processing. Hopefully, that will help.
Have a notice from Wells Fargo that I have overdue tasks on Equartor. Can not find them.
Do you see them, if so what am I doing wrong, have used the system before and have changed my password as instructed too.
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