Dan McDevitt — Baltimore & Maryland Distressed Property Specialist

If you’re dealing with a simple home sale, there are plenty of real estate agents who can help. If you’re dealing with a property situation that isn’t simple — that’s where I come in.

I’m Dan McDevitt, President of RealVolution Homes Group at Cummings & Company Realtors. I’ve been a licensed Maryland real estate professional since 2004, and for more than 20 years, I’ve helped homeowners, families, personal representatives, attorneys, and investors navigate complex and distressed real estate situations.

A major focus of my practice is helping homeowners who are behind on mortgage payments, facing foreclosure, trying to understand alternatives to foreclosure, or dealing with a property where more may be owed than the home is worth.

I have handled more than 150 short sales and understand how overwhelming financial distress can become. Many homeowners are months behind on their mortgage, receiving notices they don’t fully understand, worried about losing their home, and unsure where to turn. Some believe their only choice is foreclosure. Others assume they have to accept the first cash offer they receive.

You may have more options than you realize.

Depending on the property, mortgage balance, equity, timing, and your goals, the real estate options may include a traditional sale, an as-is sale, an investor offer, or a short sale when appropriate. My role is to help you understand the real estate side of your situation, evaluate the available property-sale options, and create a practical strategy for moving forward. When legal or other specialized services are needed outside the role of a real estate agent, I work alongside the appropriate attorneys and professionals involved.

Helping Maryland Homeowners Facing Foreclosure and Mortgage Distress

When homeowners fall behind on mortgage payments, time can matter. Unfortunately, stress and uncertainty often cause people to freeze or ignore the problem until their options become more limited.

My goal is not to pressure homeowners into selling. It is to help them understand what the property may be worth, what is owed, what a sale could realistically accomplish, and what real estate options may still be available.

For some homeowners, there may be enough equity to sell the property before foreclosure. Others may need to consider selling as-is or to an investor because repairs or timing make a traditional sale difficult. When the mortgage balance exceeds the property's value, a short sale may be an option in the appropriate circumstances.

Every situation is different.

The goal is to understand the facts before assuming foreclosure—or accepting a quick cash offer—is the only path forward.

More Than 150 Short Sales Handled

Short sales have been a significant part of my real estate experience for many years. I have handled more than 150 short-sale transactions, including complicated situations involving conventional mortgages, FHA-insured loans, VA-backed loans, and reverse mortgages.

A short sale occurs when a property is sold for less than the amount owed and the necessary parties approve the transaction. These transactions can involve additional requirements and professionals beyond a traditional real estate sale.

My role as the real estate professional is to evaluate and market the property, manage the sale process, and coordinate with the attorneys and other professionals involved in the transaction.

For a homeowner who owes more than the property is worth or is facing foreclosure, understanding whether a short sale may be appropriate can be an important part of evaluating the available options.

Probate, Estate Sales and Inherited Properties

I also specialize in helping families, heirs, personal representatives, and attorneys with probate real estate, estate property sales, and inherited homes throughout Maryland.

Selling an inherited property is rarely just a real estate transaction.

The home may be filled with decades of personal belongings. Multiple heirs may be involved. The property may need significant repairs. There may be an existing mortgage, liens, title issues, or limited funds available to prepare the property for sale.

My role is to help make the real estate side of the situation manageable.

Depending on the estate and the goals of those involved, that may include evaluating the property, coordinating a cleanout, determining which repairs—if any—make financial sense, preparing and marketing the home traditionally, selling the property as-is, or evaluating investor options.

Through an established network of professionals and service providers, I can help coordinate estate cleanouts, junk removal, personal property liquidation, donation solutions, contractors, property preparation, and other services that may be needed to move a property from an overwhelming situation to a saleable asset.

Selling a Property With a Reverse Mortgage

Reverse mortgage properties are another important area of my practice.

Families often have questions such as:

Can you sell a house with a reverse mortgage?

How do you sell a property with a reverse mortgage?

What happens to a reverse mortgage when the homeowner dies?

What if the reverse mortgage balance is more than the house is worth?

These situations can be confusing, particularly for heirs and personal representatives dealing with the death of a loved one while also receiving communications and deadlines involving the property.

My experience with distressed and complex property sales allows me to help evaluate the real estate side of these situations and coordinate with the appropriate servicers, attorneys, title professionals, and other parties involved.

As-Is Properties, Cleanouts and Difficult Homes

Not every difficult property is in foreclosure or probate.

Some homeowners simply own a property that feels overwhelming.

The house may need extensive repairs. It may be filled with belongings. The owner may be unable or unwilling to spend money preparing it for the traditional market. An absentee owner may be dealing with a rental property that has become a problem.

In those situations, I help sellers compare their options.

Sometimes investing in preparation and marketing the property traditionally will produce the best outcome. Sometimes selling as-is makes more sense. In other situations, an investor or cash offer may provide the speed and simplicity the seller needs.

I maintain relationships with active investors seeking distressed, inherited, as-is, rental, and value-add properties. That can provide sellers with additional options—but an investor offer is an option, not automatically the answer.

My job is to help you understand the differences so you can make an informed decision.

Working With Attorneys and Other Professionals

I regularly work with professionals involved in complicated property situations, including probate and estate attorneys, bankruptcy attorneys, divorce attorneys, title professionals, lenders, servicers, and other parties.

For attorneys and their clients, I can provide realistic property evaluations, market analysis, sale strategy, and hands-on assistance with the practical real estate challenges that often accompany difficult properties.

My long-term goal is simple: to be the real estate professional Maryland attorneys and families think of when the property situation is complicated.

Areas I Serve

I serve homeowners, families, personal representatives, attorneys, and investors throughout:

Baltimore City • Baltimore County • Harford County • Anne Arundel County • Cecil County • Howard County • and surrounding Maryland communities

Real Solutions for Difficult Real Estate Situations

Whether you are:

• behind on mortgage payments or facing foreclosure;
• trying to understand alternatives to foreclosure;
• wondering whether you can sell before foreclosure;
• dealing with a short sale or owing more than your property may be worth;
• handling probate or an estate property;
• selling an inherited home;
• dealing with a reverse mortgage;
• trying to sell a house that needs major repairs or a complete cleanout;
• or simply facing a property situation that doesn’t have an obvious solution—

you do not have to assume there is only one option.

My approach is straightforward:

Understand the situation. Identify the real estate options. Create a clear plan. Find the best practical path forward.

Real solutions for difficult real estate situations.