This is an article directed to the 1000's of very dedicated real estate agents out there who are working very hard to complete short sale transactions on their listings.

I know you have a lot of challenges on this front and deserve every single dime of commission you are able to wring out of the sale, if you can get an offer, get the sale approved, and actually get it closed.

So I have some ideas for you:

1.  Find a few Real Estate Investor partners:  so when they get a deal that needs short saled, but the property is too nice to get the price down where an investor needs it to be, well they refer these transactions to you.  Then you don't need to be out there chasing listings and leads.

2.  Connect with those same Real Estate Investor Partners:  so one they might call you to list and work the short sales on deals they really want and two for you to call on those icky houses that need work and the only buyer is going to be the real estate investor.

As you get these deals, that you just can't find a regular buyer for, call up your real estate investor friend and see if he or she would like to make an offer.  Here in Kansas City, Don & Joe will take a look at your short sale, and make a cash offer backed up with a line of credit letter so you can get the ball rolling.  Yes it will be at an investor price, but you can get down to exactly what the bank will take at the start of the process instead of waiting for 4 to 6 months to get an offer that the bank can't work with and then they foreclose. 

By getting an offer up front, the bank may take it or negotiate to a price that will work for the investor.  If you can't come to a price, you will know exactly what the bank is willing to take and can adjust your price and marketing accordingly to actually sell the property before it goes to sale.  And most investors, our office included do not want any part of your commission, unlike a buyer's agent who will want 1/2 of what ever you are getting and then complain about how long it is taking all the way through.

Then what happens if you just can't get a short sale worked.  The bank will not come down and the buyer or investor just can't come up.  Have you tracked what the houses sell for at the courthouse or other foreclosure sale?  Usually for about the same price as the first offer, or even a little less.  You worked all that time, the bank would not negotiate, then they turn around and sell it for the offer price you brought them in the first place.  And YOU MAKE NO MONEY.

By working with the investor you have one more chance to make some money.  Track the sale all the way to the courthouse and if you just can't get anything done, let the investor know the day and time it is going to sale, let them go and see what it sells for and maybe they will be able to pick it up for the same price they originally offered, maybe even less.  And I would bet most Real Estate Investors who do this would be happy to pay you at least part if not all of your commission for a failed transaction.

If you are in Kansas City and work short sales on the Missouri side, please call our office with all of them - or at least email them to us at tuckeroneproperties@gmail.com.  Obviously we can't buy all the properties, but we would love to take a look and make an offer - especially on rental properties that have a paying tenant in them.  Can't help your sellers with Obama Money, but Tucker One Money might be just the ticket.