What is a Short Sale?

What is a short sale?  I think this is the number one question I am asked.   Simply put a short sale is when the owner of the home owes more on the home then what it is worth, so they will be selling the house and "shorting" the bank.   Buying a short sale can provide you with an opportunity to buy a house at a great price, however as with most things there is a down side.  You have to have patience.  An average short sale can take up to 120 days to close. 

The short sale process for a buyer is a lot different than a traditional transaction. 

1.  Write an offer on the home of choice     
2.  submit it to the listing agent- at this point the listing agent will sit down with the seller and accept or counter your offer.     
3. The listing agent will gather a full packet ( a full packet consists of all the sellers financial documents, hard ship letter, the entire offer, any counters, and a estimate net sheet) to submit to the banks, and will submit.  At this point is were the waiting will begin.         
       A.  If there is only 1 bank it could go as quick as 45 days, however counting on 60 to 90 days is more realistic.  If there are 2 banks (a first and a second) it will more then likely be between 90-120 days.     
4.  After what seems like an eternity of waiting the bank will hopefully accept your offer,  however they can reject it if it is too low.   When it is accepted that is when your transaction will turn a little more normal.  All your contingencies will start, and this is when you will inspect for everything and anything you are concerned with.   

Things to remember when buying a short sale-         
     1.  Patience are Crucial!!!         
2.  Most sellers who are selling in a short sale situation are doing so because they are financially in a bit of trouble, so more than likely they do not have the funds to make repairs.  So you will more then likely be buying in an as-is condition.           
3.  Fees charged by companies to negotiate the short sale are not mandatory.  Some listing agents hire outside companies to negotiate for the themselves, and the seller; they will try to make it seem the buyer is required to pay up to $4,000 dollars in fees.  You can say no!!          
4.  If you are buying a short sale, make sure you request your agent to tell the seller they can only submit one offer to the bank.  Some Listing agents feel it is a great idea to submit each offer as they come in, you can get bumped out while waiting.  You want them to hold any other offer in back up position only.     

So to answer the question what is a short sale?  It is the seller selling their home for less then what they owe, and the buyers exercise in patience!