Short Sales

A home that is listed for sale at a price lower than the amount owed on the mortgage. Homeowners hope to sell their home as a short sale to avoid penalties associated with going into foreclosure. What can make it difficult to buy a short is that there are often two mortgages on the home and both lenders must approve the sale. The ownership of the mortgages on a short sale home usually belong to more than one party, so you'll likely have to convince multiple banks and lenders to take a loss on their original loan. This is why it often takes so long to approve a short sale offer. If the short sale fails and the homeowner can't afford to pay his mortgage, then the bank forecloses on the home.