“Real estate short sale” is a very popular concept at the present. The popularity of real estate short sales in TV and other media can be attributed to financial institutions choosing them over foreclosure in a negative real estate market. Real estate prices are lower now than they have been in a long time and the amount of time it takes to sell a piece of real estate is rising. It is no exaggeration to say that some regions are experiencing a virtual market meltdown (the Detroit market is one good example). Declining real estate markets are the primary reason for the rise in short sale real estate opportunities.

Banks undergo a real estate short sale when they let a property be sold for an amount of money that is less than what it is worth. Since a short sale requires an significant financial situation for a bank, many institutions require two conditions before they will agree to a short sale. Foremost, you will need to have a market value that is in such bad shape that the sale price of the property cannot cover the balance on the mortgage. A further condition is that the owners of the property must not be able to continue making mortgage payments on the property.

As an example, suppose a property was purchased five years ago for 217,000 dollars with an adjustable rate mortgage. The owners decided two years later that they needed a second mortgage of 10,000 dollars, bringing their total to 227,000 dollars. Home owners typically have made only a negligible dent in the amount of money that has gone towards paying off their debt in five years. It’s also likely that similar homes have a property value of 215,000 dollars and that the adjustable mortgage rate has risen four points. Once one of the owners loses their job, the situation is ripe for a real estate short sale.

Rather than go through the expense and time delays that a foreclosure proceeding would require, the bank may decide that allowing a short sale makes more sense in the long run. It’s better to accept a definite amount of money right away, so that the property can be off the bank’s book, than to accept an unknown amount at a distant point in the future. In general, this is how the real estate short sale works, though of course, complications through stubborn owners and lenders can arise.

Admittedly, many owners may find the real estate short sale a very painful experience, but things could be much worse for them. The methods may not be flawless, but it will beat having a foreclosure on the credit report. On the other hand, a truly savvy investor can take advantage of these short sales for excellent buying opportunities.

“Real estate short sale” is a popular phrase among many these days. Anyone who has read newspapers or watched TV has probably come across some sort of stories about the declining real estate market leading banks to consider real estate short sales as an alternative to foreclosure. Real estate prices are lower now than they have been in a long time and the amount of time it takes to sell a piece of real estate is rising. Detroit and similar regions are, it is fair to say, experiencing a full real estate market meltdown. Declining real estate markets are the primary reason for the rise in short sale real estate opportunities.

So, what is a real estate short sale? Well it’s when a bank agrees to allow a property to be sold for less than the amount owed on it. Banks typically want two qualifiers to be met before they agree to the sale. Condition number one will likely be that the market values have to dictate that the property’s sale price will not cover the existing mortgage balance. A further condition is that the owners of the property must not be able to continue making mortgage payments on the property.

For example, a property that was purchased five years ago with an adjustable rate mortgage for 217,000 dollars. We’ll also pretend that the owners had to take out a second mortgage for 10,000 dollars, which means that their total mortgage debt was 227,000 dollars. In five years, the percent that the mortgages have actually been paid off is likely to be an insignificant amount. Further assume that the property is in a part of the country where market values have fallen to 215,000 dollars for comparable properties, and that the adjustable mortgage interest rate has recently increased from 7 to 11 percent. Finally, add the fact that one of the owners has just lost her job and the makings of a real estate short sale situation become apparent.

The bank may decide to save expenses and time delays that a foreclosure would cost by simply allowing a short sale. The reason is that it is far better to have a definite amount of money know and the property off the bank’s books than waiting on an unknown amount of money at some unknown point in the future. If the lenders and owners do not agree on the terms of the sale, complications can result, but in general, that is how the real estate short sale works.

A real estate short sale is not a very pleasant experience, but it certainly isn’t the worst experience they could have. Having to go through the experience is awful, but it is a lot better than having a foreclosure on your credit report. On the other side of the coin, it can often represent an excellent buying opportunity for the savvy real estate investor.