Hi Bill,

The reason the real estate agent says 30-90 days is because he has to go out and find a buyer FIRST, before he can start the short sale process; that is, the bank will not agree to a short sale (i.e., stop the foreclosure process, typically) until the agent has a willing buyer!! That is, the clock keeps ticking towards the Sales / Action date.

Then the agent has to find a buyer that is willing to wait and work through the short sale process which can take anywhere from 10-45+ days, depending on how close the buyer is to the banks desired sales price...and negotiating can be short or long. Also, time is related to how much cash the buyer is bringing to the deal (i.e., 10 days if the buyer has all cash; and longer if they have to qualify for a loan).

Also, dealing with the banks is different for each bank; most are difficult to work with at best, and an inexperienced agent will not want to spend so much time on the deal just to make a commission on an under-priced house...remember, their agent's goal is to get the highest price for the house so they can get the highest commission. That is, agents are not really motivated towards a short sale.

The key here is that you need a short sale, and the best place to get that done is with a team of people who help people avoid foreclosure by actually being the buyer of the short sale property, AND who can and do regularly, negotiate with all the banks on a regular basis. I can help you if the property is in California.

My team handles the entire process, including purchasing the property for ALL CASH (which the banks love). We charge NOTHING for our service! You can ask any questions you like, and I will give you the honest, most up-to-date (banks like changing the rules almost monthly) answers available, even if we don't end up buying your property...we are here to serve you first, and make a profit if it makes sense for all parties in the deal...you, the bank, and us..