I have been in short sales for three years now. Back in the early days, I’d spend a lot of time explaining to Realtors and home owners exactly what a short sale is! Today, most people know the basics of them and I usually talk about the benefits and details they don’t want to forget.

I am a Realtor and Investor. I work with people all over the US helping them to find a way out of tough situations with their real estate. Most people I talk to have issues with less income coming in and/or their mortgage payments going up. On top of that most of the time their real estate is worth a lot less than what they owe.

Here are some solutions: Most people start talking with their bank to get a mortgage modification. This can be good, but often the reduction in monthly payment is not enough to make a difference. The banks often deny the modification because of too little income.

Another way of fighting the foreclosure is foreclosure defense. This is handled by a lawyer typically. This can delay a foreclosure for many months to many years!

After going through these steps, often it will still come to a foreclosure or short sale as a long term solution. The preferred method is usually the short sale. Credit is damaged much less and often nothing more is owed to the lender!

A lot of people are in the ’standard’ situation as we define it. This usually involves lower income / loss of job, the home payments going up, and the home being worth less than what is owed. I am asked for my opinion on the best method to combat this. Most want to start with a modification of their mortgage in order to keep the home. This can be good, but the result may be payments that are lower but not enough to make a difference.

If these don’t solve the problem, you can move to a short sale. This will allow negotiation with the bank and a sale close to today’s market price. The owner can find a cheaper way of living and a fresh start. The deficiency amount and tax can usually be dismissed! The short sale is much better than a bankruptcy or foreclosure! They can leave the owner with money that still has to be paid over many years and tax liabilities! There are many lawyers that can help.

Want to find out more about short sales, then visit Daniel Wolkoff’s site on how to choose the best way to avoid foreclosure for your needs.