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Top 10 Real Estate Stories for 2008

By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com

5 of 10

The Surge of Short Sales

foreclosure home for sale

Many sellers attempt to do a short sale in-lieu-of walking away or letting the home go through foreclosure.

© Big Stock Photo
In my own MLS, the number of successfully completed short sale transactions increased in 2008. A short sale happens when a lender agrees to accept less than the amount owed and sells to a new buyer at an amount below the mortgage balance(s). Tracking short sale numbers nationwide is difficult because not every short sale seller is in default.

However, it stands to reason that when the number of foreclosure filings goes up, the number of short sale transactions will rise as home owners look for foreclosure alternatives.

I can also say that more than 9 out of every 10 proposed Sacramento short sales that my team handled in 2008 closed escrow. Banks that are willing to do loan modifications are generally also willing to consider a short sale.

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