What’s the difference between a short sale and a foreclosure?

With the housing bubble burst and a weak economy, more and more homes have gone into short sale or foreclosure. Although this is an unfortunate and often devastating situation for Sellers, short sales and foreclosures can be a good deal for Buyers. So, what exactly is the difference between a short sale and foreclosure? Here’s a quick snapshot of both:

Short Sale—a short sale is basically comprised of two main components.  The first is the listing, marketing and selling of the home.  The second involves negotiations between the Seller and their Lender. In some instances this can happen simultaneously. The Seller’s goal is to have their mortgage lender agree to accept the proceeds from the sale of the home as payoff of their balance due.  For example, if a Seller owes $250,000 on their mortgage and the sale of the home nets $215,000, the Lender or Bank will agree to take the net proceeds of the sale as the payoff of the outstanding debt. Notice, I mentioned net proceeds.  Banks only care about the bottom line! The Bank’s goal is to get bad loans off their books so they can reinvest the monies and make more loans.

Foreclosure—foreclosures happen when a Lender attempts to recoup any money owed on a defaulted loan. In a foreclosure, the Lender takes possession of the home after the owner defaults on the loan. The lender then attempts to sell the property, commonly known as a “bank-owned” or “REO” property.

In later posts, we’ll discuss in more depth some reasons for short sales, the process, the package, and answer some questions regarding short sales.

If you are considering a short sale, the very first step is to consult with an attorney and CPA who specializes in this area.

To view short sale listings  in Carmel/Westfield, IN visit:

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  1. Pete Legaspi says:

    Presently India is going through some bumpy phase in the Real Estate Sector, rising home loan rates, SEZs, huge FDIs and certain other factors make it quite difficult to predict the Land for Sale. But GOOD RETURN Guaranteed!

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