Another Common Short Sale Myth: The Foreclosure Process Goes So Fast That I Don’t Have Time To Short Sale

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – I recently received a question from Susan about short sales. Here was Susan’s Question.

“My home is scheduled to be going on the courthouse steps in about 2 months. I had thought about short selling, but a friend told me I wouldn’t have enough time to do it.

Because of that I didn’t pursue a short sale earlier. Recently I decided to look into it further. It looks like a good option compared to foreclosure. My question is this.

Do I have enough time to short sale my house, or is the foreclosure already too far along? Please let me know. Sincerely, Susan.”


Here was our answer. Susan, we can still help you with a short sale. Most lenders will postpone a foreclosure when a short sale offer is in place. Yes, a short sale usually takes 2-6 months to process.

However, many lenders will postpone the sale while a short sale is in the works. In addition, some short sales go faster than the normal 2-6 months.

If your lender owns you loan in house, then the decision maker will be easy to reach. They can approve or deny the short sale in a matter of a week or two.

So, please let us help you. We have a good success rate even when the foreclosure process has already been started. As you well know, a short sale beats a foreclosure because you can buy another home much sooner.

Thinking about a loan modification?Our Layton loan modification kit will show you how to reduce your mortgage payment, keep your home, and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at FORSIECITY@gmail.com to request a Free Copy.


Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property so you can move on with your life. Send me an e-mail at forsiecity@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (801) 651-0707

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thanks for reading this, Dave Forsberg.

Dave is a Real Estate Agent at Presidio Utah Real Estate - . UtahShort Sales Realtor:

Phone: (801) 651-0707. Forsiecity@gmail.com.

Greater Salt Lake Short Sales. Real Help for those that need it most.

Need to sell immediately?   We buy homes in ANY CONDITION and close in 7 days or less, but time is of the essence and you must CALL me now at 801-651-0707 to  get the process started.

David Forsberg specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Bountiful Utah. Bountiful Loan Modification Help, Bountiful Short Sales. Bountiful Short Sale Realtor UT Short Sales. UTAHRealtor.

COPYRIGHT 2025

3 Ways the Big Banks Could Stabilize Housing Prices and Increase Their Profits at the Same Time

Bountiful UTAH – Many Americans are concerned about the housing market. If they housing market continues to decline, then it could drag the entire economy with it. At least that’s what some economists are saying.

We want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. So, we decided to propose a solution

Here Are 3 Ways The Big Banks Could Stabilize Housing Prices And Increase Their Profits At The Same Time.

Get my Free, Step By Step Loan Modification Guide by clicking here.

#1: Approve more Loan Modifications. Every loan modification is one less home that has to be sold as a distress sale. Distress sales are dragging down home prices.

In addition, many loan mods are rejected, only to see the lender lose even more money when the home sells. Here is an example. A homeowners offers to pay their lender an amount equal to a $300,000 mortgage.

That means the homeowner would pay the same as someone borrowing $300,000 to buy a home. The lender rejects their loan mod offer and forecloses on the home. It sells for $200,000.

Don’t kid yourself, this happens every single day. The loan owners lose millions as a result.

#2: Make short sales easier. Yes, short sales do close. But, many don’t. The ones that don’t are usually sold for less money as a foreclosure. An extreme example is a home that received a $380,000 offer as a short sale.

The lender rejected the short sale. The home was foreclosed upon and sold for $230,000. The reason that lenders usually lose more money on foreclosure compared to short sales.

First, most foreclosures are usually left empty for several months. Mold, mildew, and other things make the home undesirable.

Second, most foreclosures are taking 18 months or more. That is a lot of time that a home can sit empty. In addition, interest, attorney fees, unpaid property taxes and other costs are growing each day.

#3: Handle foreclosures better. We have seen many foreclosed homes sit empty for months and months. In one extreme example, a foreclosed home has been sitting empty for over 2 years.

(The picture above is the front of that home.)

In that time period local housing prices have dropped by 20-30%. Interest and property taxes have accrued over those two years.

Here is how banks could do a better job handling foreclosures.

First, put all foreclosures on the market within a week. There are a lot of hungry, aggressive real estate agents that would love to market these properties.

Put them to work getting the homes sold for top dollar as quickly as possible. The typical 2-3 month wait it not acceptable, especially with all the hard working agents available.

Second, maintain the vacant homes. The home pictured above is wide open. The doors are not locked. Anyone can walk right in and vandalize the place.

I have seen profanities spray painted on the walls of vacant, bank owned homes. Think that affects the sale price?

These are just a few ideas. The next time you hear your local banker tell you how they “care”, ask them how their bank is handling the recommendations in this blog post.

To us, a banker telling us about how they supposedly “care” just rings of hypocrisy. And it will ring of hypocrisy as long as these problems continue to hurt homeowners, the housing market, and the American Economy.

Thinking about a loan modification?Our Layton loan modification kit will show you how to reduce your mortgage payment, keep your home, and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at utahhomesaver@gmail.com to request a Free Copy.

Or, click here to request a copy.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property so you can move on with your life. Send me an e-mail at utahhomesaver@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (801) 651-0707

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thanks for reading this, Dave Forsberg.

Dave is a Real Estate Agent at Prudential Utah Real Estate - Bountiful. Utah Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (801) 651-0707. utahhomesaver@gmail.com.

Greater Salt Lake Short Sales. Real Help for those that need it most.

View My homes for sale at BuyUtahNow.com.

Why Short Sales with 3 or More Mortgages are Difficult

Bountiful UTAH – Are you looking to buy a short sale? Before you make an offer, you need to check and see how many mortgages are on the home.

A short sale with only one mortgage is not that difficult. Even an inexperienced agent can often get these approved and sold.

Get my Free, Step By Step Loan Modification Guide by clicking here.

A short sale with 2 loans becomes much more difficult. You now have to lenders that have to agree with each other. However, an experienced short sale agent can get the two lenders to agree with each other on the short sale.

However, when you have 3 or more loans and/or liens, everything just becomes way more complicated. Most first mortgages will only give $2,500 to $3,000 a second mortgage on a short sale.

They don’t have any policies in place on what to give a third position mortgage or lien. And that third position lien holder isn’t going to go away for free. Someone is going to have to give them something in return for them releasing their lien.

That third position lender basically has the right to throw a wrench in the works unless they get paid. They can veto the short sale for any reason. They will only go away when they are either paid in full or accept a lower amount.

This is what makes short sales with 3 or more loans so difficult. The first mortgage, second mortgage, and third position lien fight over the available money.

At the end, the first mortgage usually forecloses on the property and the second and third position people get nothing. But, a foreclosure takes a long time and costs money.

At the end of the day, everyone ends up losing more than they would have made if they had simply worked together. This is why we usually avoid short sales with 3 or more mortgages/liens in place.

Thinking about a loan modification?Our Layton loan modification kit will show you how to reduce your mortgage payment, keep your home, and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at utahhomesaver@gmail.com to request a Free Copy.

Or, click here to request a copy.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property so you can move on with your life. Send me an e-mail at utahhomesaver@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (801) 651-0707

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thanks for reading this, Dave Forsberg.

Dave is a Real Estate Agent at Prudential Utah Real Estate - Bountiful. Utah Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (801) 651-0707. utahhomesaver@gmail.com.

Greater Salt Lake Short Sales. Real Help for those that need it most.

View My homes for sale at BuyUtahNow.com.

How Long Do I Have To Wait After A Short Sale To Buy Another Home?

Salt Lake City,  UTAH – I get asked this question quite a bit, "How long do I have to wait after a short sale to buy another home?" The answer depends on the type of loan you are looking to use to purchase your next home.

Here are the details on your options to buy another home after a short sale.


Owner Financing. You can buy a home with owner financing anytime after a short sale.

FHA Financing. (FHA is very popular because it only requires you to put down 3.5% and pay your closing costs. You can usually convince the seller to pay your closing costs, thereby reducing your down payment to 3.5% of the purchase price.)

FHA’s current guidelines state that you can get an FHA loan immediately after a short sale, provided that you never missed a payment. If you were in default at the time of the short sale, then you have to wait 3 years before they will approve your loan.

Fannie Mae Loan. Fannie Mae is the most common loan program. You can get a Fannie Mae Loan in as little as 2 years after a short sale. But, you have to put 20% down.

If you wait 4 years, then you have to put a minimum of 10% down. After 7 years, you can get a Fannie Mae Loan and put less than 10% down.

The most attractive (and currently most popular) loan program in America is FHA. The reason is because it’s down payment requirements are much lower than anyone else. It looks like the best option to buy your next home after a short sale.

Thinking about a loan modification?Our Layton loan modification kit will show you how to reduce your mortgage payment, keep your home, and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at forsiecity@gmail.com to request a Free Copy.


Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property so you can move on with your life. Send me an e-mail at forsiecity@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (801) 651-0707

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by calling me at 801.651.0707 

Thanks for reading this, Dave Forsberg.

Dave is a Real Estate Agent at Presidio Real Estate - Bountiful. Utah Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (801) 651-0707. Forsiecity@gmail.com.

Greater Salt Lake Short Sales. Real Help for those that need it most.

Need to sell immediately?   We buy homes in ANY CONDITION!  We close in 7 days or less.  Call me at 801.651.0707 today 

David Forsberg specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Utah. Bountiful Loan Modification Help, Bountiful Short Sales. Bountiful Short Sale Realtor Bountiful UT Short Sales. Bountiful Realtor.

UTAH Short Sales: Why Is Everyone So Negative About The Housing Market?

SALT LAKE CITY,  UTAH – The tax credit expired and everyone turned negative on the housing marketing.

One so called expert said we could see headlines about the real estate market crashing again. Another said that the housing market is going to continue it's decline for another years or two.

He referenced an article that showed that mortgage applications dropped by 9.5 percent the first week after the tax credit expired.


Here are a few examples I found of high profile economists getting their predictions wrong.

1. An economist published a book in 1987 that predicted a depression in the 1990s. That proved just a little inaccurate, no?

2. Supposedly in 1996, Alan Greenspan, stated he thought there was too much irrational exuberance in the US stock market. The stock market continued to climb for another 4.5 years. However, Greenspan was bullish on the last economic expansion that went best. How wrong was he on the last housing / economic bust?

Who really knows what is going to happen in the housing market. I do know that despite all the crazy predictions, the housing market will eventually recover. It might take another 1.5-4 years to flush out all the foreclosures and the "shadow inventory."

But, after that happens the housing market will stabilize and start a slow appreciation. It might take 8-12 years for prices to return to the previous high. Maybe even longer. But, they will turn around eventually.

What does that mean to the person in an upside down house? They have a great opportunity to short sale their home and buy at the bottom.

They can erase 5-10 years of negative equity and start building equity when they qualify to buy another home 3 years after their short sale. If you are upside down by 20% or more, a short sale makes great financial sense.

What do you think? E-mail me at FORSIECITY@gmail.com if you are bearish or bullish on housing. Just put "Bull" or "Bear" in the subject line of your e-mail. I'll release the results of this informal poll tomorrow.

Thinking about a loan modification?Our FREE Utah Loan Modification Kit will show you how to reduce your mortgage payment, keep your home, and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at forsiecity@gmail.com to request a Free Copy.


Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property so you can move on with your life. Send me an e-mail at forsiecity@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (801) 651-0707

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by calling 801.651.0707 

Thanks for reading this, Dave Forsberg.

Dave is a Real Estate Agent at Presidio Utah Real Estate - Bountiful. Utah Short Sales Expert:

Phone: (801) 651-0707. Forsiecity@gmail.com.

Greater Salt Lake Short Sales. Real Help for those that need it most.

Need to sell immediately,  we buy homes in ANY CONDITION and close in 7 days or less  call me at 801.651.0707 and we can talk about all your options. 

Copyright 2025

UTAH Short Sales: Why Is The Short Sale Taking So Long?

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – I recently received a question from Cathy. Here was her question.

“I am trying to buy a house that is a short sale. It has been 4 months and we have heard nothing. The agent did mention that they are now on the 2nd negotiator and still haven’t heard from the negotiator.

I am getting very frustrated. Is there anything I can do on my end to try to push the process along, or is it all up to the agents? Cathy.”

Here are a few reasons that a lenders will allow a wealthy investor to walk away from an upside down investment property.

Here was our answer to Cathy. Cathy, short sales can take a long time. But, usually the longest they should take is 3-4 months.

If the short sale hasn’t been approved by the end of 4 months, then it probably won’t be approved by the end of 12 months. I remember reading an article online about why the short sale process takes 9-12 months.

The author just broke each part down and justified why the entire process should take that long. I don’t think the author knew what he was talking about.

The Stop Foreclosure Institute has been able to get short sales approved as fast as 1 month. Most have been approved before the end of 3 months.

You mentioned that the agent “still hasn’t heard from the negotiator.” Did they ever think of maybe trying to contact the negotiator? It’s their job to help the seller sell their house and avoid foreclosure.

Calling the negotiator is part of the job. If I was you, I would find another short sale where the listing agent is experienced with short sales and doesn’t wait for the negotiators to call them.

Thinking about a loan modification?Our Layton loan modification kit will show you how to reduce your mortgage payment, keep your home, and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at forsiecity@gmail.com to request a Free Copy. Or, click here to request a copy.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property so you can move on with your life. Send me an e-mail at forsiecity@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (801) 651-0707

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thanks for reading this, Dave Forsberg.

Dave is a Real Estate Agent at PresidioUtah Real Estate. Layton Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (801) 651-0707. Forsiecity@gmail.com.

Greater Salt Lake Short Sales. Real Help for those that need it most.

Need to sell immediately?  We buy homes in any Condition!  Call me at 801.651.0707 for a free consultation!

Bountiful Short Sales: Show Your Lender How Much They Will Lose Rejecting Your Loan Mod

Bountiful UTAH – Lenders reject loan modifications only to lose more money when they sell the home after foreclosure. Here is how to prove the loss to them.

Get my Free, Step By Step Loan Modification Guide by clicking here.

When you request your free loan modification guide, you will have the option of also receiving a property valuation. This is called a BPO (short for Broker’s Price Opinion), and it is a real estate agent’s opinion of the value of a property.

Lenders use BPOs to determine a property’s value for short sale processing. Find out what you can pay the lender as a monthly payment. Then, find out the mortgage amount that equals that payment.

For example, $1,200 a month will pay off a $211,346 mortgage over 30 years. $2,000 will pay off a $352,243 mortgage. $3,500 will pay off a $616,426 mortgage. $600 will pay off a $105,673 mortgage.

The lender should approve your loan mod if the payment you propose will pay off a mortgage amount that is more than the property value.

It is in their best interest because it will reduce their losses. In fact, lenders usually only net around 80-85% of a property’s value after foreclosure.

This is why lenders were only willing to lend up to 85% of a property’s value historically. So use this to your advantage. Keep reminding the loan modification negotiator of these facts.

And hold the negotiator accountable if they reject your loan mod and los even more money as a result. Thinking about a loan modification?

Our Layton loan modification kit will show you how to reduce your mortgage payment, keep your home, and get back on your feet. Send me an e-mail at utahhomesaver@gmail.com to request a Free Copy. Or, click here to request a copy.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property so you can move on with your life. Send me an e-mail at utahhomesaver@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (801) 651-0707

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thanks for reading this, Dave Forsberg.

Dave is a Real Estate Agent at Prudential Utah Real Estate - Bountiful. Layton Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (801) 651-0707. utahhomesaver@gmail.com.

Greater Salt Lake Short Sales. Real Help for those that need it most.

View My homes for sale at BuyUtahNow.com.

Bountiful Short Sales: The Most Effective Way To Stop Debt Collector Harassment

Bountiful UTAH – Debt collectors are infamous for multiple phone calls at all hours of the day. One person told the Stop Foreclosure Institute that he would receive several phone calls the first thing Sunday Morning.

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here.

"They would call my home phone at 8:15AM on Sunday. This was the only day that I had to sleep in and they woke me up. I had 2 other people call me before noon", he told us.

This is the biggest complaint the Stop Foreclosure Institute has heard about debt collectors. People have told us, "No matter how many times I tell them to stop calling, they still call me."

Let me give you the inside story. The reason this happens is because most people don't do anything about it. They just learn to live with the harassing calls and go on with their lives.

Here is what the debt collectors don't want you to know. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a creditor or collection agency that calls you after you request them to stop may be liable for statutory damages up to $1,000 plus any actual damages suffered, plus attorney fees.

So when someone sticks up for themselves, it costs the debt collectors money. In fact, they are so scared of being sued that they all work together to track the people that have sued to collect the $1,000.

Here is the best technique that I have heard of to stop the calls. According to one guy it works great. When a debt collector calls you stop and ask for the person's name and the company name. Then, say the following.

"Bob, I have documented that you have called me today. I also have documented your company name and the phone number you have called from. Now, let me tell you this.

Under my right in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, I am requesting that you stop any and all calls to me. If I get another call from this phone number, then I will be contacting my attorney to help me get the statutory damages laid out in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

In addition, I will call your manager and let them know that you could have saved the company $1,000, but chose not to. I will make sure that they understood who cost the company $1,000. So, don't call me again."

The reason this works so well is because you are holding that employee accountable. If they do call you again and have to pay you $1,000 as a result, then that manager will be angry. And it will hurt even more when you tell them that Bob could have saved them from paying it, but was incompetent.

Please try the script and let us know how it works out for you.

If you want a list of 12 common violations and instructions on how to stop the calls, then click here and scroll down to the Right. Click on How To Stop Harassing Debt Collector Calls. Thinking about a short sale?

I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at utahhomesaver@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you prefer, you can call me at (801) 651-0707

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Layton loan modification kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your bank. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Dave Forsberg.

Dave is a Real Estate Agent at Prudential Utah Real Estate - Bountiful. Layton Short Sales Realtor:

Phone: (801) 651-0707. utahhomesaver@gmail.com.

Greater Salt Lake Short Sales. Real Help for those that need it most.

View My homes for sale at BuyUtahNow.com