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From the Short Sale Desk
Featured market report: Northern California Short Sales Are Active Again: Homeowners Are Not Alone
Short Sales Are Rising in Northern California: Are We Heading Back to 2007?
MetroList short-sale closings nearly doubled from 99 in 2023 to 197 through September 14, 2026. Gary Lee, who worked the 2007 cycle, compares today with 2006 and 2007.
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Luxury Short Sales Above $3 Million: A 25-Year Look
Only 17 residential short sales priced at $3 million or more closed in Gary Lee’s 25-year MetroList search, led by a $12.108 million Woodside closing in 2006.
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Short Sales & Foreclosures in 2026: What the New Market Data Means for Sellers and REALTORS
Distressed sales remain a small share of the market, but the direction is clear: short-sale activity is accelerating, and for the first time since 2018 short sales are recovering more value than foreclosures. What the NAR and Realtor.com data means for sellers and REALTORS.
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Can a Properly Trained Short Sale REALTOR® Help Postpone a California Trustee Sale?
A REALTOR does not personally control the trustee sale, and no result is guaranteed. But a properly trained California short sale REALTOR may help create the documentation, communication, offer activity, and servicer review needed to support a trustee-sale postponement request, especially when the file is handled early and the facts qualify. AB 2424 adds a California-specific layer.
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FHA Short Sale Relocation Assistance: What REALTORS Need to Know About the $7,500 Rule
FHA calls a short sale a Pre-Foreclosure Sale. Under HUD Handbook 4000.1, a qualifying owner-occupant borrower may receive up to $7,500 in compensation for relocation or transition assistance. Here is what REALTORS need to know, and why it is not automatic.
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What Does a Short Sale Cost a Sacramento Homeowner?
See how commissions, escrow, title, repairs, HOA charges and other expenses are handled in a Sacramento short sale, and what may not be approved. Most approved costs are paid from the proceeds, but every charge is subject to lender approval.
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Short Sale Taxes in 2026: What Changed for Forgiven Mortgage Debt
The federal principal-residence mortgage-debt exclusion expired for new post-2025 discharges. Learn what a 1099-C means, which exclusions may remain, and how California treats forgiven mortgage debt separately.
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Will You Still Owe the Bank After a California Short Sale?
Learn how California Code of Civil Procedure §580e addresses mortgage deficiencies after an approved short sale and where important exceptions remain, including second mortgages, lien releases versus personal liability, and 1099-C.
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Do You Actually Need a Short Sale? How Sacramento Homeowners Can Run the Numbers
Owing more than your estimated home value does not by itself mean you need a short sale. Compare your estimated value, mortgage payoffs, liens and selling costs to see whether you have proceeds or a shortage.
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Received a Notice of Default in Sacramento? What You Can Still Do Before a Trustee Sale
A California Notice of Default does not transfer ownership and does not mean the home has already been sold. Learn what can still be done, how trustee-sale timing works, and when AB 2424 may provide more time.
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Northern California Short Sales Are Active Again: Homeowners Are Not Alone
183 active, 187 under contract and 140 six-month closings across Northern California. What the data means for homeowners wondering whether a short sale is still possible.
Read MoreForeclosure education
NO
FORECLOSURE
18 options, three groups, with sources
What Can Stop a Foreclosure? 18 Options Homeowners Should Know
Reinstatement, modification, forbearance, short sale, deed in lieu, bankruptcy, and more: here is a complete map of 18 legitimate options for stopping, pausing, or preventing foreclosure, with sources.
Read MoreZero tolerance
WE DON'T DO FRAUD
Short Sale Deal Maker
What Is Short Sale Fraud? Why We Will Not Participate in It
Short-sale fraud is misrepresentation intended to influence a lender's approval. Here is what it is, what an arm's-length transaction actually means, the warning signs, and why we will not participate in it.
Read More Can a REALTOR® Stop a Trustee Sale in California? What AB 2424 Actually Allows
California AB 2424 and Civil Code § 2924f may allow a qualifying residential listing with a California-licensed broker to postpone a scheduled trustee sale for 45 days. Here is what the law actually allows, what it does not do, and when to act.
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Before You Buy a Fixer-Upper, Short Sale, or Distressed Property: 10 Questions You Need to Answer First
Forgiving prices hide unforgiving details. This guide walks buyers through the ten questions to answer before offering on a fixer-upper, short sale, or distressed property: condition, repair costs, as-is and after-repair value, financing, liens, timelines, contingencies, holding costs, and the team around the deal.
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Every Short Sale Deal Maker article is reviewed for accuracy by The Gary Lee Team and updated when lender practices, regulations, or industry guidance materially change. Every post is reviewed by The Gary Lee Team before publication.
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