The questions we hear most, answered directly.

A short sale is when the mortgage lender agrees to accept less than the full balance owed so the home can be sold to a new buyer. The home sells at its market value and the lender releases its mortgage; if the sale successfully closes before foreclosure, the home is sold rather than going through a completed foreclosure sale. Not every lender approves a short sale, and the process takes time.

Short Sale Deal Maker is a national brand, and the team provides strategy, education, file review, documentation support, valuation analysis, and transaction coordination nationwide. Licensed real estate activity is anchored in California, where the team holds active DRE licenses under eXp Realty of Northern California, Inc. For properties in other states, services are provided only through licensing, brokerage supervision, referral relationships, and local professionals that fit that state, never by claiming authority we do not hold.

No. In a foreclosure the lender takes the home through its own process. In a short sale the borrower sells the home on the open market with the lender approving a reduced payoff. The two differ in timeline, credit impact, deficiency exposure, and how much control the borrower has.

Timelines vary widely by servicer, investor, state, file completeness, and workload. The servicer, not the team, controls most of the clock. A complete package, a supported price, and careful tracking and follow-up are the biggest levers on responsiveness.

It depends on the loan type, state law, and the written approval. Some short sales release the borrower from the balance; others do not. The approval letter is the binding record, so review it carefully, including any deficiency language, with the team, your attorney, or a counselor.

Sometimes. If you face an imminent default due to a documented hardship, such as a relocation or a job loss on the way, a short sale may be possible before you fall behind. The servicer still has to approve it, and an imminent-default file needs especially clear documentation.

Servicers commonly request a hardship letter, government ID, pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, an expense worksheet, current mortgage and lien payoffs, property information, and, once an offer exists, the executed contract and net sheet. The full list is in our documentation guide.

The initial conversation is complimentary. Any service compensation is disclosed clearly before engagement.

We provide file review, documentation guidance, BPO and valuation strategy, lender-process coaching, and escalation support, so your listing has experienced eyes without you handing over the client. You keep your listing and your relationship.

We do our best to keep every educational page current and each carries a last verified date. Lender procedures, investor rules, foreclosure timelines, and state laws change, so we flag time-sensitive content and confirm the latest requirements with the servicer or the relevant authority before relying on it.