Your Real Estate Agent
Experience is most important. Unfortunately, the majority of Real Estate Agents have little to no experience in the short sale process. Real Estate Agents have experience in SELLING homes, NOT negotiating with lenders.
Negotiating short sales and closing short sales are extremely complicated and very time consuming. The Real Estate Agent should be up to date on current policies and guidelines by Lenders as well as having a good understanding of our States Laws.
Many hours are spent on the fine details of the transaction as well as on the phone! Care should be taken to represent their "Sellers" best interests. Many Agents seem to think that they should be representing the Banks best interests!
Because of their lack of knowledge in the short sale process, often times the Agent will "hire" an outside company to negotiate your short sale. This is fine except that most of these companies have no idea of the local market. Some of these companies will even offer to "buy" your home and then turn around and sell it at a profit. Most times however, this doesn't happen and the sale fails. Then YOU are left with the foreclosure.
Still other well-meaning Agents will collect several offers on your property and send them to your Lender UNSIGNED by you. Your Lender is looking for a fully executed purchase and sale offer.
You deserve and should require the knowledge and Expertise from an Agent that has EXPERIENCE in short sales.
The Short Sale Process