The difference between traditional sales, short sales and foreclosures

Buying a house comes with many steps, terms and paperwork. Understanding exactly what you’re looking for can be hard. Finding the best Bend realtors to help you find the best house is key, and understanding the market is even better. If you’ve ever wondered what the difference between short sales, foreclosures or just regular sales are, we’re here to explain.

Short Sale

A short sale happens when a home owner decides to sell their home, but they still owe more on the mortgage than what they can sell the home for. Typically, sellers negotiate with banks and work out a deal to sell the home for less than what they owe, so they can pay the bank back. The important thing to note in this situation is that the seller is still in control of selling their home.

In some situations this can make buying a short sale difficult. In some cases there may be a second loan on a the property, and it can be harder to get that party to agree on the sale terms. Typically, they stand to lose the most money in this arrangement (but not always!). Sometimes the process of purchasing a short sale can take longer than usual because of the multiple parties involved.

Foreclosure

Foreclosure happens when homeowners have trouble making their loan payments. It can happen if the homeowners get extremely behind, and are considered “underwater.”

The process starts when the bank notifies the homeowners that they have started the process of filing with local courts to take over ownership of the home, known as foreclosure proceedings. Sometimes this process can take as little as three weeks, or over a year, but it’s important to note that during proceedings the bank does not own the home.

Once the foreclosure is filed with the courts, the home is in ownership limbo. Sometimes occupants stay and sometimes they are required to leave. Foreclosure properties are auctioned off, sometimes at the courthouse and sometimes at the physical property.

Take Away

Traditional sales are much simpler, as there’s only one party involved. Traditional sales also tend to take less time to close, providing the buyer is pre-approved for a loan, and ready with a down payment. You can find some great properties in either short sales or foreclosures, and some you may find underpriced, in an otherwise competitively priced market.