In short; the seller (the person who still owns the house) does not have any control over their lenders decision or the timeline. That being said, there are questions you want to ask to make sure the seller is doing everything they can to get their negotiated payoff approved. You could get a real deal or end up with a big mess.  And Patience pays off.  Please call me to discuss any questions you may have about Short Sales.

Short-sale buyers seek closure By Benny Kass

DEAR BENNY: Almost six months ago, we made an offer to buy a condominium, under a short-sale arrangement. Our real estate agent called it a clean deal, as we are paying cash and all closing costs. Our agent has called the listing agent and I have called the bank that holds the current mortgage (although they say they cannot discuss this with me for legal reasons) to try to learn why we cannot get an answer to our offer. My wife and I are anxious because we want to resolve this one way or the other. Didn't our president get a new law enacted that is forcing the banks to respond promptly? We need some help, and the bank is dragging its feet. --Bob

DEAR BOB: Although the federal government is attempting to get lenders to shorten the time they have in which to respond to short-sale proposals, there currently is no federal law on this subject. However, on Nov. 30, 2009, the U.S. Treasury Department issued guidelines that lenders are encouraged to follow. It is a complex process. Homeowners who are underwater can request that their lender preapprove short-sale terms. Although it is not clear how long the lender (or the servicer of the mortgage) has to respond, once the lender determines the amount it will be willing to accept from a short sale, the borrower has 120 days in which to find a buyer for the property. When the homeowner enters into a sales contract with a potential buyer, and assuming that the lender has already preapproved the terms and conditions for a short sale, the lender must approve or disapprove the short sale within 10 business days after receiving the sales contract. Accordingly, if you are a homeowner in financial trouble, talk with a real estate agent to start the preapproval process. This will take the most time, so you should begin this as soon as possible.

There is a lot of paperwork involved that has to be presented to the lender. The Treasury directive requires that once the short sale takes place, the homeowner/seller must be fully released from future liability. This has been a real problem in the past, since many lenders -- after allowing a short sale -- were still going after their borrowers for the deficiency -- the difference between the net sales proceeds and the outstanding balance of the loan.

You can access this directive from the Web site of the Home Affordable Modification Program (https://www.hmpadmin.com/portal/index.html). Although lenders are encouraged to follow the guidelines now, technically they do not take effect until April 5, 2010, and will sunset Dec. 31, 2012.