How do you compete with the other 6,000 plus home owners selling their home as a short sale?

A distressed situation has forced you to list your home contingent upon the bank agreeing to accept less than you owe. This type of listing transaction is referred to as a short sale. Short sales are a common occurrence throughout Central Florida including; Osceola, Seminole, Orange, and Volusia counties.

Your situation is not unique. Short sale listings make up a large portion of the active real estate inventory. So how do you compete with over 6,000 plus home owners selling their home as a short sale? That's right, right now in the 4 counties mentioned there are over 6,000 homes listed for sale subject to the lender accepting a short payoff.

How do you make sure your home attracts buyers and receives an offer? You accomplish this the same way it has always been accomplished. The process to market and secure a buyer for your home remains unchanged even though it is a short sale.

• Proper Pricing. A home priced correctly will always attract the attention of buyers qualified in that price range. One of the first steps should be to research sales in the area in order to determine a price that is not to high or to low. Listing the home at real market value will result in offers.
• Market the home correctly. What makes your home standout from the competition besides the price and the fact that it is being sold as a short sale? Don't let yourself be short changed by the marketing efforts of the agent you hire. MLS comments are require to notify all that the home is subject to a short sale but even with the proper disclosure verbiage, there is plenty of room to describe features and amenities that buyers will find desirable. You should expect to receive full marketing efforts from the company you hire.
• Choose and experienced agent. It is important to make sure the agent you hire has short sale experience. When I say experience I am talking about not just in listing short sales but in getting them to the closing table. Ask if the agent has any formal training. Do they have the CDPE designation? Certified Distressed Property designated agents understand the process from beginning to end and are more than capable of helping you out of your situation by selling your home.

I understand you are under a tremendous amount of stress right now. You can reduce some of your stress by listing, receiving offers, negotiating with your lender and closing the sale with an agent who knows how to compete and win against the competition.