Short Sale Homes for Sale in South Florida

Homes listed for less than the mortgage balance, with the lender's approval still to come, straight from the MLS and updated throughout the day.

A short sale is a home worth less than what is owed on it, where the lender agrees to accept the sale proceeds and release its lien for less than the full balance. The owner still owns the home and still signs the contract, but the bank has a veto over the price, the closing costs and often the commission, and it exercises it slowly. Thirty to ninety days for an answer is normal, and a second mortgage or a mortgage insurer adds another approver to the chain. Buyers who do well here are the ones who can wait, who keep their financing alive through the delay and who have not already given notice on a rental. In exchange you often get a home in far better shape than a bank-owned one, because somebody has been living in it and maintaining it the whole time.

47 listings, newest first.

Short Sales: Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a short sale take?
Plan for three to six months from contract to closing. The lender's loss-mitigation review alone typically takes thirty to ninety days, and every additional lienholder, mortgage insurer or investor approval adds to it. A short sale is the wrong purchase if you need to be in a home by a certain date.
Is the list price the real price?
Not necessarily. Until the lender reviews the file, the list price is the seller's agent's estimate of what the bank will take, and the bank can come back and demand more. We check whether the price has already been approved through a prior offer, which is the single best predictor of whether a short sale will actually close.
Are short sales in better condition than bank-owned homes?
Usually yes. The owner is still living there, the utilities are on, the appliances are in place and you get a real seller disclosure. The financial distress is in the mortgage, not necessarily in the house.
Can I get a mortgage on a short sale?
Yes. Because the home is generally in lendable condition, conventional, FHA and VA financing all work. The practical problem is the clock: a rate lock and a loan approval both expire, so your lender has to be one that understands short-sale timelines.
Is a short sale the same as a pre-foreclosure?
Most short sales are pre-foreclosures, because the owner is usually behind on payments or heading that way. The difference is that a short sale is on the market and a pre-foreclosure is often not. If you are the owner and you are behind, a short sale is one of the ways out, and we can walk you through it.

Facing foreclosure on your own home?

Selling before the judgment usually protects your credit better than losing the home at the clerk's sale, and where there is equity it puts the surplus in your pocket instead of the court registry. Find out what your home is worth today, request a cash offer, or read what your options are once you have been served.

Foreclosures by Type of Sale

Foreclosures by County

Explore