What is a short sale in real estate, and why would you want to find one? A short sale is the successful negotiation and sale of real estate for an amount lower than what is owed to the lender. When a homeowner has any number of situations come up in their life, and must sell their home, but owe more than what the house will sell for they need help. In this case, the homeowner may be eligible for a short sale.

Have you noticed the number of foreclosures in your area? Most of these people would be eligible for a short sale. If a short sale is negotiated with the bank for the homeowner and it is sold, they will not have a foreclosure on their record. A foreclosure on a person's credit record affects more than just their ability to purchase a home. It affects their ability to make any credit purchases for many years.

Besides helping the homeowner, an investor, or agent can make some money from the commissions, or from the amount gained from reselling the property. Of course, also, many short sales are a very good investment to buy, and keep as a rental.

You can find short sales in a variety of ways. One main way is just walk out your door. Really! There are so many people who need a short sale to avoid the foreclosure designation on their credit report, that there can very well be some on your street. When you talk to neighbors, let them know what you do, and to let you know if they know anyone that needs the service.

Many people who need a short sale are trying to sell their property, "By Owner". This is usually because they are afraid they would have to pay an agent out of their own funds, because there isn't enough equity to pay an agent.

People who are listed in the legal notices for their property to be auctioned by the sheriff or county, are usually eligible for a short sale. It is not too late to make an offer, and to get the auction postponed. The problem with contacting people who are listed in the paper is that they are getting inudated with mail. All saying they can help them one way or other. Many have already moved out, or have just given up, and don't want to deal with it anymore.

If you are a real estate agent, you can check for expired listings to see if what they really needed was a short sale. Also, check with other agents and see how they are doing with their listings. The majority of agents do not know how to do a short sale in a way to get results.

Talk to people about the real estate market whenever you get the chance. Always ask if they know anyone that might need your help. Two examples of how I found a couple short sales show how you can find them even when you are not tryiing. I saw a couple holding a puppy in a pet store, of the same breed I had just gotten. As I passed, I commented that I just got the same kind of dog. They were interested in where I got my dog. I told them I would email the information to them, because I didn't know because my husband had given the dog to me as a present. When I got home, I emailed the information to them. At the bottom of my email was information about my website. I received a "thank you" reply, and the request to help them with a short sale.

Another time, I was in the book store and was in the real estate section. The man next to me in the aisle took a book down from the shelf with the title, "Avoiding Foreclosure". I gave him my card and told him what I do. And also told him if he knew of anyone that might need to have a short sale negotiated to let me know. He called me for a short sale.

These and other methods may be used to find people who need a short sale negotiated. If you are a real estate agent, you will probably find that most of the people that call you for having their property listed, need a short sale in order to sell.

You might be asking, "How can I help someone with a short sale when I don't know anything about what to do?" The good news is you don't need to negotiate the short sale yourself. Have KC Real Estate Solutions, who do short sales full time, do the work and negotiate with the bank for you. Whether you are an agent, investor, or homeowner, KC Real Estate Solutions will work to solve your real estate problem. There is never any charge to the homeowner, investor, or agent for negotiating the short sale. Any fees are paid by the bank.

So, start talking, start looking, start finding people who need a short sale. Many people don't understand this will help them.