business and economy | January 20, 2026

How do I find a short sale in California?

To see if someone is a licensed real estate agent contact the California Bureau of Real Estate at (213) 620-2072 or at their website. A licensed attorney in California can conduct a short sale but only if those services fall within the scope of their practice.

What is a short sale in California?

A short sale is a pre-foreclosure residential real estate transaction where the owner of the mortgage loan, the lender or lien holder (hereinafter sometimes “Lender”), agrees to (i) allow the home owner to sell his or her property for less than — or “short” of — the outstanding amount owed on the mortgage loan, and …

Are short sales a good deal?

In short, short sales are a good idea if you have plenty of time and money. A short sale buyer may get the property at a reduced price, but the property (in all likelihood) has its share of problems — think “fixer-upper” — and the deal needs to go through considerable red tape to make it happen.

How do you find short sale homes?

How to Find a Short Sale

  1. Contact local real estate offices and get on a list of people interested in short sales.
  2. Check MLS listings on real estate websites.
  3. Search courthouse filings for “pre-foreclosures” in the area.
  4. Select those pre-foreclosure properties that interest you based on their location and other factors.

What are the requirements for a short sale?

While there are more than a few requirements to qualify for a short sale, banks generally grant short sales for two reasons. One, the seller must be experiencing financial hardship and two, there isn’t enough equity in the home to pay off the mortgage after closing costs.

What happens to the property in a short sale?

With a short sale, the lender doesn’t have to take the property back and bear the expenses of maintaining it until it can be sold. They’ll also avoid risking that the property won’t sell again at a price high enough to recoup their losses—as it more than likely would in a foreclosure.

What is the current price of a house in California?

Single detached and house prices in most counties grew. Existing, single-family home sales totaled 421,670, up 5.9% YoY. House prices were up .8% from January and 5.9% from last February. Sales rose strongly at 6.6% from January and 5.9% YoY. California Home Sales February 2020. Screenshot courtesy of CAR.org

Is there going to be a housing market in California?

Despite lower mortgage rates, and flat home prices, Zillow predicts California rent prices will rise. Unlike those in the national housing picture, Californians have solved the buy vs rent home dilemma, by continuing with renting. This is fueling a surge in build to rent developments.