What is a short sale? Five things you need to know.

5. Consider all the benefits

Amy Sancetta/AP/File
In this 2010 file photo, a sold sign is displayed outside a house in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. Losing a home is always difficult, but a short sale can shorten the process and help a family move on.

One of the major benefits of a short sale is that it ends the financial and emotional nightmare quickly. After the homeowner accepts a contract, it usually takes no more than 120 days (and often much less time) for the sale to close. Losing one’s home is a painful process, but a short sale can help families reduce their frustration and their time in financial limbo. It can also help maintain their credit and allow them to move forward with their lives. As long as the housing crisis continues, short sales will continue to grow in popularity. Homeowners need to become educated and empowered to undertake the process.

Mike Cuevas is a national short sale Realtor trainer and a partner of Exit Realty, a residential real estate firm in Chicago that also specializes in short sales nationally.

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