How the process runs, what a notice says and what the record shows.
Short sales
+1
Nov 3, 2026
•
9 min read
For agents with a seller in trouble: spot a rescue scam, warn your seller, know where to report it and check your own short sale rules.
Foreclosure
7 min read
For new agents: what a foreclosure redemption period is, how to check your state and what to tell a buyer or seller.
8 min read
For new agents: what forbearance means, what can happen when it ends and the five questions to ask a seller who wants to sell.
Oct 30, 2026
For new agents: what a loan modification is, how it differs from a refinance or short sale and where to send a seller who asks.
For new agents: how a deed in lieu and a short sale differ, who decides and what your seller should ask the servicer.
6 min read
For real estate agents: how to tell which kind of auction a home is in and what to confirm before a buyer bids or a seller signs up.
For real estate agents: what people mean when they say "foreclosure" and how to turn the word into facts you can check before you act.
Oct 29, 2026
For agents with a seller behind on payments: estimate what a sale will leave after selling costs, the loan payoff and other liens.
11 min read
Learn what to ask on a first call with a homeowner who's behind on the mortgage. Five steps, sample words and what never to say. A guide for agents.
10 min read
Learn how foreclosure works in six stages, what changes by state and how to check where a home stands in the process. A guide for real estate agents.
+2
1 min read
For agents who want REO and short-sale work: the word mistakes asset managers notice and a 272-term pocket deck to practice with.
Oct 28, 2026
4 min read
For agents meeting a homeowner in default: check value, the real payoff, other liens and selling costs before anyone calls it a short sale.
Listing Opportunities
For local agents getting a warm introduction to a homeowner in default: what to confirm, what to ask and what to report back.
Beginner
+3
For agents new to distressed homes: what default, foreclosure, short sale and REO (lender-owned) mean and what to check before you advise anyone.
5 min read
For agents working with homeowners in default: the six foreclosure stages and how to look up your own state’s rules before giving a timeline.
3 min read
For agents meeting homeowners behind on payments: how to compare value, payoff, liens and selling costs to see if a sale would really be short.
For agents: how to pull the key facts off a foreclosure letter and check the county record before you say what it means.
How keeping the home and selling differ for a homeowner behind on the mortgage, and who explains each option: servicer, HUD-approved counselor or attorney.
For buyer's agents: how to confirm what's being sold, read the auction terms and look past a low starting bid before a client bids.
Learn who does what on a mortgage, from the lender and servicer to the loan owner and foreclosure attorney, with a role table, a sample file and a first-call script.
Learn what a deed, a promissory note and a mortgage or deed of trust each do, and why "the bank has the deed" usually isn't what it sounds like.
For agents: four checks to see if a homeowner behind on payments has enough equity for a regular sale, before anyone calls it a short sale.
Learn how a mortgage payoff differs from reinstatement, the loan balance and the past-due amount, with a simple net sheet example for agents.
For real estate agents: what a public foreclosure record can confirm, what it can't and how to write an honest research note before any outreach.
For real estate agents: what a homeowner's third-party authorization covers, what it doesn't and how to confirm the servicer accepted it.
