Mortgage lenders widespread short sale and loan modification excessive processing times most often stretch out for months as due to excessive delays, repeated demands for updates on documents the Loss Mitigation Departments allow to expire. This is an industry wide issue that hasn't been addressed since the housing market crash from 2008 - 2014. The cumulative losses are in the billions as they are not only losing the mortgage payments, but many properties are abandoned and deteriorating for months while the lenders contribute to the losses by footing the bills for taxes, insurance and massive repairs.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla., March 4, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Edward Goldfarb, a 36-year Realtor with his loss mitigation partner Deborah Franza-Cowart has helped homeowners avoid stigma, embarrassment and financial devastation of foreclosure while also helping mortgage lenders mitigate their losses successful closing on over 800 Short Sales. Goldfarb wants to bring attention to the lender's inefficiencies in short sale processing. On each property lenders suffer thousands of dollars in unnecessary losses as a result of the grossly inefficient and months long processing of short sale transaction. Almost and without exception lenders and servicers undermine the efforts and in doing so abuse the very people, firms and companies attempting to mitigation their losses. The herculean efforts to mitigate mortgage lender and insurers losses is costly, frustrating and consumes excessive time.
Goldfarb highlights how prolonged short sale approvals—often many months—Adds exponentially to lender losses, Goldfarb says, "Those of us involved in Loss Mitigation processing, especially front line Realtors, invest extensive time and upfront funds in marketing these properties which includes advertising, hiring photographers, arranging showings, meeting buyers, fielding questions, negotiating offers, coordinating inspections, helping distressed property homeowner fill out and collect the voluminous and detailed documentation. To add to the chaos, often the same documentation has to be resubmitted several times over due to documents expiring because of the lenders' months long delays. On top of the access delays, very few lenders proactively process the files—instead they routinely ghost emails and dodge phone calls when asked for an escalation and /or a status update.
As the approval times drag on and on, lenders not only lose out on mortgage payments, but they incur mounting carrying costs paying the property taxes, forced insurance, legal fees and court costs. Even more costly is lenders face even greater losses if they deny the short sale and the property goes to the foreclosure auction where the losses mount higher and higher."
Industry data shows that short sales generally allow lenders to minimize and mitigate losses compared to foreclosure, which can add substantial additional costs—often in the range of $40,000 to $50,000 property—and more due to extensive repairs depending on state laws and the property itself. In addition to months of losses while processing the short sale when the short sale is denied the lenders pay for legal fees, court expenses, property preservation, often expensive repairs in addition to the lender Realtor's commissions, as a bank owned, REO (Real Estate Owned) property. The additional delays due to selling at the foreclosure auction adds months and even a year before the property is put on the market by the lender.
Short sales are most always" Buyer Specific" meaning if a buyer cancels due to the long excessive delays most of the elements start over. This practice is also with the new offer is exactly the same except the name of the buyer adding to duplication of efforts and prolonging the timeline. This inefficiency harms everyone involved: lenders recover less overall, experienced Realtors are discouraged from handling future distressed cases after seeing their unpaid work discarded, loss mitigation teams expend uncompensated time on repeated lien searches and settlement statements, the buyers and homeowners face prolonged uncertainty, and properties deteriorate further.
Goldfarb proposes practical reforms to create a more equitable and efficient system:
- Permit the original listing Realtor to continue managing the property as REO (Real Estate Owned) if a short sale is denied, ensuring continuity and preserving effort invested.
- Offer fair compensation or incentives to Realtors for successfully facilitating short sales.
- Treat Realtors as valued partners in loss mitigation rather than temporary intermediaries.
- Require lenders to provide bi-monthly updates on the processing progress.
"Everyone loses under the current approach," Goldfarb emphasized. "Faster, more collaborative short sale processing would improve lender recovery rates, reduce prolonged foreclosures, cut unnecessary costs, and foster better outcomes for buyers, homeowners, real estate professionals, and financial institutions alike."
Goldfarb invites lender executives to engage in dialogue to build partnerships that reward dedication and deliver mutual benefits.
About Edward Goldfarb, Edward has helped buyers, homeowners and lenders to achieve efficient, equitable resolutions in distressed property ss a Realtor® with United Realty Group with over 20 offices in S. Florida. He holds five Distressed Property Certifications and has served as a panelist on distressed properties at real estate conventions and seminars. His insights have been quoted in national publications, and he has been interviewed by NPR. Goldfarb is also the author of numerous articles on distressed properties and foreclosure prevention.
Serving communities throughout South Florida—and eager to assist homeowners statewide—Goldfarb is dedicated to helping Florida families save their homes from foreclosure. As a passionate advocate for fair real estate practices and effective loss mitigation processing by mortgage lenders, investors and mortgage insurers.
Media Contact
Edward Goldfarb, Edward Goldfarb PA - United Realty Group, 1 9546058427, [email protected], Stop4ClosuresNow.com
SOURCE Edward Goldfarb PA - United Realty Group
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