The U.S. Department of the Treasury will soon offer lenders and distressed homeowners $1,000 and $1,500, respectively, motivating all parties to consummate short sale deals and, in the process, stem the foreclosure tide, according to the New York Times.

Here are the basic details:

“Under the new program, the servicing bank, as with all modifications, will get $1,000. Another $1,000 can go toward a second loan, if there is one. And for the first time the government would give money to the distressed homeowners themselves. They will get $1,500 in ‘relocation assistance.’”

Short sales are transactions in which lenders accept offers from new buyers for amounts that are less than the current principal balances.

It’s often complicated, however, because there are so many moving parts. Additionally, everyone has to agree to the new sale prices, including the lenders, which is the reason most deals get hung up.

Lenders simply don’t have the resources right now to handle the tremendous incoming load. And when they do finally get around to reviewing short sale requests, chances are the documents are out of date or the buyers have set their sights on less complicated deals.

The good news is that with $1,000 to spread around to the lenders, it could help them offset the costs to negotiate these types of deals in a shorter and more efficient time frame.

As the name suggests.