Three years ago, just as the housing market was beginning its rapid descent, we purchased a perfect three-bedroom home in South Florida for $325,000.

It was in a great neighborhood. Excellent school district. We were set.

At the time it was priced right to sell ($379,000) — other nearby homes were hovering around the low $400’s. So we were thrilled when our “miracle offer” was accepted with no counters or questions asked. We celebrated the “steal of the century.”

Unfortunately, our joy didn’t last long.

Each year we helplessly watched as our home value continued to sink like a rock. We’re still not even sure if it has hit bottom — we’re too scared to look.  Last time we checked our home was roughly worth about $250,000, which is about a $75,000 hit.

Many homeowners today are in similar if not worse positions. We understand that. Still, that’s a lot of money.

And even though the value of our house has dropped significantly, our monthly mortgage payments remain the same. So, too, does our interest rate. We’ve tried to refinance, secure a lower interest rate at the very least, but no dice … we are too far upside-down to be considered.

We’ve got great credit. Pay our bills on time. And do all the things we are supposed to do. Yet, when we try and somehow improve our situation to compensate for the lost value in our investment, we hit dead ends.

It’s frustrating, making people think how it’s possible banks, lenders and the federal government are seemingly bending over backwards for those actually deep in (or possibly feigning) distress. Meanwhile, the “good guys” have few if any options available to reward their  hard work.

Bloomberg.com explores this issue today, revealing how underwater homeowners have resorted to “strategic default” in response to the current housing crisis. This is when homeowners stop paying their mortgages while remaining current on other debts. It’s a practice that rose 128 percent (588,000 cases) compared to last year and represents a small percentage (4%) of all underwater homeowners.

Of course, there are other options, including selling the home for a huge loss (and paying the difference), staying put until the local market corrects or short-selling the house.

The latter option appears to be the best. Short sales are a great solution when it comes to short circuiting the foreclosure process. It’s typically a win-win all the way around under the circumstances.

We have decided to ride out the storm. It’s certainly not a “strategic” choice, but one that we think is good for us. We are in positions where we can afford our monthly expenses … for now.

But that could all change literally tomorrow. That’s just the nature of today’s complicated real estate beast.

This is a guest column. Therefore, the views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Foreclosure.com and/or its partners.

BOCA RATON, Fla. (Sept. 21, 2009) — Foreclosure.com Founder, President and CEO, Brad Geisen, announced today that he has built the first-ever short sales offer management system that handles marketing, processing, negotiating and closing services all in one central location.

QuickSale ^SM (www.QuickSale.com) is an easy-to-use platform that simplifies an often long and complicated process, bringing together all parties — distressed homeowners, lenders, investors, buyers and agents — who all share one common interest: Moving real estate inventory as fast as possible under the best terms.

“Short sales are the ultimate solution when it comes to solving the national foreclosure crisis now and in the future,” said Geisen.

In short sales situations, banks or mortgage lenders agree to discount home loan balances prior to selling because of economic (local home values have plummeted) or financial (unemployment) hardship on the part of homeowners.

Geisen states that QuickSale.com helps cash-strapped homeowners avoid foreclosure and minimize the negative impact on their personal credit, allowing them to pursue alternative housing options worry-free when the time is right.

On the lender side, banks ensure instant liquidity for the defaulted loans on their books, maximizing the amount (often 80 to 90 percent of market value) that they can get out of distressed properties in a much shorter timeframe (30 to 90 days).

QuickSale.com closes the loop by bringing in agents and buyers located throughout the United States and beyond who purchase the distressed properties at negotiated prices before the banks repossess them. Agents who coordinate short sales from start to finish through the QuickSale ^SM system earn commissions.

“Banks lend money, they’re not in the business of marketing and selling real estate — certainly not on today’s current scale,” said Geisen. “And their loss mitigation departments are just too overwhelmed at this point. QuickSale.com is a structured tool that provides much-needed support and relief. It short circuits the entire foreclosure process to ensure the best possible outcome for all parties involved . . . quickly.”

Distressed homeowners, lenders, investors, buyers and agents who are interested in learning more about participating in the QuickSale ^SM program are encouraged to visit www.QuickSale.com or call (866) 202-8200 to learn more and/or request a demonstration.

Several of Century 21’s top real estate agents from throughout the nation recently descended on the Westin Diplomat in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to participate in a training retreat.

Century 21 — the world’s largest residential real estate sales organization — recently selected Foreclosure.com Agent University to put a select group of industry professionals through its Certified Foreclosure Agent training program.

This is a career-building certification course designed specifically for individuals who are interested in foreclosures and expanding their business to include sales of Real Estate Owed (REO) properties, short sales and other distressed real estate.

All of the Century 21 agents who participated in the comprehensive learning experience were required to complete and pass an exam for each of the three topics presented receive their Certified Foreclosure Agent “Specialist” designation. For more background on the “Specialist” designation click here.

We had such a great group — many of agents flew in a day early and left a day late because of opportunity to travel to South Florida and, in the process, take home skills that will grow their businesses.

To learn more about the Certified Foreclosure Agent program click here. Broker owners and managers should contact us direct (866.382.4445) for more details on bulk pricing savings.

Develop the critical negotiating skills necessary for successful real estate short sale investing with expert instruction from Sharon Restrepo during this special 90-minute online educational training course.

“Short Sale Negotiation” is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13 at 4 p.m. ET. To catch the LIVE “how to” instructional session CLICK HERE.

From contract to closing, the short sale process can seem overwhelming when it’s really not. In fact, the right attitude and approach can turn a potentially frustrating experience into a goldmine.

Register for this training experience now if you want to:

• Learn how to market for short sales
• Understand the “Why” behind a seller’s motivation to short sale
• Know what to say to a seller about a short sale
• Determine what makes a deal worth doing a short sale
• Learn how to work with the seller throughout the process

Sharon is a cunning negotiator with tremendous people skills. She’s going to reveal everything you need to know about successful short sale negotiations, including what to say to the seller at each stage of the process.

It’s a compelling script that can get you on the path to real estate riches!

Register for “Short Sale Negotiation” now and negotiate BIG money-making short sales!!! CLICK HERE, class sizes are limited.

Please note that this is the second of three short sale training presentations that Sharon will lead. To check out the other two parts of this specific topic and more click here.

Webinars are LIVE educational sessions that let participants see, hear and interact with real estate experts right from their personal computer screens. In fact, Webinars are driven in part by visitor feedback and questions that are posed during the sessions. For more information and course offerings click here.

Find out all the essential information you need to begin making money with short sales from successful real estate investor, Sharon Restrepo, during this LIVE 90-minute online educational training session.

“What is a Short Sale?” is set for Tuesday, April 15 at 4 p.m. ET.

From the definition of a short sale to how to select the right deals, this introductory course will walk you through one of the hottest investment techniques today step-by-step.

Sharon — who is also a nationally-acclaimed educator and cunning negotiator — will explain the reasons lenders and banks are willing to accept short sale offers at rock-bottom prices now more than ever.

Sharon will teach you how to:

• Understand the short sale
• Understand the short sale process
• Understand why banks accept short sales
• Understand when short sales will work
• Learn how to choose the right short sale deals

This online real estate course, which is one of a three-part series, will help you better understand the real estate short sale process from A to Z thanks to the latest investment strategies.

Put simply, there’s no reason to pay full price for a home when you don’t have to!

To register now CLICK HERE.

Webinars are LIVE educational sessions that let participants see, hear and interact with real estate experts right from their personal computer screens. In fact, Webinars are driven in part by visitor feedback and questions that are posed during the sessions. For more information and course offerings click here.

To register for this online real estate class, which is scheduled for September 13 at 9 p.m. ET, CLICK HERE. More background on this presentation can also be found here.

Elaine has received glowing endorsements from prestigious sources such as
The New York Times, MONEY magazine and others for her sound real estate investment strategies. Now, she will reveal her “blueprint” for financial success.

Here are just some of the tips you will learn:

• Buy and sell a home in the same day for a $5,000 profit with no money down
• Find foreclosure deals before the lenders foreclose on them
• Buy a foreclosure or short sale with no credit and previous experience
• Find buyers for your property in one hour or less

Foreclosure short sales are currently among the hottest real estate investment trends because the potential profits are mind boggling.

Elaine has literally made millions capitalizing on these amazing deals. And now she is going to demonstrate how she became a millionaire buying and selling real estate so that you can replicate her success.

Space is limited — reserve your seat today! Click here.

Get the inside scoop on a hidden real estate investing technique, foreclosure short sales, and learn to purchase properties for HALF PRICE as soon as this week!

During a 90-minute Foreclosure.com interactive online Webinar, one of America’s foremost experts on the topic, millionaire James Gage, will reveal his proven insider tricks so you can put learn how to negotiate lucrative real estate deals.

Here are just some of the tips you will learn:

• How to find amazing deals right in your backyard
• Who to call when you spot these amazing deals
• What to say to negotiate up to 50% discounts
• What to offer throughout the negotiation process
• How to frame the offer so you save BIG

This presentation takes place later this week on Thursday, July 26 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Foreclosure.com Webinars are live 90-minute educational sessions, meaning participants are able to see, hear and interact with experts right from their personal computer screens. In fact, Webinars are driven in part by visitor feedback and questions that are posed during the sessions.

How do you tune in?

It’s simple … just click here and follow the brief registration instructions.

Seats are limited; therefore, if you want to learn about an awesome opportunity to earn incredible profits in real estate RIGHT NOW , then the “Foreclosure Secrets” Webinar will help you get on the path to success with short sales.

That’s not all.

As a special thank you to those who register for the Webinar, James has graciously agreed to give all attendees a “must-sign” document that will protect all investors in foreclosure/short sale investments.

This document, which retails for $199, will save you thousands on potential legal fees during the negotiation process.

Reserve your seat today before it’s too late!