Distressed property is often an amazing investment, but before you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, you’ve got to close the deal.

Getting everything all wrapped up is often trickier with foreclosures and short sales than with more conventional real estate transactions. It takes time to get the inspections and approvals necessary to be able to purchase a property for less than it’s actually worth.

Here’s the good news: With a little planning and advanced preparation, you can get to the finish line that much more quickly.

The October 2010 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which is focused on getting you up to speed on closing your real estate deals smoothly and on time.

To learn everything you need to know about “Close the deal” click here.

It’s the last hurdle between you and your great deal, so make sure you give this important step all the attention it merits.

To read this month’s free educational newsletter from Foreclosure.com CLICK HERE.

… because without sales of homes in distressed areas the “recovery in the housing market stops. It’s frozen,” according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

He elaborates (via CNNMoney.com):

“That obviously can have — we believe and others believe — a very negative and detrimental impact to our economic recovery efforts and the housing markets in states that have been hardest hit.”

Of course, foreclosures are a last resort — loan modifications, short sales and all other rescue options should be exhausted before sending properties to the auction block. Additionally, the documentation process needs to be as accurate as possible, which is an issue that several major lenders are addressing right now during the “foreclosure freeze.”

Despite the “freeze” from some lenders, foreclosures are still for sale throughout the nation. And most of them are available to purchase for significantly less than market value.

The fact of the matter is that foreclosures need to happen “for there to be a full housing recovery” and because they are “an important part of ensuring longer-term stability in the market is to enable properties to be resold to families who can afford to purchase them.”

To search foreclosed homes for sale in your area right now click here.

Our fearless Foreclosure.com leader, Brad Geisen, was recently interviewed for an extensive article on short sales for NPR.org.

Brad, who has more than 25 years of experience in the real estate trenches, is often called on for his take on the latest real estate trends and issues.

Here’s the excerpt:

“‘The No. 1 biggest factor as to why short sales aren’t going through is flat-out disorganization,’” says Brad Geisen, CEO of Foreclosure.com, a Florida company that specializes in providing statistics on distressed property and software for lenders.

It’s almost impossible to pin down the percentage of initiated short sales that are completed, Geisen says, but the national average probably hovers at 10 percent to 15 percent.

Bank staff and real estate agents have been staggered by the mountain of mortgages gone bad — the scope of which few people anticipated before the housing bubble burst in 2006, Geisen says.”

Brad actually spoke in great detail about how organization is the key to moving inventory quickly and getting short sales approved as quickly as possible.

Banks just weren’t prepared for the avalanche when it came sliding down the mountain, which is what he meant with the “disorganization” remark. The situation has since improved drastically and continues to do so as new technologies emerge and more people are brought in and trained to handle the workload effectively.

In fact, Brad is even leading the charge on the “organization” front, developing a robust back office platform that simplifies the complex HAFA short sale and deed-in-lieu processes. It’s offered through QuickSale.com. And you can learn more about its awesomeness right here.

About three years, according to mortgage expert Dean Wegner in a recent article on ABC15.com. You can expect to wait the same amount of time if you filed for bankruptcy, too.

But time alone will not be the deciding factor.

On the contrary, a credit score of more than 620, as well as demonstrating verifiable employment for at least two years and having money in the bank (3.5 percent down payment), are also required.

Mortgage lenders are certainly more strict now more than ever, being careful to avoid another mortgage meltdown that has crippled the United States housing market the last few years. The good news is that even if you did get mired in a foreclosure, short sale and/or bankruptcy situation, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s certainly not the end of the world … just a pit stop on the road to your next destination.

September 8, 2010 — Foreclosure.com today announced that the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC), which administers and enforces real estate license law in the “Sunshine State,” has approved its Certified Short Sale Agent (CSSA) training program, once again validating the exceptional educational opportunities offered through “The Agent University.”

This latest announcement comes on the heels of the Certified Foreclosure Agent program receiving the same stamp of approval from FREC in Nov. 2009.

“We’re thrilled to receive this latest approval,” said Foreclosure.com Director of Education, Linda Yates. “Understanding short sales, especially in today’s volatile market, is critical for agents everywhere. CSSA training is an invaluable career-building opportunity, providing professionals with the tools and resources to capitalize on this ever-evolving trend.”

The CSSA curriculum comprises four modules that take agents from a basic understanding of short sales all the way to developing a business plan to attack the market from a proactive position.

The four modules, which are dynamically updated to reflect the latest trends in the short sale arena, include:

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