It's hard for ECAR to control because it's the banks that aren't giving Realtors enough information. When you speak with the banks in regards to a short sale all they do is tell you to bring an offer. Many Realtors just continue dropping prices until they get an offer to take to the bank. Once they have declined an offer the Realtor should have a better idea of where the bank is at on the price. It's a very frustrating process.
The Realtors are better off getting a low ball offer right when they list a property so that they can find a price that the bank is willing to accept. It always helps to have an investor willing to buy any property at the right price. Some banks are very realistic and taking large losses while others don't understand the market and will end up forclosing on the property before it's over.
I have a short sale in Inlet Beach that the guy owes over $850,000. The bank is willing to take $460,000-$470,000 and the appraisel just came back at $525,000. This is realistic in my opinion. I put in an offer on an unfinished home on Holiday Isle that was listed at $999,000. We went in at $500,000 to feel them out and the bank came back at $1,450,000. 50% higher than the list price!!! You can see that some banks understand the market while others do not. Short sales can present a great way for a buyer to get a deal, but they need to have patience.
Hopefully the banks will begin to foreclose on these properties at a faster rate. The bank owned foreclosures are selling like hot cakes at this point. I know people who haven't made payments in 12 months and still haven't been foreclosed on. The longer these short sales drag out....the longer the market stalls.
Sorry for the rambling.