Miami-Dade real estate · Short sales

Short sales, Miami

Short Sales in Miami

How a short sale actually works in Miami, when it is the right answer and when it is not, and why every decision starts with what the home is worth today.

Start with what the home is worth

Confidential and without cost. Not legal advice.

This page is education, not advice. It explains how a short sale works in Miami, what the local market evidence changes about the file, and which questions belong to your lender, a Florida real-estate attorney or a tax professional instead of a brokerage.

Key takeaways

  • In Miami, as everywhere in Florida, a short sale is a sale where the agreed price will not cover what is owed, so every lienholder must accept less than a full payoff and release its lien at closing.
  • Miami single-family houses are at 5.8 months of supply and closed 2026 sales took a median 43 days on market at 97% of the last asking price, while condominiums and townhouses are at 15 months, 64 days and 96%.
  • A Florida real-estate attorney answers deficiency exposure, approval-letter wording, foreclosure timelines and title questions.

Short sales in Miami: what the local numbers change

In Miami the property type decides how a short sale file behaves. Houses are at 5.8 months of supply, closing in a median 43 days at 97% of ask. Condominiums and townhouses are at 15 months, 64 days and 96%. A lender reviewing a Miami condominium is being asked to accept both a shortfall and a longer marketing window, and unpaid HOA (homeowners association) dues on a Miami condominium frequently become their own negotiation inside the file.

Timing is the whole game. If a foreclosure case is already filed, the calendar belongs to the court and to your lender, not to the listing. That is why the legal question comes before the real-estate question in Miami, and why we say plainly that PBP will not answer it for you.

What is a short sale in Florida?

A short sale is a sale where the agreed price will not cover what is owed against the property, so the lienholders have to agree to accept less than their full payoff and release their liens at closing. Nothing happens because you want it to: every material term runs through lender approval, and a signed contract with a buyer is the beginning of that process, not the end of it.

A short sale is not a foreclosure, and it is not automatically better or worse than one. It is one option among several, alongside a conventional sale if there is enough equity, a loan modification, forbearance, a deed in lieu, or bankruptcy protection. Which of those is right for you depends on numbers and law that belong to your lender, your attorney and your tax professional, not to a real-estate brokerage.

How does Miami-Dade market evidence affect a short sale?

Lenders decide short sales on evidence, and Miami-Dade evidence is currently mixed by property type. Houses are running at 5.6 months of supply with 2026 closings at a median 45 days on market and 97% of the last asking price. Condominiums and townhouses are at 13.2 months, 68 days and 96%. A condominium file therefore has to survive a longer marketing window than a house file, which matters when a lender's approval or a scheduled foreclosure sale date has a clock on it.

PBP publishes market data only. No pricing opinion or automated estimate of your property is produced on this site; short-sale approval amounts are set by your lender.

What does a brokerage not decide in a short sale?

The lender decides. Approval, the payoff shortfall, whether a deficiency is waived, any relocation contribution, and the closing timeline are the lienholders' decisions. Second mortgages, HOA (homeowners association) liens, tax liens and mortgage insurers each get a say, and each can stop a file.

Legal questions go to a lawyer. Deficiency exposure, the wording of an approval letter, foreclosure timelines and defenses, title problems and probate or divorce complications are legal work. A Florida real-estate attorney answers those.

Tax questions go to a tax professional. Forgiven debt can be reported to the IRS and can be taxable. A CPA or enrolled agent answers that, in writing, before you sign anything.

Credit questions go to your lender or a HUD-approved counselor. How a short sale will appear on your credit and how long it affects future financing is not something a brokerage should promise you.

Nobody should charge you an upfront fee to negotiate a short sale for you. In a normal short sale the negotiated commission is paid at closing out of the seller's side, subject to lender approval. If a company asks for money up front to stop a foreclosure, treat that as a warning.

How does PBP help with a short sale in Miami-Dade?

PBP Real Estate is a Florida licensed brokerage (CQ1064615) with agents based in Miami-Dade as well as Palm Beach and Broward, under Gia Freer, Broker of Record. Tell us what you are weighing and a licensed PBP agent will respond directly. Your information stays with PBP. A PBP agent who works short sales will handle the lender package, the marketing and the closing directly; PBP does not give legal or tax advice.

Miami market snapshot — as of October 18, 2026

The data comes from BeachesMLS through PBP’s direct Cotality Trestle connection. Single-family houses are reported separately from condominiums and townhouses. Every figure shows the number of properties behind it. Active and under-contract counts are as of October 18, 2026; closed-sale prices cover September 2026, the latest full month.

Single-family houses

Active listings2,049
Median list price$825,000
Median list price per sq ft$470
Asking medians run above sold medians when higher-priced homes take longer to sell; compare with the closed figures below.
Under contract607
Closed so far, October 1 - 18, 2026170
Months of inventory5.8
Closed sales, September 2026356 (419 in September 2025)
Median sale price, September 2026$705,000 (356 sales)
Median days on market38
Median percent of list price received97%
Closed sales, Jan 1 - Sep 30, 20263,797 (3,602 a year earlier)
Median sale price year to date$700,000 (3,797 sales)

Condominiums and townhouses

Active listings5,017
Median list price$519,000
Median list price per sq ft$554
Asking medians run above sold medians when higher-priced homes take longer to sell; compare with the closed figures below.
Under contract691
Closed so far, October 1 - 18, 2026159
Months of inventory15
Closed sales, September 2026335 (406 in September 2025)
Median sale price, September 2026$420,000 (335 sales)
Median days on market67
Median percent of list price received96%
Closed sales, Jan 1 - Sep 30, 20263,587 (3,423 a year earlier)
Median sale price year to date$430,000 (3,587 sales)

Based on information from BeachesMLS for September 2026 and for January 1, 2026 through September 30, 2026, retrieved October 18, 2026. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Listings permitted for internet display. Listings permitted for internet display.

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Miami short sales: questions and answers

How does a short sale work in Miami?

In Miami, as everywhere in Florida, a short sale is a sale where the agreed price will not cover what is owed, so every lienholder must accept less than a full payoff and release its lien at closing. The lender controls approval, the price it will accept, whether any deficiency is waived and the closing timeline. A signed buyer contract begins that review rather than ending it.

What do Miami market conditions change about a short sale?

Miami single-family houses are at 5.8 months of supply and closed 2026 sales took a median 43 days on market at 97% of the last asking price, while condominiums and townhouses are at 15 months, 64 days and 96%. A lender reviewing a Miami condominium is therefore being asked to accept a longer marketing window than on a house, which matters when an approval or a scheduled foreclosure sale has a deadline.

Who answers the legal and tax questions in a Miami short sale?

A Florida real-estate attorney answers deficiency exposure, approval-letter wording, foreclosure timelines and title questions. A CPA or enrolled agent answers whether forgiven debt will be taxable. PBP Real Estate is a brokerage and does not give legal, tax or financial advice.

Does PBP list short sales in Miami?

Yes. A licensed PBP agent based in Miami-Dade handles short sales in Miami directly, from the lender package to closing. PBP does not give legal or tax advice; a licensed attorney and a tax professional should address your situation.

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Talk to a PBP short sale agent about Miami

PBP Real Estate is a brokerage, not a law firm, tax adviser or lender. This page is not legal or tax advice.

Based on information from BeachesMLS for September 2026 and for January 1, 2026 through September 30, 2026, retrieved October 18, 2026. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Listings permitted for internet display. Listings permitted for internet display.