What if your circumstances change during the short sale process?

[Vonetta Booker]

I'm thinking about going after short sales for flip or buy/hold properties--but the often-lengthy process gives me pause.  

What happens if I make an offer, but the wait is so long that during that time I've found another property and/or my source of funding (typically private financing) is no longer there?  

For you short sale-ers, how do you keep everything together while you wait?