Anyone ever heard of a "short sale company"?

[Ingrid Nagy]

Hi, I am considering putting an offer in on a home in FL that is listed for $120K as a short sale. The property was previously listed for $160K with no bites. In reviewing the tax and owners records no Lis Pendens appears to have been filed but I've been told by my realtor it is a short sale. I was told that the process to obtain an answer or counteroffer would take 60 days. The realtor also told me that the offer would be handled by a "short sale company" who specializes in negotiating short sales with the lenders. For this service, the seller pays a portion of the "fee" and I would be responsible for the balance (I'm told $1,000). I am hesitant about this as I've never heard of a fee being charged in these situations. Is this something new?? I googled short sales and did find some sites that listed short sale companies. I was just wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar.

Thanks for reading. Ingrid