negotiating back payments on a pre foreclosure

[Kevin Kite]

Hello fellow BPers,

I have a pre foreclosure under contract that has 18k in back payments. The lender is stubborn and has told the seller that they will not budge on the back payments. I have been through a couple of REI training classes that have told us that lenders will indeed cut down the back payments. So my question is...

What are stratigies you use when talking to the seller mortgage's morgtage company to lower the back payments?

Also when you get an 3rd party authorization form signed to talk to the lender about the payments does it have to be

notarized?

Thanks for the advise!