Just made an offer 2 days ago on a short sale....offered 100% of list price and still didn't get the property...Apparently there were two other bids, one was Cash, the other was financed...mine was cash w/ 14 day closing...the bank acted like they needed to close fast...The listing agent called us this evening around 7pm and asked what our highest and best was...I said $70k w/ list at $69900...we then got a call back an hour later saying that the deadline was 5pm to submit an offer even though they called us at 7pm asking for our highest and best....My agent asked why they weren't accepting my offer and they said it was because we missed the deadline....Something slimy is going on here....I am getting very discouraged with the amount of shadiness that goes on behind the scenes of these foreclosures...I may just have to give the listing agent a call to figure this out first hand...

This works just fine for the most part, but I have one guy who is constantly running right up to the deadline and wants to drop the rent off.

So I had a similar question, had a deadline (1031) so I hit up google and went crazy.

@Nicholas WecksteinWell, the deadline does not start ticking until you receive the Rule to Show Cause.

Know your price and stick to it - for 6 months and 20 bids if necessary...Be prepared for the seller side to drag the process out for a long time, while demanding that you meet deadlines on short notice.Also, the standard advice, don't get emotionally attached when bidding.

When things happen and you can't meet your deadline or commitment as you laid it out, they can and do demand their money.

Such as a strict deadline for them to hand over the rent roll etc with consequences plainly stated. 

Maybe on your next project possibly set deadline dates in the contract between you and the GC.

I'd rather have a life that doesn't involve a rat, a wheel or deadlines and commutes.

I'm sure you learned quite a bit by jumping in and doing and to summarize, if using a GC, always run a check on their license number, always have a written contract, always have deadlines and draws determined, never pay ahead of the work completed, and time crunch or not, make sure the home is 100% ready for photos for listing, it makes a difference.