Now it's a regulatory business.

There's no trim and the "sill" is the 3" plaster ledge set-back from the wall.

I've seen lots in Santa Fe where a long lot was divided and has a driveway running along one edge to serve all the small lots.Ask about setbacks, too.

It is not that type of bank.International banks who do lend likely do so through local entities that have a license or other regulatory authority to lend in Dubai.

Question 2: How long is a lender allowed to hold onto a property before it becomes a regulatory problem and they are truly forced to clear it from the books?

It does happen, but I've been using nothing but DIGITAL automatic set-backs for the last 15 years or more.Check with your community college and see if something similar is offerred.

It is mostly regulatory pressure that clears REOs.The level of deals varies by markets.

Ask lots of questions about whats allowed and whats not, and what you have to do.There may be some lot size, setback requirements, or something else that drives the minimum size.

If you have completed any amount of short sales you do upfront work first to not waste time.Never take what a seller says at face value.They will tell you anything to try and get help to solve a problem but the issue is they don't know they are hurting instead of helping.The problem with sellers is at first they are motivated to do a short sale.Then as time goes on and credit is ruined and they have moved out they become emotionally detached from the property.The buyer have unrealistic time lines to close for a short sale.You need to know if your market is declining,flat,or appreciating every month.If it's appreciating or flat the benefit is to the buyer.If it is declining the benefit is to the bank because by the time it close it might have lost 5 to 10 percent of value from the contract price.Your bank actually moved pretty quick with the short sale compared to some others.A buyer and a seller need to understand it could take 3 to 6 months or longer to do a short sale.A friend of mine that is another broker in Florida has completed over 800 short sales.He is a master at them.I did residential for a few years but then moved to commercial so I haven't kept up with all the regulatory junk on the residential side.He does all residential and does not take the short sale unless the seller agrees to certain conditions from the beginning.

Some tenants are good people but just had a tough set back.