Service dogs cost up to $25,000 but emotional support animals could be any type of animal with zero training, which is typically the case.

The bank might not even know the seller has moved out.This alone can kill a short sale approval depending on loan type.From my experience listing short sales years ago in the beginning the seller is all for it.Once the bank probes them and pokes them for more and more documents etc. the seller wears down.If the seller moves out they have almost 100% guaranteed emotionally moved on.If you have cash you CAN approach the bank to buy the note for a discount.You would need to know foreclosure laws for your state for the costs involved to foreclose among other things.It sounds like you are a regular home purchaser and you need to look at other properties.

(sorry there weren't any ducks, just chicken emotes)

@Sean Treston ...Step#1 Rid yourself of emotion, j/k (sort of)You seem to have the administrative side of things figured out.

(Most often a cell phone)The thought process is that owners have a more emotional response to a tenant default then a management co, and at the height of his/her agrivation gets a call from our appt setter saying that they work for a company that buys rentals that would be interested in their property allowing them to sell and maintain cashflow without having to deal with toilets and tenants.We had a tremendous response of owners that were willing to sell with terms.

I am not arguing against your strategy, but this is really more of an emotional argument rather than financial.

The issue is emotion.

I would not bother to meet a kook who wants to waste my time converting their ghost story, into a hardship story, into some social and emotional guilt trip.

Wanting to sue you sounds more like an emotional reaction to what they felt they should have done but didn't have the commitment to completing.

By vacating the property you're allowing yourself to move on and detach emotionally from the property which will be the hardest thing to do considering you've been there for so long.