A buyer called in and asked about buying real estate short sales on the show that aired 9/6/09. The buyer lamented that it was taking a long time to get an answer back from the bank. Clark was very honest about short sales taking way too long to get approvals from the banks that hold the current mortgages. 

Clark suggested that buyers put in multiple offers on short sale homes in the hopes that maybe one will get approved. This sounds logical but is very problematic. In North and South Carolina and I'm sure many other states, making multiple offers means that you might be contractually obligated to buy several homes at once. 

In the Charlotte, North Carolina area, where I practice real estate, short sales can be an maze of complicated offers, conditions and restrictions. Short sales can take forever and are many times not fair to both buyers and sellers. It's a problem. But making more than one offer at the same time is a great way to lose your earnest money deposit and possibly end up in court. Judges in the Charlotte North Carolina area aren't too pleased with buyers trying to circumvent the short sale process.