Every file is different, but because of technology and more aggressive lender policies, most short sales today are approved much faster than they were during the last housing downturn.

Typical timelines are:

3 to 6 weeks

for lender review and approval

15 to 20 days

to close after approval

Some files move faster. Some take longer.

Much depends on how complete the short sale package is and how quickly the lender completes its review.