Special Bulletin – a few things you should watch/ read if you want to stay relevant.

If you’ve been following only the headlines, you’re missing what’s happening underneath the surface. The latest foreclosure data, rising mortgage delinquencies, affordability challenges, and changing lender strategies are quietly reshaping the opportunities available to agents, brokers, lenders, investors, and servicers.

Here are a few things I think every real estate professional should take a few minutes to review.

The First Half of 2026 Confirms the Trend

Six months of foreclosure data are now telling a very consistent story.

Compared to the first half of 2025:

  • Foreclosure activity is up 21%
  • Foreclosure starts are up 18%
  • Completed foreclosures (REO) are up 33%

June filings dipped slightly from May, but that’s exactly what we typically expect during the summer as lenders, servicers, law firms, courts, and asset managers slow during vacation season. We’ve seen this seasonal pattern for years.

The bigger story isn’t one month’s numbers.

It’s the direction of the market.

Financial pressures continue building across the country:

  • Higher insurance premiums
  • Rising property taxes
  • HOA increases
  • Mortgage payment resets
  • Failed loan modifications
  • Consumer debt
  • Student loan repayment
  • Continuing affordability challenges

These trends aren’t just creating more foreclosures. They’re driving higher mortgage delinquencies, more loss mitigation activity, more short sales, coordinated sales, and eventually more REO inventory.

The professionals preparing today will be the ones leading this market over the next several years.

New Debt Doctor Podcast

Michael Krein, NRBA President, and Author / Trainer for Certified Short Sale Experts recently joined Bill Bymel on the Debt Doctor Podcast for one of the most in-depth conversations I’ve had this year about where today’s housing market is really headed.

We discuss topics including:

  • Why foreclosure filings are climbing
  • Why government intervention has prevented even larger numbers
  • Nearly 4 million homeowners who are now effectively underwater
  • Why lenders increasingly prefer short sales over foreclosure
  • The growing pressure from taxes, insurance, inflation, and affordability
  • Challenges facing fix-and-flip investors
  • Risks developing in DSCR and private lending
  • Why the next distressed market will look very different than 2008

Whether you agree with his outlook or not, we think you’ll walk away with a better understanding of where the market is heading – and how to better position your business before everyone else catches up.

Watch the podcast here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjHLNrESyfs

New HousingWire Article

HousingWire recently published Krein’s latest article discussing what is believed is one of the biggest missed opportunities in today’s market.

SHORT SALES ARE BECOMING ONE OF THE BEST SOURCES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS.

Many agents still avoid short sales because they’re relying on what the process looked like fifteen years ago.

Today’s reality is very different.

Lender systems have become more standardized, documentation is handled electronically, communication has improved significantly, and most delays now stem from incomplete listing packages – not lender decisions.

As distressed inventory grows, agents who understand short sales will have access to opportunities that many of their competitors simply overlook.

Read the HousingWire article here:

https://www.housingwire.com/articles/short-sale-timelines-improving/

Be Ready Before Everyone Else

Changin markets create amazing opportunities for professionals who prepare before the rest of the industry.

That’s exactly why we created the Certified Short Sale Expert (CSSE) designation.

The program teaches the current short sale process, lender requirements, documentation, negotiations, fraud prevention, marketing strategies, and how to build a profitable short sale business before distressed inventory becomes mainstream again.

Don’t wait until everyone figures this out.

If you haven’t yet taken this necessary step – here is your chance to position yourself now.

Use Discount Code: SUMMER100 

Save $100 on your Certified Short Sale Expert enrollment for a limited time.

The next wave of business won’t look exactly like 2008 – but those who understand distressed real estate will be in the best position to help homeowners, get correctly priced listings, generate more buyers, and rapidly grow their businesses.

We hope you’ll take a few minutes to review these resources. I think you’ll find them both informative and practical as you plan for what’s ahead.

The Certified Short Sale Experts Team