As property values continue to head south, many people are finding themselves upside-down on home loans and possibly facing foreclosure. A "short sale" can provide an alternative to foreclosure if you're able to negotiate a deal with your mortgage lender to take less than you owe on the loan and consider the mortgage paid in full. Say you owe $400,000, but you can sell your house for $300,000. If the lender allows you to sell and satisfy the loan, you've sold your house short.