Could This Be The End of Short Sales?

Keep your eyes on the news August 17th when the Treasury will be holding a hearing regarding the future plans for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It is rumored that the Obama administration is about to order the government-controlled lenders to forgive a portion of the mortgage debt for Americans who are underwater. If this were to happen, assumedly the short sale market would dry up and foreclosures would slow to a near stop. In theory, this would force the real estate market to regulate to a new normal. This could have a tremendous local impact considering the large percentage of short sales and foreclosures flooding the greater Stockton real estate market.