I'm not sure who's appraisal you are referring to. If it is an appraisal your or your loan officer are purchasing as part of a due diligence process for the purchase of a property, you should have access to the data within days, not weeks or months.

If you are waiting on an appraisal to be accepted by the bank holding the mortgage on the short sale side, you could wait a long time. I had an all cash short sale that took 4 months to close. It all depends on the processor at the bank and how backlogged they are.

If you need to close on a timeline, don't try and do it with a short sale or foreclosure. There is a high risk for delays. If it is a great deal and you can be patient, keep checking in, make sure all of the paperwork is complete and accurate, but be prepared for delays.