BEST ANSWER
As you and others note, you really have to ask an accountant. However:
You would have an INCOME of $45.000 on the condo--the amount of debt forgiven by the bank. Then, depending on your tax bracket, you'd owe income tax on that amount--possibly from $5,000 to $10,000 or more. (Your tax bracket times that amount of income.)
Further, as with all short sales, you wouldn't receive a penny.
On top of that, you have to demonstrate "hardship" of some sort to do a short sale. Maybe a job loss. Maybe illness. You'd have a difficult time saying to a lender: "I'd like to do a short sale. There's nothing really wrong with my situation, except my condo's lost a lot of its value." In that case, you'd be likely to be facing foreclosure, not a short sale.
And the math is just bad. You put $65,000 down on a $185,000 purchase. Why so much? And you'd be throwing it all away. Look into other options, such as renting the condo out. And absolutely talk to an accountant.
Sat Oct 31 2009, 07:30