Dan Ross

This is tricky. Derek has a valid point about being proactive. Without knowing where in the process the foreclosure is, its hard to give you a time line. You can check with your count court calendar and check to see the progress of the case. That should give you a sale date. You could also find the banks attorney info there. Call him/her and explain your situation and ask if you can get a status and likely sale date.
After the house is sold, if it sells at auction, it will be up to the buyer what happens next. They may choose to continue renting or they could choose to evict. I don't know what the local laws are for this, that'w where you attorney can best advise you on what a buyer could or couldn't do.
If it doesn't sell at auction, then it is up to the foreclosing bank to decide to rent or evict. Again, this is based on the local laws that pertain.
To summarize, find out what you can about the forclosure and the likely timing, as well as seeking legal advice on what your rights are when that process runs its course.
IAre you or your sister in a position to buy the main house and rent it out? It would be the best way to control the situation. - Mon Nov 17 2008, 13:10

The media is playing a large part of this, however that isn't the only reason. The current economic situation is causing a lot of instability in the job market as well. Many of the people that were about to buy have decided to wait until they see whether or not they still have a job when the dust settles. If you don't feel secure with your income, you are not going to make a commitment to paying a mortgage. I have several clients in this category. - Sun Nov 16 2008, 17:32

This is a common issue. One thing that works is to rent PODS for your things. You can pack up everything but the bare essentials the week the closing is scheduled and store them. Movers will also hold your things in storage as well (Pick up on Monday and deliver Saturday). Find out what the least notice you can give the mover, and schedule it as best as you can. - Fri Nov 14 2008, 06:53

What listing are you looking at? - Wed Nov 12 2008, 12:17

Regina,
So much depends on what is important to the seller. You need to have your Realtor negotiate for you and find out what might work for them. Sometimes being upfront with the seller you can find out their motivation and work out something mutually agreeable. You need an agent that can be creative and negotiate well. Once you understand what they are trying to accomplish, then you have the possibility of a mutually acceptable deal.
Is your house listed yet? Is it aggressively priced? Is it being marketed to sell quickly? If it's not even listed yet, you are in a much weaker position. What reason does the seller have to think you can sell your home quickly when many others can't? You have to show them how aggressive you are being to give them any comfort that they are not waiting in vain.
If you would like a Market ananlysis done, you can feel free to contact me. We can talk about what it will take to try to get your house sold in 30-45 days in the current market. - Thu Nov 6 2008, 12:13