In order to successfully make a short sale, there must be a buyer involved. The short sale offer is the amount suggested to the lender and buyer at which the house would be sold through short sale. The seller must also find a buyer to accept the short sale offer. When the offer is put forward to the lender, it usually must meet certain requirements. First, it is normally required that the person requesting a short sale has already missed at least a few payments. In addition, some lenders may require that a notice of default has been issued. Another standard requirement is that the seller finds a buyer. Without a person to accept the short sale offer and buy the property, the lender is not ensured to be provided with the money, and would therefore be at a loss if a buyer cannot be found.