This happens all the time. The ultimate buyer doesn’t have the highest purchase offer (to the lender) but offers to “buy the furniture” of the seller in order get chosen as the buyer (by the seller) for the transaction. Of course, this is nothing more than a disguised payment to the seller.
Generally, so long as the purchase offer is anywhere above the broker price opinion (and theoretically the list price), the lender is none the wiser and will accept the offer presented.
Ethical? Of course not. But it happens a lot. And it’s difficult to police because, hey, what is the furniture really worth? Who’s to say…
If you try to take the high road in buying a foreclosure or short-sale at a really good price you won’t encounter much traffic.
