A Realtor is definately a good starting point. I am not just saying this because I happen to be one. Not only do we have the most comprehensive database, but we have more search flexibility than any consumer facing sites I am aware of.

The short sale/foreclosure/bank owned market is a quirky one, but also one full of opportunity. get the help of a professional to assist you in navigating the process and helping establish expectations. Often times, the key to success in a foreclosure situation is the ability to simply wait. This may mean months of waiting, depending on the scenario, but your patience may mean a big savings at the end of the day.

An expercienced Realtor can certainly help you with that! There are some keywords that we can use in a search to identify which homes are facing foreclosure (possible a short-sale situation) as well as homes that have already been foreclused upon by the bank and are bank-owned.