Hi Michelle, it’s very common to be misled by RealtyTrac - see it here on Trulia just about every day. RealtyTrac is not a listing service. They post notices of foreclosure and default pulled from public records. Their postings are very misleading because the price shown is NOT representative of what the property will be when priced for sale. This property is not on the market yet, and when it is put up for sale it will very likely be listed on the MLS, not on RealtyTrac.

I’m not sure whether you have been formally Pre-Approved. As far as buying, this is your first step (not a pre-qualification, see:. http://www.Steven-Anthony.com/default.aspx?pp=39377 for the difference between the two) so you can be ready to act when you need to, or be aware of any issues that may prevent you from buying when you want to.

To avoid being "RealtyTracked" again, and assuming you would like to continue searching for a property on your own, do so via http://www.Realtor.com as they load ALL listings from ALL Assoc. of Realtors MLS systems automatically. Trulia is making strides to do this as well, but it will be some time before their feeds are comprehensive.

Best, -Steve