BEST ANSWER
Agents can also get you this information off the tools the NWMLS offers (Realist). As long as you have the address that only takes a second. The thing is, I don't think an agent would just hand over that information to you (nor should they) because of safety/privacy concerns. You're probably a nice person, but an agent wouldn't know that for sure. Therefore, the agent would want to contact the owner directly on your behalf (it wouldn't just be a ploy to represent you--the safety concern is legitimate).
Once you or the agent knows the name of the owner, foreclosure information is available off the King County Recorder's site. You can Google those words to find it or just about any other major county in Washington.
Note, however, that the owner's address might not be updated, so it might not get you the information you're seeking. If there's a forwarding order with the USPS, however, the agent's letter should be forwarded.
Sat Oct 18 2008, 08:02