Maria Morton's Q&A

Most lenders are going to want a 2 year wait after a short sale before taking a chance on lending money for another mortgage. I have heard of lenders who will agree to a mortgage sooner but you will have to check with your local lenders to find out what can be done in your area.

If you want the Active comparables, you can drive the neighborhood to find those. (Provided signs are allowed in that neighborhood.) If you want the Sold comparables, you can get that from your County Recorder. Or, you could get both plus expireds, pendings, withdrawns, etc from a local real estate agent.

hoops, you don't have to be a US citizen to buy a house in this country.

Here's a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Frank_Lloyd_Wright_worksIt is probably not a full list and you will have to do some more research in each city to see about buying them but it's a start. Good luck!

I have an insurance agent who does nearly all of my investor's properties - many are LLC's - all are cash purchases. Ask your real estate agent which insurance company / agent they recommend in your area.

To determine the value of a home, look at what comparable homes have sold for recently. What the seller will accept is another matter entirely. See Dan's answer below. Your agent can help you determine how much the house is worth and plan your negotiating strategy.

The lender will dictate how much the seller can contribute towards the buyer's closing costs.

Very difficult. If you can find out who the Executor is, you can sometimes approach them directly with an offer. You could ask a local agent to see what they can find out. They may or may not be willing to spend the time doing so; they may or may not be able to get more information. You can also try registering with the local auction houses so that you would be alerted if the house went to auction.

Try a local map maker for the best maps. Or, the postal service sometimes has maps available showing the zip code boundaries. That wouldn't be in list format.

In Kansas City, to be considered a bedroom, a room must have a door and a closet. It also must have access to a bathroom without going outside and be above grade or in a walk-out basement or have egress according to code.