How do you find short sales?

[Pat]

How can you find short sales in your area without going through a Realtor. I drove through my neighborhood today and wrote down houses for sale, how can I find out if they are short sales?

[acermill]

You can't find out unless the seller (or their real estate agent, if allowed) tells you that it's a short sale. There are no public records which indicate that a house is being sold for less than is owed on it.

Either call a Realtor, or don't find out.