duration of time of sales/purchase transaction ?

[Darren Dennis]

I've very new to real estate.  Watching all these programs on television about buying/selling/rehab/etc, i've always wondered....  approximately how long does it take from the time an offer is accepted to closing and does it matter where in the country or where in the world the transaction takes place?  I understand that this varies from property type to property type, type of transaction (all cash vs mortgage vs other), speed of title insurance company and other variables that a newbie such as myself may not be able to think of yet.  Given everything equal or mostly equal, are there certain areas of the country or types of properties that make transactions quicker than others?