Most localities require some public advertising of a sheriff's sale, and so you can mine the newspaper's website or city clerk's data/recorder data (usually at least some of it is available on the internet for free) to narrow your search.

While schools can be VERY important if your property is family oriented (3+ bedrooms, large yard, etc), it can be far less important if your house is in a retirement community, is a studio or a 1 bedroom, is a trendy "tiny house", is in a work/live space, is right downtown and close to night-life or is otherwise more geared to those without children or who are "pre-child" or "post-child".I have many friends who are either empty-nesters or who are middle-aged and childless that just love finding funky houses, close to the stuff they think is cool and who never even know where the nearest school is, much less know or care how they perform.

In Georgia - we are not a judicial state- it is 4 weeks of advertising, and off to the steps.

however there is for certain a direct correlation between blue sky proforma's  IE rates of return advertised by sellers and quality of neighborhoods....

This is general information; not advertising, solicitation, or legal advice.

NOTE: I would only do this if the home is being foreclosed on by a local bank...the major banks are a little more strict with who they choose to let play.The good part about following the foreclosure process is that in the end you might be able to catch the property before the local bank lists it with an REO agent.That means that you get in touch with them before anyone else even knows that the property is going into REO...The bank has not listed it on the MLS or began advertising which means you have a chance to take the bad loan off of their books early...which they will LOVE!

They normally don't have a for sale sign in the yard, and they aren't advertising the property in any way.

One of the strategies to to price way below market to get attention, and advertise Wed thru Sunday.

Seriously I'm not advertising for them but I love this stuff.

Most that I have seen are masters at advertising/marketing and building networks, not real estate.That's my last rant on gurus, really.