Go to open houses that are flips, look at finishes, look up public records or on RE websites like Zillow to see how much they paid and what they're selling for. 

Probate files are public record that can be viewed at your county courthouse, Link.

Again, I am not sure about the laws in Maryland, but they usually have to notify the public 30 days in advance of a sale, so that should give you some sort of a timeline.

Kristen : It is somewhat amazing when you are dealing with the public .

And when it comes to getting ownership of the property, it's only after going through many steps - publication notices, court hearings, etc.There are opportunities, but you need to know the rules. 

Very near public transportation.The owners are delinquent on taxes since 2012, though the total amount is less than $1000.Anyway, I have never had experience with dealing with this sort of thing.

Investopedia does a good job of explaining the term sheriff's sale:"A term used to refer to distressed public property auctions.

Finally he sent me a listing that his boss had in escrow and backed out of it this property wasn't even listed on the MLS and went pending prior to publication.

The public records show it listed as a 3 Unit apartment not a 6 unit place, so what kind of a headache could that cause me if I went ahead with this?

;-)Nice write-up, Engelo, though I never fancied you as the shy type.haha Roy,Walkabout Creek lolPublic speaking was a ear that I carried for quite a while.I still freak out a bit before I speak in public lollolThanks and have a great day.