Good luck Dave and you should be able to find a great home. The price range you are looking in tends to be pretty competitive for nice well priced homes no matter what the situation. However, the market seems to be slowing down a bit because of the seasonality at play which you can use to your advantage.
Short sales dont require cash and financing is just fine. They require a qualified buyer working with a good agent both of whom have the staying power to make the deal happen.
Removing contingencies isnt necessarily required or even helpful. Every case is different. For a super hot listing it may help but otherwise you are giving away something you dont need to.
Time frames are all over the place and depend upon the lender and the specific situation. If you gave me specifics I could tell you how it would go with pretty precise accuracy as I have been involved in close to 100 short sales.
Asking prices are all over the board. Dont depend on asking prices, make sure you or whomever you are working with knows the market.
The best source of information is straight from the MLS. Find yourself good help and have them set you up on automatic email feeds form the MLS.
Hope that helps. If you have more specific questions you dont want to put on the forum just send a PM.
