As of today there are 85 homes for sale in Woodland listed as short sales.  A short sale is when the seller owes more on the house than what it will sell for.  In order for a seller to "sell short" the mortgage holder(s) must approve the sale and agree to accept less than what is owed on the property.

Since there is never a guarantee of what a home will sell for until there is a contract - most banks will not even look at a seller's package until there is an offer in place.  Banks are also overwhelmed with the volume of home owners who are looking to complete a short sale and the process of reviewing files can take some time. 

A better metric as a buyer is to see if the seller is working with a short sale negotiator - they work on behalf of the seller to negotiate directly with the bank - leaving the listing agent to do what they do best - market the property and work directly with the seller. 

There are some bargains out there for patient buyers - but the key is PATIENCE.  Search Short Sales in Woodland to look specificially for homes listed in MLS as a short sale.  You can also search all homes for sale in Woodland, CA on my website.