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Yes. Be prepared for a lot of intervention by the lender with whom the negotiating is taking place, however. One of these transactions that I did required a proposed HUD to show the seller was not getting any money a few days in advance of closing but also before the offer was accepted. The lender is taking a loss, so they want to be sure the borrower/seller is not profiting at all from the sale. A copy of the appraisal will be required in many cases. The lender wants to be sure that the seller isn’t giving it away or using a straw buyer to allow the seller to remain in the home with a smaller obligation.
Using a buyer broker as your Realtor is a very good idea in this instance. A lot of legwork can be done in order to make a very rough transaction go smoother. Sometimes there could be repairs needed. Do not expect the seller to do them or the lender. You can look at an FHA Streamline rehab loan, though. And that might be worth considering in any event.
Some properties are problem children. One property that I know of in NH has had 2 FHA defaults by 2 different borrowers. FHA will not insure it again. It is still on the market. You can go to www.homesales.gov each Friday to see listings in your area of FHA foreclosures, too, which is an alternative to the short sale. It is a free site.
Can a buyer with an FHA loan have the option to purchase under a short sale?