I want to buy a foreclosure

Take Mr and Mrs Average, who drive around and find a nice house they both like. they call the number on the board outside and if they get through to a person, they are told its a foreclosure property or a short sale. After taking a look inside and deciding that they would like to buy it, they are then entering the snail paced procedure that is now common place for these type of homes. Three months later and with no word on whether the bank will accept their offer, Mr and Mrs Bored and Frustrated decide to forget about the Short but very Slow sale they had embarked upon.
So why does this all take so long? I don't have the answers so I am not about to come up with clever and sophisticated jargon, I am honestly asking the question?
I saw a house on the internet with a great asking price, huge property with the "cosmetics needed" banner. So I went to take a look. Indeed it needed cosmetics costing around $80,000 + depending on how particular you wanted to be. The realtor was nice and bubbly and told me this house was certainly appraised way over the true value, so the buyer could take his money and run at the re fi point. But, it was still a great deal. I made an offer $50,000 lower than the asking price and we performed the relevant paper tasks. That was in August 2008. Although the realtor has called me several times, she has had no answer from the bank. So, the house is still there, grass is higher and crispier, pool is greener and even more disgusting, and neighbors are complaining.
So why isn't someone somehow doing something to get these properties sold. I fully expected the bank to counter offer and I would have played ball, but alas, I am playing alone.
The realtors have no real budget to market their foreclosed homes and so they sit and become eyesores.
Can anyone tell me why ? Please?