How long do I have to wait to get a mortgage after a bankruptcy or foreclosure?

If you haven't watched The Big Short yet, I would highly recommend it.  It has an A+ cast, it is super witty, funny, and educational; it will shed some light on the events leading up to the real estate crashes a lot of us experienced between 2007 and 2011... some might even be feeling the effects still to this day. 

The market crash cornered many people into making tough decisions, because the options were limited:  foreclosure, short sale, bankruptcy, loan modification, etc... which are not very happy words in the mortgage and real estate industry.  

This isn't the main reason for recent foreclosures and bankruptcies, but it has been a familiar story as of late.  There is hope for a new mortgage, if you have experienced one of these events.