Title search before bidding or after getting into contract?

[Steve Buchanan]

I want to start bidding on REO's on websites like homesearch.com, auction.com, hubzu etc. and have done a fair amount of research on BP regarding peoples' experiences on these sites. Pretty much everyone recommends having a title search run on any property you are prepared to buy on one of these sites.

My question is should this title search be done before bidding or can it be done once a bid is accepted or I'm in contract? I understand that an O&E title search can be done for around $100 but spending that much on every house I potentially would bid on would add up quickly. Can I just wait till a bid is accepted and run it then?