Questions abt a foreclosure auction in California

[Dan A.]

I'm interested in learning more about the foreclosure auction process for a specific property in California and had a few questions (well I have many, but I'll start with a few). Appreciate any responses.

Here's some basic info on the property:

Auction is Jan 2021

I estimate the property is worth ~$500k post-renovations

It is currently occupied

According to ServiceLink who is running the auction, there are two mortgages on the property - a negative amortization and a revolving credit line

The property was last sold for ~$400k in the early 2000s 

Here are a few of my questions:

According to RealtyTrac, the property has an estimated opening bid of ~$425K. In the description, it says that this is usually based on the remaining loan balanced owed to the lender. Where is RealtyTrac getting this number from? Is it accurate? And if it is, should I basically assume that the remaining loan balance is the floor on the auction price, because anything below that and the bank will simply purchase at that price? Assuming in this scenario that the bank thinks it can sell for ~$500k. 

There appear to be two liens on the property. How can I find out definitively which lien we are bidding on at the auction?

How can I determine the $ amount of unpaid property taxes?

The property is currently occupied. Is there any way to know if the property is tenant or owner occupied? 

[Darius Ogloza]

Property tax information is available from the county tax collector.  You usually just need the APN number (eight digits xxx-xxx-xx) in California.