Hello.  My name is Jim and this is my first post on Bigger Pockets.  I'm a very minor (2 properties) real estate investor.  I've been a landlord since 2012 in the Austin area of Texas.

I've been looking into possibly participating in tax sales in my local county.  I am going to attend the next one simply to observe, get a feel for how high properties bid up, etc.  Now, I've done a lot of research, and I think I have a pretty good grasp on just about everything I can without actually jumping in and getting some experience. 

But there is one topic that I can't seem to find much information about, and that is what exactly happens after I've won a bid.  Now, don't misunderstand.  I understand the technical aspect of what happens: I receive a constable's deed and have (perhaps not clear) title to the house.  What I mean is what happens in a practical sense.

Texas is a tax deed state, with a 2 year redemption period for homestead and 1 year for non-homestead.  I'm assuming 99% of properties for auction are claimed as homestead.  So my questions involve how (or whether) I will able to physically gain control of the property while the former owner still has a right of redemption pending.

First question: will the old owner still be living there when I win the auction?  Am I responsible for evicting him or will the government have already done that for me?

Secondly, if he is still there, I'm thinking that there is almost zero chance of my successfully evicting him while he still has a redemption option in addition to disputing the validity of my title at all.  On the other hand, that would mean he could live rent-free in my house for 2 years, and that doesn't seem very likely either.  Will I be able to evict him?