I've only attended Dekalb's auction ... one of the close in metro Atlanta counties.  

The important points often glossed over are (1) is the buyer providing their personal guarantee to the seller for the note (2) is the seller maintaining a wrap position so they can foreclose in the event of default and gain ownership (3) is the buyer putting up additional collateral (4) how large is the down payment (5) what is the LTV (6) is this a personal residence for the seller or investment property (7) will the property cash flow and if so what will the cash flow be (8) is the property in a increasing, declining, or stabilized area (9) is the property being sold at market value, or above market value because of the low interest rate of the existing mortgage and (10) how experienced and what is the track record of the buyer, and is the buyer purchasing a property for investment or to live in or otherwise use.  

I don't know what to do to best protect myself, and one problem is I also don't know how likely these events are.

Hi Isaac,The best way is to attend local meetups and connect with people within the community.

Lots of things are going on in the world right now, to include Hurricane Milton and we keep those in Florida in our thoughts and prayers.From the previous month, below are some real estate updates, data points, and current events!

@Mike SmithyIts been a while since I was licensed in Texas, but I seem to recall that the landlord can only deduct actual financial loss, in the event of a premature vacancy.

Too many in your shoes focus all of their time and energy on preparing for the liability event and fail to address the items in their day to day business that can actually prevent liability exposure.

They also help point out small things I need to attend to without it being a paid guest complaining.

Joining local real estate investor meetups, networking, and attending REIAs can help.

REI Central is the most popular meetup, but there are several other that are worth attending as well.