If this is a rare mistake or if this type of mistake regularly occurs.

I have also sold properties subject to; but with safeguards in place so we had a path of problems occurred. 

You better reach out to them days before the auction and give them a simple choice: allow foreclosure sale  to occur or allow you to take it over from them, with equity justifying your purchase.    

How much pollution occured due to these fires ? 

These problems often occur in vacant homes due to lack of ventilation, climate control, and regular inspections.

I personally feel that it is a liability people could use as an excuse for an accident they have if they are drunk.

If you truly don’t want to be misjudged by accident.

It is up to the buyer to determine their own incentive and timeline, but if the agent feels like they are just wasting time and not going to get a transaction, the buyer is likely to be back-burnered since agents only get paid when a transaction occurs.

California does not have a law requiring deposits to be held separately (neither did Alabama when i had Alabama properties) and it seems like a significant hassle to address a virtually never occurring event (not having money to return deposit to the tenant). 

And it occurred to me that by purchasing this property I'll be increasing my monthly cashflow 25% going from 400/mo to 500/moOf course I'm not considering this in a vacuum, I have other factors to consider like appreciation, principle pay down, etc.