IRS liens, municipal liens, utility liens also transfer to the high bidder.I'd contact the owner and see if a pre-auction deal can be struck, which would eliminate the auction competition. 

Percent put your old home into an investment loan utilizing a DSCR loan.

Your agents will have to work closely with you to make sure no guests are interupted but the buyer has access to the home and you close on a date with no guests that day and the following few days while they go in and take inventory, set up utilities etc. 

Why did you get into that and are there any tips or tricks you utilize?

welcome to bp, your sentiment around leverage is 100% correct, and I'd challenge you to follow your own advice and use that leverage to put as little as possible into the real estate rather than the coveted "pay cash for it" or while one can pay cash, utilizing your w2 to refinance is a unique skill and ability you can have.house hacking in the mid west is where its at for sure.

Hypothetically if I win a bid, then would I be able to utilize a HML for any possible repairs now that they'd have access to inside the property?

I have utilized bridge funding in situations where the banks have fallen through, however portfolio lenders are the go to for sure. 

Attic insulation is one of those things that I am not sure how much practical effect there is, I only add attic insulation whenever the government subsidizes the cost, and after it's done I don't see any cost saving in my utilities bills (student rentals). 

Hey there,I'm interested in utilizing private money lending for financing while I save up to use my own capital along with Hard Money Lending.

Keep in mind you likely utilized the PAR agreement since it was a PA transaction which has a  default arbitration requirement  that's rarely stricken from the agreements.