@Mark Adler  buying a property at an auction and expecting to get a loan before you are required to close is a train wreck waiting to happen.

This guy is a total train wreck.   

When I see these $240k foreclosures it isn't hard to see that certain types of people at every income level will wreck a house given the chance.Cheap houses isn't the only answer but to me the middle-priced stuff is the worst of all worlds.

One bad tenant, one nightmare move out, can wreck your whole year if you only have one.

IE your in a wreck turn it in and your rate goes up... this is what insurance is for.. makes no sense to have it then when you need it your afraid to use it.that's my take on it..insurance is a racket in the home building side.. we have a 1 million dollar 10 year policy that cost me up front 30k.. and this is just for INCASE someone sues me in the next 10 years.. it will pay my legal bills..

There are a few exceptions I've had to this generalization, but the overwhelming majority are on a continuum as described above.My belief is that well-managed, cash flowing properties are seldom put up for sale, so my assumption is with each purchase I'm stepping into someone else's train wreck.  

Don't want to do a short sale and wreck my credit either.Any thoughts and suggestions?  

Divorces wreck credit all the time. 

And i have to hope and pray they dont wreck the place.

Do you want someone who isn't qualified to the same standard interpreting your MRI or doing trauma surgery on your sister who got into a car wreck?