I am looking to purchase a home through auction for my family and I and the details are as follows:Wells holds the lien and there are no junior or other outstanding liens.It was established in 2011 at 175k and the property owner stopped paying over the summer so I think it's in the 161k range for what's left on the mortgage.In talking to Wells they said that they were not listing the property for auction but the owner was... yet Auction.com lists this as a foreclosure property.My father would partner with me on the cash for this deal until I can grab my traditional financing but he is worried about being on the hook for more than we expect.If I have checked with my recorder of deeds for any extra liens or overdue taxes, sewer bills, etc, can I be on the hook for anything more than my bid price if I win? 

There's no real expeditors in CA, someone could pull permits for you but with CA's turn around time, you're still looking at a lengthy wait time.

I know short sales can be a lengthy process and can come with issues.

If they deny access, call the police.They may be lazy and unclean tenants, but you seem aware of this for a lengthy time period and allowed it to continue. 

It has no flooring, no appliances, kitchen needs to be done over due to miss-matching cabinets...the list goes on. 

As there is an additional approval needed via the court, have you found them to be a much more lengthy process or is it more of just a slight hiccup? 

If this is the case, an administrator of the Decedent's estate may be appointed who will either be acting as the fiduciary of a Decedent's intestate estate or acting pursuant to a will for which no living person was qualified or willing to act.In many jurisdictions an informal summary probate is possible for a simple, low value estate that us uncontested which eliminates some of the lengthy delays of a full probate. 

Its long overdue for me to begin networking and participating in the community but better late than never.

How would your relationship with your relatives be when you had to evict them because they didn't pay you their rent and your mortgage payment is due/overdue?  

Active eruptions and earthquakes are changing pressures on areas which have not seen "major" seismic activity in so long they are overdue, some by decades, some by centuries or even millennia.