I am interested in purchasing a house at a tax defaulted property auction and had a few questions.  1)  In California the previous owner has up to a year to protest the auction.  

My visits in San Francisco and Washington DC last year have definitley opened my eyes to what expensive real estate can look like, even smaller homes that are far from luxurious.

What are you doing in California with the cheapest property value being almost $300k-$500k to produce enough income to put down 20%?

There is a property in Modesto, Ca that we are interested in putting under contract with the purpose of flipping the property. 

She didn't mention at the time that it is for the military service, I just put the two together after I made the first post, so maybe her "attorney Grandmother" meant it in that regard, that she ca give notice due to active service duty, which does make sense as pointed out by @Aaron Hunt Thanks again for all the feedback.

I am a high school special education teacher in San Marcos, California. 

In California only month to month leases can be verbal.

I have been turned down by BofA, citing high DTI (90%?). One of the reasons is I claimed losses on my 2 rentals. Any other ideas I can pull money out from my primary? 

The triplex was actually one from a house he owned in California.

But if I could write off my travelling as business expenses while visiting family in the States, I'd be interested in the Boise to Twin Falls area in Idaho, Pittsburgh and the southern cities in Pennsylvania, and Springfield and the northern cities of Illinois.