Please for the sake of the light heartedness don't come in here saying you just want to take care of your family or replace your income and that's enough or that you reinvested cause that's smart.

If its an occupied foreclosure where the bank "knows nothing" and there are "no interior inspections - do not disturb tenants", at least visually inspect the exterior for signs of deferred maintenance and look for signs of occupancy like an empty mailbox @7pm, lights on, car tracks in snow, prior to making your offer. 

Any general warnings/things to look out for if bidding (i.e. lien issues, scams, etc)?

New flooring throughout, 2 completely redone bathrooms, took down walls to open the place up a bit, new doors, fresh paint, some crown, lots of patching, light kitchen remodel that include granite tops and an island with concrete top, new dishwasher and range, new HVAC units, moved some electrical around, new garage door, some fresh landscaping, added a fire pit, and gave the porch a facelift with some new posts.

Can someone shed light on this?

Great advice Mike, also a great warning for a lot of us who don't hear from our renters unless there is a leak and just see the checks every month, it is really good to schedule periodic checks on critical maintenance.

@Luke Elliott Schneider $1000/yr seems a little light for R&M.

So, in my case, if the president of the bank can't answer my questions, my broker's questions, or even my attorney's questions and I'm warned by people around me that do it for a living it's a no go for me.

Add a petting zoo and tractor rides with a corn maze at Halloween, a Christmas light show, barbeque/beer/concerts a few weekends during the summer, car cruise, motorcycle rally, and some functions that honor veterans.

I send him a text every month on the 1st to pay on time or he has to pay a $50 late fee, which of course he never does, so I roll over and add the late fees to the next month and he'll eventually pay the total late fee.In the meantime, should I give him a warning and discuss with him what happened?