@Eileen L.Generally it's right if you can grow you income or equity by moving into a different asset type.

Our current housing situation is that we are house hacking by house-sitting for our snowbird mom (so we basically have no housing payments), and we are looking to stay that way until we have to move (5-10 years?).

These sellers typically want a fast sale to move on with their lives and avoid ongoing conflicts.Relocating SellersPeople who need to relocate for a new job, military deployment, or other personal reasons often seek a quick sale to avoid the burden of managing a long-distance property.Inherited PropertiesHeirs who inherit a property they don't want to maintain or manage may be eager to sell quickly.

Can anyone give me some pointers and tips on how to know the where and whens of the auctions being held in a particular county or area?

Population is growing aggressively and jobs are moving here especially with major employers like Intel, Google, Amazon, Nationwide, etc.

I would also not keep the cameras when a tenant moves in, not sure if that's allowed but even if it is that would be weird and scare off people.

A smaller home can offer a lower price point and the ability to renovate so that you can rent it out in as little as 6-12 months.If you buy as a primary you can put as little as 5% down since rates right now are still high 20% is not going to move the rate that much since PMI helps get a lower rate.

However, as a millennial with only 80k in income actually moving into the property and claiming NY residence would have been financial suicide.  

I did not want to move or sell anytime soon but fear that this option has been taken away from me.

I sent an email, but it came back as undeliverable.Is this a red flag, and should I move on to other applicants?