Were you with someone and were the tenants items removed at the time?

My credit is fair so not thinking I can get a traditional loan. 

I like the concept @Christian Hutchinson  especially if you can use them in rougher areas were tenants are traditionally hard on properties.. these could literally be bullet proof .

Is there anyway to execute traditional financing ahead of the auction, or is a short sale or all cash my only option?  

All without cleaning a single item!

I am a single father and I know that working a traditional 40/40 I will never be able to provide my daughter the life I dream of for us both.  

But to me, they are better than a traditional loan because with a loan, you get the money, then pay it back... and then it is done and you have to repeat it all over again.With an equity line, it is like a credit card so to speak.

. $10 is not a sufficient financial interest in a $100,000 property, it would be for a $50.00 item, and this is dictated by what is acceptable. 

You can have a custodian for a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) roll your traditional IRA right over and you will avoid any tax implications.

If you are planning on investing from out of state I would definitely stay away from some of the traditionally tougher areas of the market...