And as @Jay Hinrichs mentions, in some states the borrower can reinstate and you become the owner of a paying (or in many cases, a non-paying note again) and you need to start the foreclosure process all over again.It sounds like you may have a tape from Kondaur, they are notorious for taking their loans right up to the foreclosure then dispose of them. 

I also have a primary residence with nearly a JUMBO loan at a high interest rate and I own a vacation place in cash (small trailer not worth much money but i also own the land) in a different state that I pay RE taxes on. 

The sooner you buy, the sooner you start having someone else pay your mortgage.

By having more tenants there are more eyes to watch for issues that may pop up, more people paying rent, and if you have one of the units vacant for a bit, it will not hurt the bank as bad as it would if you only have two tenants in the building and one of them left.   

Make sure you don't get talked out of things conditions (ie inspection and financing-unless you are paying cash or know enough to do the inspection yourself).

In our case we had to pay approximately 90% of what the appraised value was.

Like many, you can use a HELOC in the US but, for an investor, that's the same as paying cash.2.

They are brutal in all of South Carolina, but specifically in Columbia.A $1,000,000 investment property would be paying over $28,000 year just in property taxes.#1 tip I'd give if you're buying existing (or building) is to call the assessor and ask specifically what the new assessment will be after improvements.

Or am I paying for 12 months of interest?

This can be in the form of cash, paying their agent fee, part of their moving costs, etc.Remember, the goal here is to end the lease peacefully and legally, respecting both your rights and those of your tenants.