Also for someone only looking for 10 deals a year would you think that the money would be better spent learning about auctions and other ways to buy off-market homes?

I found and bought a foreclosure at auction a few months after, a much nicer and larger house that I wanted to move to.

Did you buy as a foreclosure or before it went to auction? 

My uncle who lives in nearby Jonestown has been doing real estate in the area since the early 1980s and has about 20 SFH left in Austin that he bought in various auctions back in the day for $30 to $50K that are now $750K plus.

Just got turned onto this...
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A house has came up on a local auctioneers page that I am interested in purchasing.

If it's a senior lien foreclosing and you can see the recorded foreclosure action it typically states what was owed at the time of recording and then you can see what it sold for at auction which is a solid way to estimate.

I've already purchased a lot of chairs, side tables, writing tables, and 12 mirrors from the historic Waldorf Hotel Auctions in MA.  

I have never attended an auction before but I would like to, seems very possible to find a good deal.

If a judicial foreclosure. the Final Judgment filing (30-45 days before the auction) will have an exact amount.