Remember, you do not pay capital gains taxes on the sale, you only pay taxes on the gain, if any (if you have a loss, you don't get any deduction since it was your residence). 

We still have room to grow.

Why not start small - buy some rural vacant land for $500, sell for $1500 and keep growing your acquisition balance to where you are comfortable enough to make some other decisions?

I think at this point, it's something that I am going to have to do if I want to continue to grow.  

Typically the foreclosing lender will be the amount of the outstanding balance, but they could bid more...for all kinds of different reasons.Go to the sale...see the trustees....talk to them...watch others bid....see what the amounts are...Remember typically there will be no financing......typically you will need cashiers checks on you or go get one nearby by a certain time.  

That would be a wise route, and would allow you to grow your bottom line quickly through the power of leverage.

Just remember that they have a history with the seller and they were the ones that originally employed them so there is no one advocating or working on your behalf... 

I remember thinking how I always felt like I was always a day late on all of the houses that I originally started looking at when I began. 

The last post I remember reading about in the L.A area was also one in East L.A .

I am a partner and co-founder of Blackworth Capital, a company that focuses on purchasing real estate through out Florida, and am interested in growing my business into Atlanta.