Foreclosure Auction Strategies and Title research

[Yoni R.]

I am setting up my strategy for buying foreclosure auctions and wanted to get some advice from the pros here. When bidding on an auction will you pay for a title search prior to the auction or do you do your own research and then just risk it? After winning an auction do you then pay for a title search and risk defaulting on your 5% deposit if something bad comes up in the title search?

What tools do you use for research and in what order do you do this? Is there a specific website that I should be using for research? Should I drive down to the city hall? Call the HOA? What title searches can a title company/lawyer do that I can't do? Do they have access to something I don't?

Thanks,

Yoni