In our area, there is a very specific procedure that must be followed. The lending institution doesn't just "repo" property. The first thing that happens is the lender pursues foreclosure and goes thru the court sytem to obtain a judgement. Note that a judgement is a financial amount that the court has awarded the lender. The property is then listed for auction by the county sheriff's department. If you are the high bidder, your funds will be used to pay the auctioneer fee, then the county, the lender, and any remaining funds will be distributed to the current owner. The successful bidder will receive title to the property and will be responsible for any liens or taxes that may be due.
Here, the successful bidder is almost always the financial institution that holds the judgement. They have a representative at the auction that will be prepared to bid up to their judgement amount. Most other bidders will not be willing to pay what will be required to "beat the bank". This is how the lending firm gains title to the property. Once they have title, then they attempt to sell it using conventional methods.
If you really want a property, once it has been foreclosed on, contact the asset recovery division of the financial institution. Negotiate what it would take to purchase their "financial interest" in the property. Then, when you go to the auction, you bid just like the bank would. Whatever amount you bid, it will all come right back to you (minus the auctioneer fee). If someone want to outbid you and is willing to pay significantly more that it cost you to purchase the "financial interest", then you can let it go to the other bidder and make an immediate profit without ever lifting the first trash can. There are also some techniques to get the property on the books for an inflated value (think depreciation and future sale price) by doing this.