Another thread of "I don't know what to look for".
Ok, OP, let's go back to basics.
Historically, most homes are fixed up for sale. Things like plumbing and painting are done by the seller. Why? Because instead of you coming in with extra cash for repairs, the cost of repairs is built into the sales price.
So, if you have carpentry, electrical, plumbing, roofing, drywall, tile laying, and painting skills, you can consider a fixer-upper. A foreclosed home is a fixer-upper because the usual repairs done before sale will not be done.
In most states, the seller has to disclose the known and hidden defects in the property. When a bank has foreclosed, it has not personal knowledge of hidden defects.
This shouldn't be a problem if you PAY a LICENSED CONTRACTOR, and not an inspection service to accompany you to inspect the home. Your laborer brother-in-law, the home inspection service (with the nearly non-existent warranty), and your agent (who wants to make a sale and collect a commission) do not qualify as a licensed contractor.
So far, nothing that I have written should come as a surprise. If it doesn't, then you need to find a broker who will educate you.
The real questions are: 1. can bankers be asshats;, 2. will there be delays beyond a normal sale; 3. will the banks be eager to dump property?
1. bankers can be asshats, just like other people.
2. yes, there will be delays unless you come in with all cash;
3. no, the banks are not eager to dump. Why? Because, selling means taking losses on the books. It means loaning less in the future and having to put up more cash reserves under the federal insurance programs for accounts. The banks had the government change the valuation of homes on their books to current value from historical value until the market tanked. Now, the banks are back on the historical acquisition costs. The problem is that virtually every loan made since about 2004 will reflect a loss on the original loan, particularly if there is a foreclosure.
So now, the repetitive question of "I don't know anything, but I want to buy a foreclosure" is answered.
I had a client who had a terrible real property problem. He decided to buy a fixer upper and save money. Of course, he had no background in construction or any trades. Disaster, of course. Or the dress salesman who lived across the street from my dad was planning on retiring and building his own retirement home. No background, aging, wife in poor health, but by God he was going to get a retirement home wholesale. Disaster.
Do you know why real estate agents don't like dealing with foreclosed properties? Because they want to earn a commission.
My girlfriend's son is in the business of buying, fixing up and re-selling foreclosed properties. He has crews of people with whom he works. He also has the sources of funds for the effort so that he doesn't have to gone through the arduous task of applying for a loan to buy a foreclosure. You cannot duplicate that.