The “max bid” listed before a foreclosure auction is just the plaintiff’s maximum bid—typically the lender’s bid based on the final judgment amount owed.

It’s not the minimum price for the auction.

The actual opening bid (what the auction starts at) can be much lower, often covering just court costs and fees. If no one bids higher than the opening bid, the plaintiff usually wins with their max bid.

So, in your examples, the auction could still start lower than either amount listed, and third-party investors can win it for less than the max bid if there’s no competition.

Always check the actual opening bid on the clerk’s site close to auction day.