Distressed properties can offer a path to affordable homeownership. With the pandemic-era forbearance ending, we can expect many properties to enter the market as distressed sales, a sizeable number of which will flow into the auction space. Despite more favorable pricing, only 25 percent of auction sales are initially sold to owner-occupants. Auction sales pose a number of barriers to would-be owner-occupants that are not easily overcome, including financing, the risk of substantial repairs being needed, removing current occupants, and the inability to see a property before the auction. This report offers an analysis of auction sales in 2019 and 2020, and it includes a set of policy options that could make distressed sales via auctions accessible to more potential homebuyers.