Can someone please tell me the diff between buying a foreclosed home and buying a HUD home?

I am looking into buying a newer updated home alredy built on property in Upstate NY, however it seems pricey even in this housing market. I don't want to buy an old home and invest money I don't have in fixing it, nor do I want someone lese's headache. Is HUD and Foreclosed homes safe to buy and how do you find out about them without buying a membership? Are foreclosed homes and HUD homes min bad condition or how does this work? I am interested in froelcosed homes, but have no idea where to start looking and what to look at. I would get a home inspector, but I want to make sure I am buying a good deal, not something that needs heavy repairs.