C.S.
I am familiar with them. Basically, there are several different types of sales/auctions.
My first home was a foreclosure and my realtor placed my bid for me and I got the home. I never attended the sale and I was able to finance the home. This was an as is sale and I had to do quite a bit of work to move into it.
There are some that are cash sales, as is, bank foreclosure trustee sales.
The county or state may have one for delinquent tax. In our county, the auction is actually held by an auctioneer and two wing men. They start at the amount of tax due and take the highest bid. The proceeds are eligible to go back to the original homeowner, if they claim it.
There are also certificate lien sales. That is a bill is delinquent, so the county/state will sell a certificate of lien against the home for the total amount due. There is a two year redemption period where you will earn interest and you may be repaid or after that period of time you may request the deed.
You may have to go through an eviction process and may not get a clear deed right away. The likelihood of getting a clear deed and flipping the home right away is very slim.
Many county and states have auctions and or sales online. Google the particular state or county and see what their process is.
My suggestion is, you do it for investment purposes and not to purchase your first home, although I did.