I am not too familiar with investing in tax auctions but I am starting to look into it as well.

(vii) would seem to indicate that you'd be acting as an unlicensed broker.(1) "Broker":(A) means a person who, in exchange for a commission or other valuable consideration or with the expectation of receiving a commission or other valuable consideration, performs for another person one of the following acts:(i) sells, exchanges, purchases, or leases real estate;(ii) offers to sell, exchange, purchase, or lease real estate;(iii) negotiates or attempts to negotiate the listing, sale, exchange, purchase, or lease of real estate;(iv) lists or offers, attempts, or agrees to list real estate for sale, lease, or exchange;(v) auctions or offers, attempts, or agrees to auction real estate;(vi) deals in options on real estate, including a lease to purchase or buying, selling, or offering to buy or sell options on real estate;(vii) aids or offers or attempts to aid in locating or obtaining real estate for purchase or lease;(viii) procures or assists in procuring a prospect to effect the sale, exchange, or lease of real estate;(ix) procures or assists in procuring property to effect the sale, exchange, or lease of real estate;(x) controls the acceptance or deposit of rent from a resident of a single-family residential real property unit;(xi) provides a written analysis, opinion, or conclusion relating to the estimated price of real property if the analysis, opinion, or conclusion:(a) is not referred to as an appraisal;(b) is provided in the ordinary course of the person's business; and(c) is related to the actual or potential management, acquisition, disposition, or encumbrance of an interest in real property; or(xii) advises or offers advice to an owner of real estate concerning the negotiation or completion of a short sale; and

Before a home goes to auction, you can swoop in and buy the house.

About 20 years ago I purchased a closed down auto dealership located in Bryan Texas at foreclosure auction.

I assume you're talking about buying the property at the foreclosure auction, if not then it would just be about getting ahold of the owner and seeing if they would sell it to you.If you are aiming to buy it at auction, this is a really good article to read: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/buying-house-auctionMost important thing is to make sure 1) you are buying the 1st mortgage and not a second and 2) make sure you know if there are any tax liens on it as those don't get wiped out in foreclosure.

Purchase price: $36,000 Cash invested: $15,000 Bought at auction in Portland, Maine.

Purchase price: $95,000 Cash invested: $25,000 House went to tax lien auction, homeowner was going to be homeless with no money.

I am wondering if there are alternatives that I can explore myself without incurring that expense.Your input will be greatly appreciated.Probably what you have been told is that in certain types of auctions in certain states there is a "redemption period".

I've been looking at foreclosure auctions.  1) If I wanted to use my HELOC to bid on a property and with my LLC in mind, I'm leaning to having to fund my LLC using the HELOC, with my bid price in mind (plus other costs) and then bidding on a property and if successful, write a check from my business account. 

Purchase price: $95,000 Cash invested: $25,000 House went to tax lien auction, homeowner was going to be homeless with no money.