:In PA, and in other states, auctions can mean different things.There are private auctions where I just choose to sell my home in an auction scenario (I actually think this is pretty common in Australia - maybe someone from Oz and chime in on that).Auctions can also refer to the compelled or forced sale of a property by the State/County for various reasons.I assume you are asking about the 2 most common forced sales - foreclosures (failure to pay your mortgage, bank sues and the Sherriff sells your home to satisfy the bank) and tax sales (failure to pay your taxes and the State/County sells your home to satisfy your tax bill).I have not participated in the PA foreclosure and tax sale business in 20 years, so things may have changed, but if someone here is more up to date maybe they can correct my answer with new info.Both types of sales have their own areas of risk that you need to educate yourself on.Value is a top issue - you need to know how much the home is really worth before you get into any of the below. 

Get educated on the basis of finance, time value of money, interest, inflation, the mechanics of stocks, bonds, commodities, , real estate, different financial vehicles like IRAs, 401ks, HSAs ect. 

I’m new to rental property investing, and I’m trying my best to educate myself and build foundational knowledge on real estate investing as a whole.

Looking forward to becoming a connection and finding a way to help bring value and education to you!

It’s a good idea for you to also stay educated yourself on the tax laws, but you’ll never be able to grasp it all!

@Nik Moushon to answer your initial question to get more educated, I would read NOLO guide Every Landlords Tax Deduction Guide.

I'm just getting started in REI and before I make any major moves, I know I need a bit more education all around, but especially on my market.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link to it on here but @Chris Seveney and @Gail Greenberg just did a rather comprehensive podcast episode on this topic.

You can accomplish a lot with the VA loan just make sure you educate yourself first. 

@David MoreauStart by 1) educating yourself on the topic2) learning the local laws through the Healthcare ans Seniors agencies3) networking/finding existing operators in the space.Feel free to PM if you'd like to chat further.