Can I buy at auction with a hard money lender on the phone?

You need to go to an auction and speak with the auctioneer about what is necessary at the time of sale.

My county requires cash or cashier's check IN HAND by the end of the sale. They do not accept promissory notes or a phone call from mom (or the bank).

If you want someone to fund you before you make the purchase, you need venture capitalists or a personal loan so you have the cash in hand.

Edit: So, if you know someone who can do this, then you go to the auctioneer and ask how you can do this. OUR county auctions don't permit this. I'm not "opining" - you asked about the rules to a group of people on an INTERNATIONAL site, so I gave you the FACTS about what goes on here. I'm not really sure how you expect us to know what goes on in your county and how you expect us to know some deal worked out with this certain investor.

Now, we do have public auctions that permit funding via banks. They are NOT county auctions and are not on the courthouse steps.

If you need more specific answers, ask more specific questions and watch your pronouns. And get your butt to an auction rather than sitting here sniveling about how your generic question isn't yielding the results you want...

You should try to establish a relationship with a hard money lender before going to the sale and see what kind of terms you can get depending on the type of house you are looking to buy. It is a good idea to shop around for lenders and see which one is the most flexible and will best meet your needs.

You need proof of funds first, before you do any bidding. A hard money lender is going to demand very high interest and some solid collateral.