Tax Lien Certificates

Steps to Getting Started

Since each county holds it’s own tax auctions, information specific to each county of interest may need further investigation. There will be one person responsible for handling most activities around tax default properties in every county. Depending on the county, this will be either the Tax Collector, County Treasurer, County Assessor, or Sheriff. They will be the best source of information. Since, each county handles this separately; the availability of information will vary from county to county and the means to get that information may vary. All County and Property Tax related sites are listed below for your reference.

Find out when and where the auction is held

Now that you have enough knowledge about the system used for delinquent property taxes in your area, it’s time to get started. Visit the County Treasurers or Tax Collectors website for the counties you are interested in. Those sites will either list when their auctions are held, or you can call them directly to find out when the next auction is being held. Get the time and place of the next auction to be held in that county. These auctions usually take place at the county courthouse. Also, obtain the list of properties to be offered at the auction.

Decide which properties are of interest to you

Take a look at the amount or minimum bids for each property. Find the properties that fit your investing budget. Once you have determined those properties, drive by all of them and inspect their physical attributes. This is an important step, as some properties may have new homes built on them, some may be next to a major highway, and some may be 50 square feet next to a landfill. You need to see what the property actually looks like. If the auction list doesn’t have a physical address, the County Assessor’s office should be able to help you get that information. Do not bid on property that you have not inspected!