Check out some similar questions!

deel · Apr 22, 2007, 10:02 AM

I am looking to but a house near to city I live in and want to pay the back taxes instead of the mortgage on the house and own it from that. I don't know where to go or where to start looking to be able to do so. I am new to trying this or buying a house

Fr_Chuck · Apr 22, 2007, 11:06 AM

Of, first don't expect to find anything nice for taxes, you will find abandoned homes, homes that belonged to someone who died and have not paid taxes on the property for a few years.

Nice homes that have mortages on them, the mortgage company will come in a few days before the tax sell and pay the taxes to keep them from selling.

In the US, your county tax collector will have a sell one time a year, this will be a auction at the court house steps. And of course the nicer ones that actually get to the sell will go at auction, so they will sell for much more than just the taxes due. Next in some states you will not get a deed the day of the sale but merely a certificate, and after a redemption period of up to three years, you turn the certificate in for a deed.
The rules vary by STATE in the US.

So if you don't mind buying a real "fix it up" you can find some that way, the best I found so far had to have all plumbing replaced, painted inside and out, had no working heating or air system and had sat empty for about 2 years so a lot of broken out windows and some crack person was sleeping on the property. The rest of the properties I have bought for taxes have went down from there, including one with a 4 foot hole in the roof with part of a tree sticking in the roof where it broke off in a storm.

So you ask the property tax clerk in your area when they have their auction. Also remember no use looking at any prior to a week before, since about 80 perect on the sale list before that are all paid prior to the sale, even a week before many will still have been paid for prior to the sale. Some will be paid the moring of the sale.