How to Vet a County Before Bidding on Tax Liens or Tax Deeds

7/10/2025 12:00:00 AM

You wouldn't buy a house without checking out the neighborhood first, right? The same logic applies to tax lien and tax deed investing—except instead of researching schools and crime rates, you're evaluating how well a county runs its tax sale program.

Some counties make tax investing feel like a well-oiled machine. Others will have you questioning your life choices by the third phone call that goes straight to voicemail. The difference between the two can make or break your investment experience.

Here's how to separate the counties that have their act together from the ones that... well, don't.

Start with their website—it tells you everything. A county that's serious about tax sales will have clear, up-to-date information readily available. Can you find auction dates without playing detective? Are property lists downloadable? Can you actually view parcel maps without the site crashing?

If you're clicking through broken links and outdated PDFs from 2019, that's your first red flag. Counties with user-friendly websites typically run more organized programs overall. It's like judging a restaurant by its menu—if they can't get the basics right, what does that say about everything else?

Test their customer service before you need it. Call the tax collector's office with a simple question about their auction process. Do they answer? Are they helpful, or do they act like you're interrupting their day? Try emailing them—do you get a response within a reasonable timeframe?

This isn't just about being nice to work with (though that's important too). Counties that are responsive to investors usually have clearer procedures, better record-keeping, and fewer surprises on auction day. If they can't handle a basic inquiry, imagine dealing with them when you actually own a lien or deed.

Dig into their public records accessibility. You'll need to research properties before bidding, so see how easy it is to access tax histories, ownership records, and lien information. Some counties have everything online and searchable. Others require office visits or charge for basic information that should be public.

Pay attention to how current the information is. Are tax records updated regularly? Can you see recent payments and redemptions? Outdated or incomplete records make it nearly impossible to make informed bidding decisions.

Look at their redemption patterns. Every county publishes statistics about their tax sales—how many liens were sold, how many properties went to deed, redemption rates, and average sale prices. This data tells you what kind of market you're entering.

High redemption rates might be perfect if you're investing for interest income, but frustrating if you want to acquire properties. Low redemption counties could mean better chances of getting deeds, but might also signal economic problems that could affect property values.

Check their auction format and rules. Some counties run smooth, predictable auctions with clear bidding procedures. Others change rules frequently, have confusing bidding increments, or run chaotic events that favor insiders who know the system.

Look for counties that post detailed auction rules, provide bidder registration information in advance, and have consistent procedures. If you can't figure out how their auctions work from their published materials, that's probably not a county you want to start with.

Consider the local real estate market. Tax investing doesn't happen in a vacuum—it's tied to the broader local economy. Counties with stable or growing property values, reasonable rental markets, and economic diversity tend to offer better long-term prospects.

Look at recent sale data, population trends, and major employers. A county losing population and jobs might offer cheap tax sale properties, but good luck finding buyers or tenants later.

The goal isn't to find the perfect county (spoiler alert: it doesn't exist). You're looking for counties that are professional, transparent, and organized enough that you can focus on evaluating properties instead of fighting bureaucracy.

Some investors stick with counties they know well, building relationships and understanding local quirks. Others diversify across multiple counties to spread risk. Either approach can work, but both require doing your homework upfront.

Remember, you're not just buying liens or deeds—you're entering into a relationship with that county's tax collection system. Make sure it's a relationship worth having before you start writing checks.

This blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as financial or investment advice. Real estate investments carry risk and individual results will vary. Always consult with your team of professionals before making investment decisions. The authors and distributors of this material are not liable for any losses or damages that may occur as a result of relying on this information.