| One of the first things that you have to do to invest in | | | | that I need; and I only have to go out and look at the |
| tax lien certificates or tax deeds is to get the list of | | | | properties. For larger lists, I would rather do my own |
| properties that are in the tax sale. Sometimes you can | | | | research. Detailed tax sale lists that are over 500 |
| find this list online, on the tax collector's website. In most | | | | properties can cost over $50 and lists that are over |
| counties the list has to be published in the local paper | | | | 1000 properties can cost over $100. Large counties |
| 2-4 weeks before the sale. In states where tax sales | | | | and counties with big cities can have lists of a few |
| are held on the municipal level, most of these lists will | | | | thousand properties and that can cost a few hundred |
| be small (less than 100 properties) and easy to | | | | dollars. So how do you decide whether you should buy |
| manage. But in large cities and in states where tax | | | | the detailed list or do the research yourself for these |
| sales are held by the county, these lists can be quite | | | | tax sale lists? |
| large. Although you can get these lists for free, there | | | | First remember that if the original tax sale list has 1000 |
| are times when you will want to pay for a detailed tax | | | | properties, there will probably be only 500 or so |
| sale list from a tax sale list provider. | | | | properties left on the day of the sale. Since most tax |
| The tax sale lists that you get from the municipality or | | | | sale list providers do not update the lists that they |
| county do not always have the information that you | | | | have for sale, you will have to purchase the detailed |
| need. Often, they will not include the address or | | | | information on all 1000 properties even though you will |
| physical location of the property. Usually these lists will | | | | probably only use half of the information. If you choose |
| only list the tax ID or parcel number, block and lot, | | | | not to buy a detailed list, then you may be doing |
| owner of record, and amount due on the properties in | | | | research on a lot of properties for nothing, since half of |
| the tax sale. It will not tell you things that you need to | | | | them will not be in the tax sale. |
| know before bidding on the property like: the acreage, | | | | So here's what I do. If there is an easy way to get the |
| type of property, assessed value, last sale price, and | | | | assessment information that I need, that is if it is |
| whether or not there is a mortgage on the property. | | | | available online, I wait until about 4 or 5 days before |
| To find out this information you can either go to the | | | | the sale, get an updated list from the tax collector, and |
| tax collector's or tax assessor's office and look it up | | | | then I get the assessment information on the |
| yourself, or you can buy a detailed tax sale list that | | | | properties. To make it even easier, I limit the properties |
| provides all of the tax assessment information, including | | | | that I research to only certain areas that I'm interested |
| the physical address of the property. | | | | in investing in. I may limit it to only 3 or 4 townships in |
| For smaller tax sales you may want to buy a detailed | | | | the county and to only certain types of properties. If |
| list. You might think that since the list is small, you could | | | | the assessment information is not that readily available, |
| save the money and look it up yourself. I have found | | | | I'll buy the detailed list. Some list providers will allow you |
| that this process is time consuming and that for small | | | | to filter the list by property type, thus you only buy |
| lists I am better off buying the detailed list. It saves me | | | | information on the type of properties that you are |
| a lot of time in my due diligence; I get all the information | | | | interested in. |