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In this guide, I’ll break down what you need to know about tax deed sales for every single county in Florida, as well as the important sale dates and the process for bidding within each county.
But before jumping into that..let’s go over the basics.
The first thing you need to know about Florida is that it is a mixed state that has both tax liens and tax deed auctions.
Tax Lien Sales
In a tax lien sale, the purchaser buys the right to collect back taxes on the property. It works like this:
- If a property owner doesn’t pay their taxes, the county government will auction off the right for a bidder (you) to put a lien on the house, which entitles them to collect interest in exchange for paying off the taxes.
- During the bidding process, the interest rate starts at its highest point and is then bid down by competitors.
- When the winner is determined, the winning bidder purchases the lien by paying off the taxes on the property.
- From that moment, the clock starts on the property owner. They have exactly 2 years to pay off the lien holder, with interest, before the lien holder has a right to call for a public auction.
Tax Deed Sales
If the owner of the property doesn’t redeem the lien for two consecutive years after the tax lien sale, the lien holder is free to move forward with a foreclosure process where the home is put up for public auction.
Once the property is at auction, anyone can bid on it for the back taxes, fees and interest that have accrued on the property.
The bidding starts at the amount of taxes and fees owed, but it can go up from there if it is a worthwhile property that people want to purchase.
Unlike liens, when you win this auction, you actually get to own the property.
People have been known to come away with land for less than $1,000, and homes for less than $10-20K.
It can be an unbelievably lucrative investment opportunity, but it can also wipe you out if you don’t know what you’re doing.
In Florida, most counties use the RealTaxDeed system to list and sell these properties online. Anyone can register an account to bid in an auction.
For more information on the general rules for tax deed sales in Florida follow, see Florida Statute 197.
Alachua County
Alachua County’s tax deed sale happens on a rolling basis. At any given time, there may be properties coming up for auction within a few weeks from the time you check.
Rules for Bidding
$200 or 5% (whichever is greater) deposit from winning bidder before the conclusion of the sale. Bidders must be present in person at the courthouse during the bidding date in order to place a bid.
Full payment must be made within 24 hours of placing the winning bid.
Location
Bidders must be present at live, in-person to bid at the following location:
201 E. University Avenue, Gainesville, Florida.
Bay County
Tax deed sales in Bay County require a $200 or 5% deposit for the winning bid. Full payment must be received within 24 hours of placing the winning bid.
Auctions are held on a rolling basis so you’ll want to check in often to see when they are occurring and what properties are coming available.
Available Properties List
You can check out the list of available properties here.
Brevard County
In Brevard County, tax lien auctions are held between May and June 1st as taxes become unpaid by the property owners.
After two consecutive years of the property owner not paying the back taxes for the property, the process can be initiated to start the tax deed auction.
Tax deed auctions happen on a rolling basis as properties become available.
Auctions happen online and available properties can be viewed here.
Broward County
Broward County has auctions for tax deeds on a rolling basis. Deposits must be made by 5PM on the Thursday before the Auction.
Auctions are held completely online and final payments must be made once the bidding is over and a winner is determined.
A link to the available properties and upcoming auctions can be found here.
Charlotte County
Charlotte County’s rules are very similar to other counties in Florida. If someone doesn’t pay up on their tax bill, the county sells off the tax certificates. After a couple of years, lien holders can force a public Tax auction.
The county also lists Foreclosures on it’s property portal, so it’s a really nice resource for all investors.
Tax Deeds sales are held on a rolling basis so you’ll want to check back regularly.
Click here to view the upcoming tax deed sales for Charlotte.
Citrus County
Citrus County holds tax deed sales on a rolling basis as liens go unpaid over a period of two years.
Bidders can purchase tax deeds in Citrus county completely online.
To view the most recent list of available properties for Citrus County, visit this link.
Clay County
Clay County is one of those counties that requires bidders to be present in order to participate in their tax deed auctions.
The greater of $200 or 5% is required as a non-refundable deposit immediately after the sale.
A list of lands available can be found on this link here.
If property goes unsold at an auction, you can inquire about purchasing available lands by contacting the tax collector’s office at [email protected]
Collier County
Collier County requires all bidders to be physically present in the Atrium of the main Courthouse in the Collier County Government complex.
Auctions are held on Monday at 1:00 P.M. on a rolling basis as properties become available.
The list of upcoming sales is online, and is updated here.
The link above also includes recently passed sales–so it’s useful to see what’s become available and sold recently.
Duval County
Duval County holds tax deed sales on a rolling basis as lien go unpaid by property owners.
Tax sales are held entirely online, so bidders do not need to be present in order to participate.
$200 or 5% (whichever is greater) is required as a deposit. As sales must be paid in full on 4PM the day following the auction
Duval county’s auction calendar and upcoming available properties list can be found here.
Escambia County
Escambia County holds their tax deed sales on the first Monday on every month at 9 a.m. CST.
It’s important to remember that Escambia County is on central time zone (most of Florida is east coast time).
Auctions are held on a rolling basis and the list of available properties and upcoming auctions can be found here.
Hernando County
Hernando County follows the lead of most of the other counties on our list.
Sales are held online on a rolling basis.
To see the calendar of upcoming auctions and available properties, go here.
Hillsborough County
Hillsborough county tax deed sales are held on a rolling basis–sometimes multiple sales are held within the same month so you’ll want to check it often.
Hillsborough County includes large cities like Tampa, so it’s worth checking out.
You can check out the list of upcoming auctions and properties available by going here.
Indian River County
The list of upcoming auctions and available properties for the Indian River County tax deed sale can be found here.
Lake County
Lake county tax deed auctions that are upcoming along with the properties that will soon be available can be found here.
Leon County
Leon County auction calendar and available properties list is regularly updated here.
Manatee County
Manatee county’s list of available properties for tax sale can be found here.
Marion County
In Marion County, you can view scheduled auctions and bid on properties online. First, you have to register on the Marion County RealTaxDeed portal.
Other important information about buying a tax deed property in Marion County can be found here.
Martin County
The Martin County, FL tax deed sale is held on a rolling basis and auction dates, as well as available properties can be found on this site.
Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County is the largest county in the state of Florida by population — which translates into it being an auction that tends to have a lot of available properties for bidding.
The list of current properties up for auction, as well as the schedule of upcoming sales can be found here.
Okaloosa County
Okaloosa County has a tax sale property list and schedule that can be found on their tax sale web portal here.
Orange County
Orange County has a totally online tax deed auction process and the upcoming auction schedule and available properties list can be found here.
Osecola County
Osceloa County’s tax deed auction is held on a rolling basis and bidders can participate totally online.
The available properties list, as well as the dates for upcoming auctions can be found on their web portal here.
Palm Beach County
Palm Beach county holds their tax deed auctions on a rolling basis on designated Wednesdays at 9:30 AM.
Sales are typically held once per month, so you’ll want to check back often to see what’s coming up.
To see the list of available properties, along with the upcoming tax deed auction schedule, go here.
Pinellas County
Pinellas County holds tax deed auctions on a rolling basis as properties become available.
The list of the upcoming properties, as well as the schedule of upcoming tax deed sales for Pinellas can be found here.
Polk County
Polk County has a totally online auction process and the available properties as well as the upcoming tax deed auction schedule can be found on their web portal here.
St. Johns County
St. Johns County does their tax deed sales a bit differently than other counties.
To participate in an auction, bidders must show up in person at the courthouse building. They also allow any increment amount to be bid, which means you can technically outbid another person by $1 (a lot of the online auctions have increments of $100 as a minimum).
If you win a bid, you have to pony up $200 or 5% (whichever is greater) immediately. The rest can be paid within a 24 hour period.
The list of available properties for upcoming auctions for St. Johns county can be found here.
St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County has an online auction with the typical $200 or 5% deposit requirement.
To view the available properties and upcoming auction schedule, click here.
Santa Rosa County
To view the upcoming tax auction sales for Santa Rosa County, click here.
Sarasota County
To check out the upcoming tax deed auctions for Sarasota County, check out their online auction system here.
Seminole County
Seminole County’s tax deed sales occur in-person, so bidders must be present at the Clerk of Circuit Court, 301 N. Park Ave., Sanford, Florida. Auctions take place in Room S-201.
The complete details of each property being sold are available here.
Volusia County
The Volusia County tax deed auction schedule, as well as upcoming properties to be auctioned can be found here.
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