Question 1

What is a tax deed sale?

Accepted Answer

A tax deed sale is a public sale where a taxing authority or authorized agent sells real property interest—often a deed or equivalent instrument—to recover delinquent property taxes. What you receive, which liens may survive, and how quickly you can market title vary by state and county. Treat every jurisdiction as its own rule set and verify sale terms, redemption windows (if any), and title path with official records and qualified professionals.

Question 2

What is a tax lien sale?

Accepted Answer

A tax lien sale (or tax certificate sale in some states) is an auction where investors bid for the right to collect delinquent taxes, interest, and penalties—not necessarily immediate ownership of the land. Returns depend on redemption timing and local statute. Even when redemption is the base case, underwrite the underlying parcel as if you might need to enforce or hold collateral.

Question 3

What is a tax sale list?

Accepted Answer

A tax sale list is a roster of parcels scheduled for a tax lien or tax deed auction—often published by a county treasurer, tax collector, or auction vendor. Lists may include parcel ID, situs address, owner name, delinquent amount, and sale date. Before bidding, normalize each row against assessor and GIS records; a wrong parcel match breaks zoning, title, and comp work downstream.

Question 4

What is land due diligence?

Accepted Answer

Land due diligence is the process of verifying that a vacant or raw parcel can support your intended use and exit. Core checks include legal lot status, zoning and permitted use, recorded access and easements, flood and wetlands screening, utilities, and realistic resale or development economics. Maps and list pricing are starting points—not substitutes for record review and field confirmation.

Question 5

What is a parcel ID?

Accepted Answer

A parcel ID (also called APN, PIN, folio, or tax parcel number) is the identifier a county assessor or GIS system uses for a tax parcel. Formats differ by jurisdiction. When researching bulk lists, match parcel IDs to the correct county GIS layer before relying on geometry, zoning overlays, or automated grades.

Question 6

How does Plot Eval help with tax sale list research?

Accepted Answer

Plot Eval imports your CSV, attempts parcel match and geocoding by county tier, enriches with GIS where supported, and surfaces prioritization grades when data allows—alongside maps, notes, checklists, reminders, and pipeline views. It is decision-support software, not legal or investment advice; coverage and enrichment depth vary by county.

Tax sale research FAQ

Tax sale research FAQ