[ { "slug": "iowa", "usps": "IA", "name": "Iowa", "summary": "24% flat, no bidding — the highest flat rate on this list, with under 2 years to redeem.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "24% flat, no bid-down (rotational)", "redemption": "1 year 9 months", "blurb": "Iowa fixes its tax lien interest rate by statute at 24% annually, with no bid-down auction — the rate doesn't change regardless of demand for the certificate. Owners have roughly one year and nine months to redeem before the certificate holder can move toward a deed." }, { "slug": "florida", "usps": "FL", "name": "Florida", "summary": "The classic lien auction: 18% capped, bid down at the sale, 2-year redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "Up to 18%, bid down to 0.25%", "redemption": "2 years", "blurb": "Florida sells tax lien certificates at auction with bidding conducted by bid-down — investors compete by accepting a lower interest rate, down from the statutory maximum of 18%. Property owners have two years to redeem before the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed." }, { "slug": "new-jersey", "usps": "NJ", "name": "New Jersey", "summary": "18% cap, then premium bidding once the rate hits zero — expect competition on desirable liens.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "Up to 18%, premium bidding", "redemption": "2 years", "blurb": "New Jersey combines an 18% statutory cap with premium bidding: once the interest rate bids down to 0%, competition shifts to a cash premium paid to the county on top of the lien. Redemption runs two years from the sale." }, { "slug": "arizona", "usps": "AZ", "name": "Arizona", "summary": "16% cap with a 3-year redemption window, longer than most bid-down states.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "Up to 16%, bid down", "redemption": "3 years", "blurb": "Arizona tax lien certificates carry a maximum statutory rate of 16%, auctioned by bid-down similar to Florida. The redemption period is three years, one of the longer windows among common tax lien states." }, { "slug": "texas", "usps": "TX", "name": "Texas", "summary": "No lien here — a redeemable deed with a flat 25% penalty and a 180-day window.", "type": "Redeemable deed", "rate": "25% penalty", "redemption": "180 days", "blurb": "Texas doesn't sell tax lien certificates — it sells redeemable deeds. The winning bidder takes the deed directly, but on most property types the prior owner can redeem within 180 days by paying a flat 25% penalty, not an annualized rate." }, { "slug": "georgia", "usps": "GA", "name": "Georgia", "summary": "Redeemable deed, 20% penalty, 1-year redemption — you hold the deed from day one.", "type": "Redeemable deed", "rate": "20% penalty", "redemption": "1 year", "blurb": "Georgia also uses redeemable deeds: the winning bidder takes the deed at auction, and the previous owner has one year to redeem by paying a 20% penalty on top of the purchase price." }, { "slug": "alabama", "usps": "AL", "name": "Alabama", "summary": "Flat 12%, no bidding, 3-year redemption — simple and slow.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "12% flat, no bid-down", "redemption": "3 years", "blurb": "Alabama pays a flat 12% annual rate set by statute, with no competitive bid-down on the rate itself. Owners have three years to redeem before the certificate holder can pursue a tax deed." }, { "slug": "colorado", "usps": "CO", "name": "Colorado", "summary": "Rate floats with the Fed discount rate + 9%, reset every September — bid on premium, not rate.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "Federal discount rate + 9%, bid down", "redemption": "3 years", "blurb": "Colorado's rate is indexed rather than fixed — it floats at the Federal Reserve discount rate plus a 9-point statutory spread, recalculated each September. Bidding happens on premium paid, not the rate. Redemption runs three years." }, { "slug": "connecticut", "usps": "CT", "name": "Connecticut", "summary": "18% flat with one of the shortest redemption windows anywhere: 6 months.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "18% flat", "redemption": "6 months", "blurb": "Connecticut runs tax sales at the municipal level with an 18% flat annual rate and one of the shortest redemption windows among lien states — six months — so certificates here resolve faster than most." }, { "slug": "district-of-columbia", "usps": "DC", "name": "District of Columbia", "summary": "18% cap, bid down, and a fast 6-month redemption to match.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "Up to 18%, bid down", "redemption": "6 months", "blurb": "DC caps its tax lien rate at 18% with bid-down competition, similar to Florida's model, but pairs it with a much shorter six-month redemption period." }, { "slug": "illinois", "usps": "IL", "name": "Illinois", "summary": "Up to 18% every 6 months — compounds to a steep effective annual return.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "Up to 18% per 6-month period, bid down", "redemption": "2–3 years", "blurb": "Illinois' penalty accrues per six-month period rather than annually — up to 18% each half-year the certificate goes unredeemed, which compounds to a much higher effective annual return than a flat-rate state. Bidding is by rate, driven down from that 18% ceiling." }, { "slug": "indiana", "usps": "IN", "name": "Indiana", "summary": "10–25% tiered penalty, redemption as short as 120 days on vacant parcels.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "10–25% penalty", "redemption": "1 year (120 days on some parcels)", "blurb": "Indiana pays a tiered penalty depending on how the certificate was acquired and how quickly it redeems, ranging from 10% up to 25%. Most parcels carry a one-year redemption window, though some vacant or abandoned properties redeem in as little as 120 days." }, { "slug": "kentucky", "usps": "KY", "name": "Kentucky", "summary": "Flat 12%, 1-year redemption — one of the fastest-turnaround lien states.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "12% flat", "redemption": "1 year", "blurb": "Kentucky sets a flat 12% annual rate with a one-year redemption period — one of the more straightforward, fast-turnaround lien states to track." }, { "slug": "maine", "usps": "ME", "name": "Maine", "summary": "Town-run sales, flat 8%, 18-month redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "8% flat", "redemption": "18 months", "blurb": "Maine's tax sales are run town-by-town rather than by county, with an 8% flat rate and an 18-month redemption period before the municipality can foreclose the lien." }, { "slug": "maryland", "usps": "MD", "name": "Maryland", "summary": "8–24% depending on county, bid down, redemption as short as 4 months in Baltimore City.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "8–24%, bid down", "redemption": "6 months (4 months in Baltimore City)", "blurb": "Maryland's rate varies by county — some cap as low as 8%, others up to 24% — and is bid down at auction. Redemption is unusually short at six months, and even shorter in Baltimore City at four." }, { "slug": "massachusetts", "usps": "MA", "name": "Massachusetts", "summary": "Municipal sales, flat 16%, redemption 6 months to a year depending on the town.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "16% flat", "redemption": "6 months to 1 year", "blurb": "Massachusetts runs tax sales at the municipal level with a flat 16% rate. Redemption windows vary somewhat by municipality, typically landing between six months and a year." }, { "slug": "mississippi", "usps": "MS", "name": "Mississippi", "summary": "1.5% a month — 18% annualized — with a 2-year redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "1.5% per month (18% per year)", "redemption": "2 years", "blurb": "Mississippi's rate accrues monthly at 1.5% — 18% annualized — rather than being quoted as a single yearly figure. Owners have two years to redeem before the certificate holder can apply for a deed." }, { "slug": "missouri", "usps": "MO", "name": "Missouri", "summary": "Flat 10%, 1-year redemption — straightforward to underwrite.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "10% flat", "redemption": "1 year", "blurb": "Missouri pays a flat 10% annual rate with a one-year redemption period, making it one of the simpler lien states to underwrite." }, { "slug": "montana", "usps": "MT", "name": "Montana", "summary": "10% base plus a 2%-per-month penalty stacked on top, 3-year redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "10% + 2% per month penalty", "redemption": "3 years", "blurb": "Montana combines a 10% base annual rate with an additional 2%-per-month penalty layered on top, then gives owners three years to redeem before the certificate holder can take title." }, { "slug": "nebraska", "usps": "NE", "name": "Nebraska", "summary": "Flat 14%, 3-year redemption — a longer hold than most flat-rate states.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "14% flat", "redemption": "3 years", "blurb": "Nebraska sets a flat 14% annual rate with a three-year redemption window — a longer hold than most flat-rate lien states." }, { "slug": "new-hampshire", "usps": "NH", "name": "New Hampshire", "summary": "Municipal sales, flat 18%, 2-year redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "18% flat", "redemption": "2 years", "blurb": "New Hampshire runs its tax lien process at the municipal level with a flat 18% rate and a two-year redemption period." }, { "slug": "north-dakota", "usps": "ND", "name": "North Dakota", "summary": "9–12% depending on county, 3-year redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "9–12% flat", "redemption": "3 years", "blurb": "North Dakota's rate runs 9–12% depending on the county, with a three-year redemption window before the county can deed the property." }, { "slug": "ohio", "usps": "OH", "name": "Ohio", "summary": "Flat 18% with just a 1-year redemption — high rate, fast turnaround.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "18% flat", "redemption": "1 year", "blurb": "Ohio pays a flat 18% annual rate with a one-year redemption period — a high statutory rate paired with a fast turnaround." }, { "slug": "oklahoma", "usps": "OK", "name": "Oklahoma", "summary": "Flat 8%, 2-year redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "8% flat", "redemption": "2 years", "blurb": "Oklahoma sets an 8% flat annual rate with a two-year redemption period before the certificate holder can apply for a deed." }, { "slug": "rhode-island", "usps": "RI", "name": "Rhode Island", "summary": "10% base plus 1% a month, 1-year redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "10% + 1% per month penalty", "redemption": "1 year", "blurb": "Rhode Island pairs a 10% base rate with an additional 1%-per-month penalty, and gives owners one year to redeem before foreclosure proceedings can begin." }, { "slug": "south-carolina", "usps": "SC", "name": "South Carolina", "summary": "Bid down from a 12% ceiling, 12-month redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "3–12%, bid down", "redemption": "12 months", "blurb": "South Carolina auctions certificates by bid-down from a 12% ceiling, so winning rates often land well below the statutory maximum. Redemption runs 12 months." }, { "slug": "south-dakota", "usps": "SD", "name": "South Dakota", "summary": "10–12% flat, one of the longer redemption windows here at 3–4 years.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "10–12% flat", "redemption": "3–4 years", "blurb": "South Dakota sets a 10–12% flat rate and one of the longer redemption windows among lien states, running three to four years depending on the county." }, { "slug": "tennessee", "usps": "TN", "name": "Tennessee", "summary": "Runs through the courts, not a county desk — flat 10%, 1-year redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "10% flat", "redemption": "1 year", "blurb": "Tennessee's tax sales run through the judicial court system rather than a county auction desk, with a flat 10% rate and a one-year redemption period." }, { "slug": "vermont", "usps": "VT", "name": "Vermont", "summary": "Deed sold at the sale itself, but the owner can redeem for a year at 1% a month.", "type": "Redeemable deed", "rate": "12% (1% per month)", "redemption": "1 year", "blurb": "Vermont sells a deed at the tax sale itself, but the prior owner keeps a one-year window to redeem by paying the purchase price plus interest accruing at 1% per month. Only after that year passes does the buyer hold clear title." }, { "slug": "west-virginia", "usps": "WV", "name": "West Virginia", "summary": "Flat 12%, 18-month redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "12% flat", "redemption": "18 months", "blurb": "West Virginia sets a flat 12% annual rate with an 18-month redemption period before the certificate holder can move toward a deed." }, { "slug": "wyoming", "usps": "WY", "name": "Wyoming", "summary": "15% plus a 15% penalty stacked on top, and the longest redemption window here: 4 years.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "15% + 15% penalty", "redemption": "4 years", "blurb": "Wyoming stacks a 15% annual rate with an additional 15% penalty, then gives owners four years to redeem — the longest window of any state on this list — before the certificate holder can apply for a deed." }, { "slug": "california", "usps": "CA", "name": "California", "summary": "No interest at all — a straight cash deed auction after 5 years delinquent, no redemption.", "type": "Tax deed", "rate": "None — deed sold at auction, no interest", "redemption": "None", "blurb": "California sells the deed itself, not a certificate — after five years of delinquency the county auctions the property outright, and winning bidders pay cash, not a bid-down interest rate. Once the deed records there's no redemption window for the prior owner to buy it back. The one caveat is a one-year window where an aggrieved party can petition the court to void the sale on procedural grounds — a legal-validity check, not an ownership buy-back right." }, { "slug": "new-york", "usps": "NY", "name": "New York", "summary": "Set locally, not statewide — NYC tiers 6–16% by assessed value, redemption often runs longer than the 2-year base.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "Up to 16%, tiered by property value (NYC)", "redemption": "2 years (often longer, set locally)", "blurb": "New York doesn't run one statewide system — it's set locally, and New York City's is the one most investors mean when they say 'NY tax liens.' NYC tiers the rate by assessed value: 6% for properties under $250k, 9% up to $450k, and 16% above that, compounded daily. Nassau County instead sets the rate at auction via bid. The base redemption window is two years, but many localities extend it to three or four years for residential property — always confirm the specific municipality's rule before bidding." }, { "slug": "louisiana", "usps": "LA", "name": "Louisiana", "summary": "Overhauled January 2026 — now a true bid-down lien auction, 1%/month down to 0.7%, 3-year redemption.", "type": "Tax lien certificate", "rate": "Up to 12% (1%/month), bid down to 0.7%/month", "redemption": "3 years (18 months if blighted)", "blurb": "Louisiana overhauled its entire tax sale system on January 1, 2026 under Act 557 — the old 'ownership bid-down' land-sale process is gone, replaced with a true tax lien certificate auction like most other lien states. Bidding starts at 1% per month (12% annualized) and investors bid the rate down from there, to a floor of 0.7% per month. Redemption is 3 years for most property, shortened to 18 months for property already flagged as blighted or abandoned. Because the system is this new, confirm the parish's current procedure directly — some of the transition mechanics are still being worked out county by county." }, { "slug": "pennsylvania", "usps": "PA", "name": "Pennsylvania", "summary": "Two different sales in one state — Upset (no redemption) and Judicial (clears liens, ~9-month redemption).", "type": "Tax deed", "rate": "None — deed sold at auction", "redemption": "None at upset sale; ~9 months for owner-occupied at judicial sale", "blurb": "Pennsylvania runs two sales, not one. The Upset Sale comes first (typically the first Wednesday after the second Monday of September) and carries the outstanding liens with the property — there's no redemption once it sells. Anything that doesn't sell there can go to a later Judicial Sale, which wipes prior liens ('free and clear') and, in most counties, gives owner-occupied property a roughly nine-month right of redemption that the Upset Sale never had. Which sale a given parcel goes through changes the deal completely, so confirm which one you're actually bidding on." }, { "slug": "virginia", "usps": "VA", "name": "Virginia", "summary": "Judicial deed sale, no redemption once confirmed — the risk sits entirely in the property, not the timeline.", "type": "Tax deed", "rate": "None — deed sold at auction", "redemption": "None after the sale", "blurb": "Virginia sells the property itself at judicial auction, and there is no statutory redemption period once the court confirms the sale — title passes free and clear of prior liens. The owner's only chance to keep the property is to redeem before the auction, typically by paying all delinquent tax, penalties, interest, and legal fees by 5 p.m. the day before the sale. If you're bidding, the redemption risk that exists in lien states simply isn't part of the calculation here — the risk moves entirely to the property itself." }, { "slug": "north-carolina", "usps": "NC", "name": "North Carolina", "summary": "No fixed redemption period — the owner can pay off any time until the court confirms, and every bid opens a 10-day upset window.", "type": "Tax deed (foreclosure sale)", "rate": "None — deed sold at auction", "redemption": "None after court confirmation", "blurb": "North Carolina forecloses judicially rather than running a fixed-date lien auction, and the redemption story is unusual: there's no set redemption period at all, but the owner can pay off the debt any time up until the court formally confirms the sale — which doesn't happen automatically. Every winning bid opens a 10-day 'upset bid' window where anyone can top it by the greater of 5% or $750, resetting the clock each time. Only once that cycle ends and the court confirms does the sale become final and redemption close for good." }, { "slug": "washington", "usps": "WA", "name": "Washington", "summary": "Deed sold outright, no redemption except a narrow 3-year carve-out for minors or active-military owners.", "type": "Tax deed", "rate": "None — deed sold at auction", "redemption": "None (narrow exception: 3 years for minors, incompetent owners, or active military)", "blurb": "Washington sells the deed outright at county auction and the buyer takes ownership immediately — there's no general redemption period for the former owner to reclaim the property. The one carve-out is narrow and rarely relevant to a typical bidder: if the prior owner was a minor, legally incompetent, or in active military service at the time of sale, they have up to three years to challenge it, a protection built into the law rather than a standard buy-back right." }, { "slug": "nevada", "usps": "NV", "name": "Nevada", "summary": "The county already holds the property for 2 years before auction — by the time you bid, redemption has already run out.", "type": "Tax deed", "rate": "None — deed sold at auction", "redemption": "None post-sale (2-year window to protest the sale's validity)", "blurb": "By the time a Nevada property reaches public auction, the redemption clock has already run out — the county holds the tax deed for two years after delinquency before it's ever offered to outside investors, and that two-year window is the real redemption period, absorbed entirely by the county before you can bid. Once you buy at auction, ownership is immediate and there's no further redemption. The former owner does keep a two-year window to protest the sale on procedural grounds, which can complicate getting title insurance in the meantime even though it doesn't threaten your ownership directly." }, { "slug": "michigan", "usps": "MI", "name": "Michigan", "summary": "The 3-year timeline ends March 31 of year three — redemption closes before the auction ever happens.", "type": "Tax deed (county foreclosure auction)", "rate": "None — deed sold at auction", "redemption": "None at auction — redemption window closes before forfeiture", "blurb": "Michigan's timeline runs over roughly three years before a property ever reaches an investor: year one is delinquency, year two is forfeiture to the county treasurer, and the owner's actual redemption deadline is March 31 of year three — pay everything owed by then or lose the property outright. Only after that deadline passes does the county foreclose and auction the property to the public. So unlike lien states, there's no redemption risk baked into a Michigan auction purchase — by the time you can bid, that window already closed." }, { "slug": "kansas", "usps": "KS", "name": "Kansas", "summary": "Judicial foreclosure, cash auction, tiered eligibility from 1–3 years depending on property type.", "type": "Tax deed (judicial foreclosure)", "rate": "None — cash auction, county-run", "redemption": "Pre-sale only, no fixed window (tiered eligibility: 1–3 years delinquent)", "blurb": "Kansas doesn't run a fixed-date lien auction — delinquent property goes through judicial foreclosure, with the county attorney suing in district court before a sheriff's sale opens the property to cash bidding. Eligibility itself is tiered by property type: three years delinquent for homestead property, two for commercial, just one for vacant or abandoned parcels. There's no fixed redemption window either — an owner can redeem any time up until 5 p.m. the day before the auction, which in practice can be a year or more after the case was filed. Every county runs its own calendar and its own process, so there's no statewide platform to check — you're tracking each county attorney's office separately." }, { "slug": "utah", "usps": "UT", "name": "Utah", "summary": "Clean county cash auctions, ~4–5 years delinquent to reach sale, none after.", "type": "Tax deed", "rate": "None — cash auction, min bid = debt owed", "redemption": "None after sale (pre-sale only, ~4–5 years delinquent to reach auction)", "blurb": "Utah runs one of the cleanest, most predictable tax deed processes of any state here — county auctions, increasingly held online, with the minimum bid set to the total taxes, interest, penalties, and costs owed. Property becomes sale-eligible after four years of non-payment, though by the time the annual May/June sale actually happens most parcels are effectively in their fifth year delinquent. Redemption is pre-sale only, closing right at the auction's start (Utah County's cutoff is 9:59 a.m. the morning of the sale) — there's no grace period after. If the winning bid exceeds the tax debt, the county holds the surplus for 90 days for the former owner to claim; fee-recovery agents who help owners find that money are capped by law at 20% of what they recover." }, { "slug": "new-mexico", "usps": "NM", "name": "New Mexico", "summary": "The state itself runs the auction, not the county — cash sale, no calendar you can count on.", "type": "Tax deed (state-run)", "rate": "None — cash auction, min bid = debt owed", "redemption": "None after sale (2-year window to challenge the sale procedurally)", "blurb": "New Mexico is unusual in that the state itself — not the county — runs the auction: the Taxation and Revenue Department's Property Tax Division holds delinquent-property sales across all 33 counties, rather than each county running its own. It's a straight cash auction with the minimum bid set to back taxes, penalties, and costs; from there it's competitive bidding to the highest offer. There's no fixed statewide calendar — a given county might go multiple years without a sale, since the state only auctions once title research is finished and other collection options are exhausted, so check the current schedule rather than assuming an annual date. Redemption ends once the sale happens, and any surplus over the tax debt already goes back to the former owner — New Mexico had this rule in place well before the 2023 Tyler v. Hennepin ruling made it standard elsewhere." }, { "slug": "minnesota", "usps": "MN", "name": "Minnesota", "summary": "Mandatory public auction within 6 months of forfeiture — the state behind the Tyler v. Hennepin surplus ruling.", "type": "Tax deed (state forfeiture + mandatory public auction)", "rate": "None — cash auction, State Deed issued", "redemption": "3 years standard (1 year in targeted zones, 5 weeks if judicially abandoned)", "blurb": "Minnesota is the state at the center of Tyler v. Hennepin County, the 2023 Supreme Court case that found it unconstitutional for a county to keep 100% of a tax sale's surplus above the tax debt — Hennepin County had sold a Minneapolis condo for $40,000 over a $15,000 tax debt and kept the full difference. In direct response, Minnesota now requires counties to hold a public auction within six months of forfeiture (many run through the state's own MNBid.mn.gov platform) and to actively return any surplus to the former owner, with a six-month claim window. Standard redemption before forfeiture runs three years, but two carve-outs cut it dramatically: one year for property in a designated economic-development zone, and just five weeks if a city or county gets a court to formally declare the property abandoned." }, { "slug": "oregon", "usps": "OR", "name": "Oregon", "summary": "County discretion on whether to even hold an auction — ~5 years to reach that point, if it happens at all.", "type": "Tax deed (in-rem judicial foreclosure)", "rate": "None — cash auction, when and if the county holds one", "redemption": "~5 years total (3 yrs to judgment + 2 yrs more) before the county takes title", "blurb": "Oregon deserves more caution than most states on this list. Counties foreclose delinquent property judicially, but a public auction isn't guaranteed — only parcels worth over $15,000 that are also legally buildable must go to auction; everything else can be sold privately or simply held by the county indefinitely, with no fixed timeline. The path to even reaching that point is long: three years delinquent before the county can file for judgment, then a further two-year redemption period after judgment before the county takes title — roughly five years total before a parcel could even be auctioned. Most counties do run periodic public sales when they have inventory, sometimes with very low opening bids, but there's no statewide platform and no guaranteed cadence, so treat Oregon as a state to watch specific county auction pages rather than one with a predictable annual process." }, { "slug": "idaho", "usps": "ID", "name": "Idaho", "summary": "Clean cash deed sale — redemption closes the moment the auction starts, not after.", "type": "Tax deed (non-redeemable after auction)", "rate": "None — cash auction, no interest paid to investor", "redemption": "Pre-auction only — up to 14 months after the deed is issued", "blurb": "Idaho sells a clean, non-redeemable tax deed at auction, with no interest paid to the investor — it's a straight cash sale to the highest bidder, county by county. Property becomes deed-eligible after three years delinquent, but the important nuance is when redemption actually closes: the owner can redeem at any point right up until the auction itself, and the county has up to 14 months after issuing the deed to hold that auction — but the instant the gavel falls, redemption is permanently gone. There's no post-sale grace period the way there is in Delaware or Hawaii, so winning an Idaho auction means walking away with unencumbered ownership immediately, not a redeemable interest. Idaho also solved the surplus-proceeds problem back in 2016 — excess auction proceeds go to the state treasurer for the former owner to claim, not the county — years before most states were forced to fix this by the 2023 Tyler v. Hennepin ruling." }, { "slug": "hawaii", "usps": "HI", "name": "Hawaii", "summary": "County-run, 12%/year to redeem, but no absentee bidding — you need someone on-island.", "type": "Redeemable tax deed (county-administered)", "rate": "12% per year to redeem", "redemption": "1 year (extended if the deed goes unrecorded past 60 days)", "blurb": "Hawaii's tax sale system is run entirely by the four counties — Honolulu, Maui, Hawai'i, and Kaua'i each hold their own auction under their own county code, though all trace back to the same state redemption rule. Bidding is oral and ascending at an in-person auction, with the minimum 'upset' price set to the back taxes and costs owed; the redemption rate for owners who want to buy back is 12% per year, for one year after the sale. There's a real access friction for mainland investors: absentee or mail bidding generally isn't allowed, so you either attend in person or send a notarized representative. Given how high Hawaii property values run, upset-price auctions can produce large surpluses over the tax debt — the state already routes any surplus back to the former owner after other liens are paid, well ahead of the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that forced many other states to add that protection." }, { "slug": "delaware", "usps": "DE", "name": "Delaware", "summary": "Sheriff's sale with a flat premium instead of a rate: 15% in 60 days, or 20% over a year.", "type": "Redeemable deed (sheriff sale)", "rate": "Fixed premium, not an annual rate — 15% or 20%", "redemption": "60 days (monition, 15% premium) or 1 year (direct sale, Kent/Sussex only, 20%)", "blurb": "Delaware sells at sheriff's sale rather than running a lien auction, and the 'return' is a fixed redemption premium rather than a bid-down rate. Most sales use the 'monition' method, run in all three counties: a 60-day redemption window where, if the owner buys back the property, the winning bidder gets their purchase price back plus a flat 15%. Kent and Sussex counties also offer a 'direct sale' alternative with a full 1-year redemption window and a 20% premium instead. Procedure genuinely changes at the county line — New Castle only runs monition sales — so a 15% return in 60 days and a 20% return over a year can both be 'Delaware' depending which county and method you're bidding under." }, { "slug": "arkansas", "usps": "AR", "name": "Arkansas", "summary": "State-run cash auction, redemption ends the day before the sale — no grace period after.", "type": "Tax deed (state-run, non-redeemable after sale)", "rate": "None — cash premium auction, min bid = back taxes", "redemption": "Pre-sale only — ends the day before the auction", "blurb": "Arkansas runs its tax sale process at the state level, not the county — the Commissioner of State Lands (COSL) takes title to delinquent parcels statewide and auctions them centrally, both in-person regional sales and a rolling online auction. There's no interest-rate bidding; it's a cash premium auction with the minimum bid set to the back taxes, penalties, and costs owed. The redemption story is unusually final: any interested party can redeem right up until 4 p.m. the last business day before the sale, but once the gavel falls, redemption is gone entirely — a 2023 rule change closed the post-sale redemption window most deed states still have. The tradeoff is a weak limited-warranty deed; COSL doesn't guarantee clear title, so a quiet title action is typically needed before you can resell or finance the property." }, { "slug": "alaska", "usps": "AK", "name": "Alaska", "summary": "No state property tax at all — sales exist only where a borough chooses to levy one.", "type": "Tax deed (municipal foreclosure)", "rate": "None — cash auction, no unified statewide system", "redemption": "~2–3 years total (delinquency + ~1 year post-judgment) before auction", "blurb": "Alaska is unlike every other state on this list — it's the only one with no state-level property tax at all. Tax sales exist only where a borough or independent city chooses to levy the tax, which covers roughly 15–24 of Alaska's local jurisdictions; the rest of the state, including most of the sprawling 'unorganized borough,' has no property tax and no tax sale process whatsoever. Where it does exist, delinquent property forecloses to the municipality first — about a year past judgment, on top of the delinquency period that preceded it, the municipality takes a deed, then resells it later at its own public auction, cash to the highest bidder, on its own schedule. There's no annual statewide calendar and no investor-facing interest rate; you're researching each borough's ordinance and auction history separately, and some smaller boroughs go years without a sale." } ]