How to Invest in Tax Liens.

[Cazemba Richards]

Hello community,

I am new to BP and very new to real estate investing. I have been looking into purchasing tax liens for sometime now but I never took that first step yet.

I think I fairly understand the process. Counties auction tax liens to the public. After purchasing a tax lien, there is a redemption period(dependent on the state) for when the property owner can pay their unpaid taxes. If the owner pays the taxes within the redemption period, the tax lien holder will receive the amount they purchased for the lien plus interest.

My question is, what happens when the property owner does not pay the taxes within the redemption period. Also is there any kind of deal I could make with the property owner before the auction?