Any advice on processing a tax delinquent list?

[Jason Layman]

I downloaded a tax delinquent list for a county Im interested in.  Not sure where to start in deciphering the data in terms of what Im going after.  Does anyone have and thoughts they would like to share in terms of scraping the data.  Do I look for high dollar amounts owed?  I am primarily interested in multifamily, but don't want to waste what I have if I can narrow down some single family opportunities.  I would not mind wholesaling some or doing some LO or some seller finance, its just not my primary goal.

[John Underwood]

So many things to look at.

Put it in Excel if it's not already in that format.

I usually start by sorting on FMV and deleting ones too high and too low. I sort by tax map ID so that I get rid of areas of little interest. I usually ignore where one person owns 4 or more properties as this is usually a cash strapped investor that will pay at the last minute.

Properties that were transferred recently or has a new house also likely has a mortgage and the mortgage company will step in if the owner doesn't pay the taxes.

I keep pruning down my list till it is managable.

Then I start looking at them on the GIS system so that I can see what is (or was) on the property and the property lines. I then look at the Google street view.

I do all this to eliminate properties I wouldn't want then I drive by and look at every property that I might bid on.

Do not bid on anything that you have not personally seen!