buying tax lien certificates online: who is realauction?

[Eva Marin]

hi!

i am looking to tax lien certificates as an investment and how to get them online.
anyone here has used realauction.com.

looks like they are the one conducting most of the tax lien sales online.

Have anyone here used before? any pros and cons?

i am thinking about opening an account with them, but not sure yet, want to hear some opinins here first..:)

thanks,

[Jerry K.]

Eva,
I have bought tax lien certificates from AZ counties that use RealAuction for the last few years. No problems. Really you're dealing with the counties. The counties are just using the RealAuction software. I'm looking at doing some Florida certificates this year and I have been looking at the Tax Deed auctions that RealAuction does for those same FL counties.

Some newer investors may wonder why Florida would have BOTH tax lien certificate AND Tax Lien Deed auctions. It's just a different way to handle foreclosures. In other Tax Lien certificate states like AZ, you could buy the lien certificates on a property for 3 years. In AZ after 3 years, the certificate owner can foreclose on the property and they get the property if no one pays off the taxes (certificates).

In Florida, they sell the certificates. The owner of the certificates can foreclose after a set time period, but all that does is force the Tax Deed auction. The county then auctions the deed and whoever buys the deed gets the property - again assuming no one pays the past taxes (certificates) before the auction. The minimum bid for the deed covers the certificates so the certificate owner gets all their money plus interest back. If the certificate owner wants the property, then they have to bid in the Tax Deed auction and win.

Jerry