Tax Certificate Research
The Key to Success

The object of this page is to address the tax certificate research points you should be aware of. In those counties conducting online sales the research time will be reduced. Each certificate advertised whether online or off will have an adjoined file which can be viewed at the Tax Collector's office or online. The primary focus will be on those counties conducting online sales and auctions. Not contained in the files are records of liens, judgments or encumbrances which will be addressed in later pages.

If you don’t know the value or desirability of the property, you can’t judge the probability of having the tax certificate redeemed. If you don’t know whether the property is burdened with liens, you can’t evaluate your financial risk.

Because of this, you will want to investigate the property, "online" before making a purchase. Things to evaluate include:

• Property location
• property value
• property consistency with area
• availablity of utilities
• property owners in bankruptcy
• liens against property or owners

Tax Certificate Research For: Property Liens

Before purchasing a certificate, it is highly recommended that due diligence is performed to evaluate property liens. The official lien records of most concern are those which will survive the issuance of a tax deed: judgments, liens and actions issued by the government (i.e. municipal, city/village or township, county, state, federal or other jurisdictional body with the power to levy upon property). Such liens are referred to as superior liens. If the certificate is not redeemed and liens exceed property value, the property may not be a good candidate for the tax deed sale. If tax deed is unsold at the auction and you do not accept the tax deed, your investment is lost.

Skipping the Tax Certificate Research

The list of conditions to check seems long and many certificate investors claim that it is unnecessary. It is tempting to skip the research. Before you do, answer these questions.

How willing are you to take the chance of purchasing a certificate that has a low probability of being redeemed? If obtaining the tax deed as a result of buying the tax certificate is your goal, how willing are you to purchase a tax certificate on property that has financial liabilities attached?

If your tolerance for risk is high, you may choose to do little or no research. If your investment dollars are important to you, you will want to invest your money in certificates for properties that are not likely to present problems.

Purchasing several first year certificates will reduce your risk. In this case, you may choose to do minimal research to ascertain the property value, financial condition, etc. The time and cost involved in researching utilities and property aesthetics will be of little value to you.

However, if you intend to purchase a low number of tax certificates, it is recommended that you take the steps necessary to learn as much as possible about the property before purchasing. This is particularly important if you have your eye on the tax deed. In this case, thorough research is critical, including investigating utilities and visiting the property.

Tax Certificate Research Q&A
Many of your tax certificate research questions can be answered here. All Florida counties conduct auctions as mandated by Statute so what is typical in one county can be found in all counties. Tax Certificate Research FAQ

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