Selling a House with a Tax Lien in Florida | Cash in 24hrs | Homeinc

Name: Homeinc
Address: FL, US
Telephone: 888-850-2636
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Selling a House with a Tax Lien in Florida

Falling behind on Florida property taxes triggers a cascade: the county sells a tax certificate within months, and after 2 years the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed and force a public sale of the property. Homeinc steps in before that happens. We buy houses with tax liens, satisfy the lien at closing from sale proceeds, and let you walk away clean — no out-of-pocket payment to the county, no tax-deed auction, no credit-destroying sale on the courthouse steps.

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Why Selling a Florida House with a Tax Lien Through Traditional Channels Is Hard

Tax liens are silent deal-killers in normal home sales. Most retail buyers never make it to closing once their title company surfaces a tax lien. Here’s what specifically goes wrong in Florida:

Title insurance refuses to insure. No buyer’s lender will close on a property where the title isn’t clear. The tax lien must be paid before — or out of — closing.
Florida tax certificate holders apply for tax deeds after 2 years. Once a third party owns the tax certificate, they can ultimately force a public sale of your property — and your equity goes mostly to them.
The county adds 18% interest per year in Florida, or up to 20% in Georgia, on the unpaid balance. Every month that passes, the payoff grows.
Buyer financing falls apart. Conventional and FHA lenders reject any property with an active tax lien. Cash buyers are your only realistic market.
Listings sit. A retail listing with “tax lien encumbrance” on the disclosures scares off almost every buyer. The handful that don’t are wholesalers offering 50 cents on the dollar.
Multi-year delinquencies stack up. By the time most homeowners reach out, they’re 2-4 years behind, the lien is huge, and they don’t know whether selling will even leave them anything.

How Homeinc Solves a Florida Tax Lien Sale

Homeinc has bought Florida houses with tax liens since 2013. We have title companies, attorneys, and tax certificate experience built into our process. Here’s what we do:

We buy with the lien attached. We don’t ask you to pay the county before closing. The lien gets satisfied from sale proceeds at the closing table.
We pull the exact payoff before making an offer. We contact the county tax collector and the certificate holder (if applicable) to get the exact dollar amount needed to clear the lien — so our offer accounts for it accurately.
We handle multi-year delinquencies. Whether you’re 1 year behind or 5 years behind, the title company at closing pays everyone in priority order: county tax collector first, mortgage lender second, you last (with whatever’s left).
We close fast enough to beat tax deed / tax sale. If a tax certificate holder has already applied for a tax deed, you typically have 60-90 days before the public auction. We routinely close in 14 days from offer acceptance.
We handle title cure work. Our title company resolves the lien at closing, gets a satisfaction recorded with the county, and issues you a clean closing statement.
Confidential process. No public auction. No tax-deed sale on the courthouse steps. Just a normal cash transaction.

What to Expect: Step by Step

Day 1: Call 888-850-2636 or submit your address. Tell us roughly how much you owe in back taxes (a guess is fine; we’ll verify with the county).
Day 1-2: We pull the exact payoff from the county tax collector’s office. We do a property walk-through (one quick visit).
Day 2-3: Written cash offer that accounts for the lien payoff. You see net-to-you numbers clearly.
Day 3-5: Title company opens escrow, contacts the lien holder, prepares payoff documentation.
Day 7-14: Close. Lien is paid from sale proceeds. Mortgage (if any) is paid. You walk away with the remaining equity.

Common Questions About Florida Tax Lien Sales

Will the tax lien actually be paid off at closing?

Yes. The title company holds funds in escrow and disburses them at closing in legal priority order. The tax lien gets paid first, the mortgage second, and any remaining funds go to you. The county records a satisfaction of the lien within days of closing.

What if I owe more in back taxes than the house is worth?

This is rare but it happens. In that case we’d explore a short-sale style approach where the certificate holder accepts a discounted payoff. Florida tax certificate holders sometimes accept reduced payoffs to avoid the cost of pursuing tax deed. We’ve negotiated these before.

How does the Florida tax certificate system actually work?

In Florida, when you fall behind, the county auctions a tax certificate on the unpaid amount. A private investor buys the certificate and earns interest (up to 18%). After 2 years, the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed sale, which transfers the property at public auction.

Can I sell during the tax certificate period?

Yes. You retain ownership and the right to sell until a tax deed is actually issued. We’ve closed many sales in this window.

Will this affect my credit?

Tax liens stopped appearing on credit reports in 2018 (Fair Credit Reporting Act changes), so the lien itself doesn’t show up. But the consequences of not paying (loss of property, deficiency judgments) absolutely affect credit. Selling now avoids all of that.

What if I have a mortgage AND a tax lien?

Both get paid at closing from sale proceeds. Tax liens are usually superior to mortgage liens, meaning the county gets paid first. Whatever’s left covers the mortgage. Whatever’s left after that goes to you. The title company runs all the math.

Other Florida Selling Situations We Handle

Need this in Georgia instead? See Selling a House with a Tax Lien in Georgia.

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