For some investors, the real estate hunt eventually winds up not at open houses but on courthouse steps, or more recently, behind a laptop screen. In Texas, if a property owner doesn’t keep up with their taxes, the county can step in, foreclose, and auction the property to cover the debt. For anyone prepared, these sales sometimes offer a way to pick up real estate at prices that feel almost too good to be true.
That said, this isn’t a game of just raising your hand at the right moment. Winning in tax deed investing comes down to knowing the rules, managing the pitfalls, and leaning on strategies that have proven themselves over time.
The Basics: How It Works in Texas
Here’s the first thing: Texas is different. Some states sell tax liens. You buy the lien, sit tight, and eventually collect interest when the owner pays up. Texas, on the other hand, is mainly a tax deed state. That means you’re bidding on the actual property, not just a lien.
Auctions happen on the first Tuesday of every month, across all 254 counties. The opening bid? Usually, the amount of back
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