Buying Tax Lien Certificates Online

[Jeff James]

I would like to hear from individuals who purchase tax lien certificates online.  I am specifically interested in learning how to perform due diligence over the internet prior to acquiring certificates at auction or buying certificates that don't sell at an auction directly from the county.

I try to look for the same things online as I do when I look at local properties but I often find that some of the data that I look for is missing from the various websites.

Also, being from Indiana where multiple years worth of back taxes are combined into a single certificate, are there different strategies involved when buying certificates in a state like Florida where separate certificates are produced for each year of delinquent taxes--especially when prior certificates have been acquired by different individuals or corporate entities?

I appreciate any feedback that the Bigger Pockets community can provide.

[Ned Carey]

I buy at online auctions. But I buy in my area, properties that I have inspected. 

The property is collateral for your investment. You have to have an idea of what the property is worth. Because condition has such a dramatic affect on value, I inspect virtually every thing I bid on.