All Forum Posts by: Angela Levy

Thanks @Dan Mahoney!  We checked the GSCCC for possible liens. At this time the home is occupied (by someone other than the owner). That doesn't necessarily mean it's safe or in good condition though.  For anyone watching this thread and hoping to be connected to an attorney - here's ours - Monica Gilroy. We have known her for years but didn't realize that she has an extensive background in tax deeds and is also able to write title insurance policies which can, in some cases, bypass the quiet title process.  Here's her web site:

http://gilroyfirm.com/attorneys/

@Dan Mahoney Thank you. For reasons of personal ethics, I chose to only bid on properties for which the address of the named owner is some location other than the subject property, thus drastically decreasing the likelihood that I would be evicting someone from their home. I understand that the law requires that these properties be sold, but I wanted to be choosy about which ones I involved myself with.  I feel pretty good about the tax deed I bought, considering that the owner paid a very tiny sum for the property, has not financed it, has never paid taxes on it, and does not live there. 

So my main intent in securing the property sooner would NOT be to remove the existing tenants, but rather to:

1) Prevent damage to the home caused by a leaking roof or any other little surprises.  Seeing a tree down in the front yard (that was not there two weeks ago) got me thinking about this.

2) Address any safety issues (such as the tree or other trees) both outside and inside the home.  I recently bought a home in Grove Park which was found to have an extremely dangerous electrical situation as well as missing subfloor  and a few other unacceptable conditions.  Negligent owners put their properties, but more importantly, their tenants' lives at risk.

Bearing this in mind, I was hoping to secure the property early not through some sort of adverse possession or hostile takeover, but more through an amicable deal made directly with the owner.  "Clearly this property has been a burden for you, there's a tree down, how can we help each other move on" kind of thing.  

Have you ever heard of anyone doing this?  Do you have a recommendation for an attorney  who handles this sort of thing?

Angie

Keller Williams of Buckhead

@Dan Mahoney What are your thoughts on how to secure possession of the property before the year is up? I just drove by the one I bought the deed for on the 5th and there's a tree down in the front yard. I'd like to take it over before any further damage is done. 

Many thanks to the original poster! I bought a tax deed last Tuesday after consulting this post and a few subsequent Google searches. It was hot out there and the sheriff stood at a podium while a staffer held an umbrella over her head to shield the sun. She was there with her little karaoke box microphone and went through the list quite rapidly.  A few things I learned:

1) Stand up close so you can hear, she rattles off those parcel numbers quickly and the microphone/speaker quality isn't great. She also maybe gets a little bored with it and those numbers and legalese all blur together after awhile. Maybe it's your own listening brain that gets bored - just be ready and also do #2.

2) Make sure your dataset is sorted in order it will be called so you're not doing rapid visual searches while she's speaking, especially considering many properties will have dropped off the list. Your heart will be pounding so no need to stress yourself out further. 

3) A box clipboard might be useful for not only a solid writing surface but also to hold phone, calculator, or other items as you don't always have much wiggle room to rapidly put hands in pockets or handbag and back again (it's a bit of a body pack).

4) Make sure you budget extra time in case you win because you'll be racing to the bank and back.

5) If bank isn't within walking distance, you may want to take a rideshare or cab to the bank and back.  Otherwise you'll pay for parking 3x (near courthouse, near bank, near courthouse). Do your math and maybe save $20 or so like I could have. 

6) You will be nervous and wishing to pass out. You will fan your face. You will text your spouse or business partner or mom and let them know you are FREAKING OUT. You will realize you wore bad shoes. You will feel outmatched.  THEN, immediately after the auction ends, as you walk away to the parking deck or mill around at the clerk waiting for your receipt, you will discover that you were surrounded by other newbies who felt the same as you and that everyone is now giddy at their success or improved knowledge for winning next time. 

7) THUS, be open minded about talking with strangers who are there for the same reasons immediately after the sale or later when you go to pay the clerk . You might be surprised how many contacts you can make -- and people have proven to be generally warm about sharing ideas and their strategies. 

8) (And this is really #1): Figure out the location of the property and your max bid value before you go. One lady bought a parcel and thought it was another one across town. Either way she was excited, but maybe this wouldn't fly for you. I paid more than my max bid value on one, but did some calcs in-flight and decided I could still get a great return. I realized I had planned for "wishful thinking" bid value instead of max.  Know your maxes!

9) Just some human-side stuff -- when you cruise properties, be kind. Wave at people and smile. These neighborhoods have been ignored and derelict for years. We're trying to earn a living here, but we also have an opportunity to improve the community for ourselves AND the people who have lived there all these years. An interested owner is better for everyone - the tenants, the neighbors, and ultimately, our bigger pocketbooks. 

Angie Levy, 

Keller Williams of Buckhead