All Forum Posts by: WAYNE G.

A few counties have properties left over after the first sale.  They get picked up in a second auction shortly after the first auction.  Except for Baltimore City.  They also have a second auction for leftovers.  Even then there are properties that don't get sold.  You can go to the city tax sale office and buy a book of leftover properties.  It is not a short list.  There might be a gem among all the trash.  You can get that property for the taxes.  Be careful, there may be a reason it didn't go before.

Baltimore city water is $2.26/ccf, and sewer is $6.160/ccf. Storm water is a flat fee of ?$2/mo.
It looks like your amounts are off for those costs in the city. (Sewage should be ~3*water).
How do you heat a property in NE Ohio? Electric is cheaper, and no other fuel listed.
Don't forget all the code enforcement fees that the City throws around. 

Then there is the cost of the city sucking the joy out of life anytime you try to improve your property.

It started with trial period I think in Montgomery County. New rent court cases must be submitted electronically.  I can't tell you how far back it goes, but you will see cases marked FTPR. Most cases are resolved before being heard as the rent gets paid quickly, as was the case with paper rent notices. Use Elkton Manor Apartments as a search to see some examples. (Just picked them for no reason, choose any apartment complex to search.)

You are going to become very good friends with the Judicial Case Search website.  Maryland is now recording Failure to pay rent electronically, so you can see those that had issues paying rent in past.  When you talk to your new tenant explain to them that failure to pay rent will make it very hard for them to find a new home.  

Assignment sales happen when properties are not sold in the first auction.  There are a lot in the city.  You can actually buy any that remain sold to the city at any time (over the counter).  There is often a very good reason no one wanted to buy these properties.  Baltimore county also had an assignment sale recently. (Pretty sure the rules are different than the city for that.)

Look at some of the more rural counties that still have live auctions.  Those are free to attend.

You can buy tax liens with only $5k.  Ned did not start out buying thousands of liens.
That amount is a bare minimum, and it limits what you can buy, because you need to pay attorney fees, and other possible costs.  ($100 entry fee to bid)  I wouldn't bid more than 1000 with only 5k behind it.

Make sure you understand all the rules about the auction process.  (bid premium, time to file suit.)
Look at the Baltimore city web site for tax sale.  Lots of info is available.  You will learn a lot about how to research a property, and that is very worthwhile.
You will most likely be successful in the assignment sale, where your bid is limited to taxes owed, and they pick a person from those submitting bids.

The problem is it is a lot to know, a lot of work to find a property you  would bid on, and not a lot of return for the time.  But you will learn a ton.

You can buy tax liens with only $5k.  Ned did not start out buying thousands of liens.
That amount is a bare minimum, and it limits what you can buy, because you need to pay attorney fees, and other possible costs.  ($100 entry fee to bid)  I wouldn't bid more than 1000 with only 5k behind it.

Make sure you understand all the rules about the auction process.  (bid premium, time to file suit.)
Look at the Baltimore city web site for tax sale.  Lots of info is available.  You will learn a lot about how to research a property, and that is very worthwhile.
You will most likely be successful in the assignment sale, where your bid is limited to taxes owed, and they pick a person from those submitting bids.

The problem is it is a lot to know, a lot of work to find a property you  would bid on, and not a lot of return for the time.  But you will learn a ton.

This is the web address for the GIS information in Royal Oak MI.  It will give you an idea of property line locations, but is not intended to resolve these disputes.  The survey will answer the question of property line. If you click the hybrid button you'll probably be able to see your fence.  Hopefully it will help you sleep at night. :)

https://gis.oakgov.com/PropertyGateway/Home.mvc

Hi Eric

Since you are in Parkville, I'm assuming you got the hard copy list of properties from Baltimore City.

If you find a property you want on that list, you can purchase the lien from the city  and contact an attorney to foreclose the rights of everyone in the chain to the property (After waiting till~October).  Be careful, there may be a reason those properties weren't picked up in the previous auction.  You'll have to pay $3k in attorney fees and next years taxes (and whatever the lien comes to.)   

Contacting the owner directly can be an challenge.  The main reason properties go to tax sale is people didn't get the bill because the address of record is wrong. 

It's a process.  It's not simple.  It's not without risk. 

It is very easy to change your mailing address for your property tax bill in Maryland. The form is on the SDAT website.

The form is at

http://dat.maryland.gov/SDAT%20Forms/addresschange...

Failure to change the address is the number one reason properties end up in a tax sale.  Tax offices get so much returned mail.