Q: What are tax lien sales and Tax lien certificates, and why should I invest in them?
A: By definition, a lien is a legal term that represents the right to gain possession of someone else's property until the owner of the property fulfills a legal duty to the person holding the lien, such as payment of property taxes. With tax liens, local governments have the right to lay claim to people's property when they do not pay their property taxes. Now you can step in and buy that property in Tax lien or certificate sale.

Q: Why don't property owners pay?
A: The most common reason why an owner doesn't pay is because they do not have enough money for the taxes, or the owner is just putting off paying them. Whether they've recently lost their job or are simply strapped for cash, some people fail to pay their property taxes on time, just as they might fail to pay their electric or gas bill.

The problem is local governments depend on the revenue generated by property taxes to provide services and run their day-to-day operations, like repairing roads, funding schools, and paying for law enforcement. Property taxes can make up to 50% of a county's revenue. If property taxes do not arrive on time, many county governments find it difficult to budget or even function without this income. Instead of holding the lien until the property  owner finally pays their taxes, many states allow their county governments to sell off these liens in the form of tax lien certificates.

Q: How does Tax Certificates work?
A: Tax lien certificates work like this: To get their money quickly, counties sell their liens to nearly any private citizen in any city or state who wants to buy them, and then issue certificates for the liens.
The state gets immediate cash flow, and the investor gets to earn all of the future penalties and interest on the tax debt of the property owner collected by the county, as well as the chance to foreclose on the property if the debt isn't paid in three years.

The vast majority of people who owe money end up paying off the lien. But if they don't pay, you can actually foreclose on their property and become the new owner, just for the cost of what you paid for the lien plus any administrative and attorney costs to foreclose. You could potentially end up with an expensive house and lot for just a few hundred or a few thousand dollars (depending on how much the lien was for, and how much your attorney costs)! That's rare, but it does happen.

Q: What kind of return do you get by investing in tax liens?
A: It depends on the state. In Colorado, for example, each year the Colorado Banking Commission, guided by a state statute, determines the interest rate a Colorado property owner must pay on his/her unpaid taxes. The rate is changed yearly to be 9% above the best rate a bank can get from the Federal Reserve. For example, if the federal discount rate is 4%, add 9%, and you will earn 13%. Interest in Colorado typically ranges between 11% and 15%. In 1995 and 1996, the interest rate was 14%. The rate of return for the 1999 tax lien certificates was 15% and the current tax lien interest rate for 2001 is 12%. If 12% doesn't sound like much, consider this: The average historical long term return for stocks of the S&P 500 is just 11%. And with stocks, the market can easily go down for several years before it goes back up. With Colorado tax liens, you get a guaranteed return backed by the government. That means you can beat the average stock market return year after year without the high level of risk.

Q: Is this for real? It sounds too good to be true.
A: Tax lien certificates aren't some shady investment that you buy from a broker or an investment firm you've never heard of. You purchase these tax liens directly from the state or county government (depending on the state). The government isn't going to close up shop and leave town. This type of investment was created by state law, and state law protects you as the investor.

Q: Okay, so how do I get started investing in tax lien certificates?
A: Not every state sells tax liens. Some states sell them, but the rate of return is so low that it isn't worth the hassle of dealing with them. You can call the office of the state treasurer, or a county treasurer in your state to see if tax liens are available for purchase where you live. If you are interested in purchasing tax liens, you can buy a report from us that fully explains every single step to start investing. It even includes phone numbers and addresses for each state where tax lien investing is most profitable! The contact information alone will save you hours and hours of research.
 
Do you think $ 19.95 is a lot to spend? Look at it this way -- spending less than $20 is really a painless drop in the bucket compared to the money and valuable time you're going to waste on trying to learn how to get started investing in tax liens this year.

I have a master's degree (M.S) in Business, with major in Guidance and Counseling from University of Wisconsin-Stout. I graduated in 1971 from Menominee, Wisconsin. I have One Bachelor’s degree (B.Com) with honors in Banking and marketing. I have 2nd Bachelor’s degree (B.S) in Education with major in Teaching and Psychology and it took me weeks of research to gather this material, and then even longer to put it together in a way that is actually easy to understand.

What is your time worth? Even if your time is only worth $5 an hour, it would probably take you at least 40 to 80 hours of research to recreate what has already been done for you. That's $300 to $400. And honestly, isn't your time worth a lot more than $5 an hour? I know mine is!

Q: What if I don't like the information?
A: We are absolutely sure you'll agree that this report contains all of the information you need to get started investing tax liens. But if for any reason you don't find the report to be as informative and useful as we say, simply mail it back to us within 30 days and we'll give you a no-hassle refund.

Q: What information and resources are available in the Members' Area?
A: In our Members' Area we provide you with direct access links to Counties and Tax Collectors in all 50 States so you can easily research tax sales and tax lien certificates. We have done all this work so you don't have to. Immediately upon joining our site you will have instant access to our Members' Area and can begin your research immediately.

Q: Can regular citizens buy tax sale properties and tax lien certificates, and make profits?
A: Throughout the US, there are many investors taking advantage of the tax laws that allow members of the general public to purchase real estate for back taxes owed, or to purchase tax lien certificates that pay high interest to the certificate holder. This is something that any US citizen can participate in.

Q: Do I need a special license in order to buy at tax sales?
A: Tax sales are open to the general public, and any US Citizen of legal age can buy them.
How much does membership cost? You can join our site for one full year for a one-time payment of $19.99. You will not be re-billed ever. If you decide to continue your membership after the first year, you may come back to our site at that time and sign up for another year, and so on.

Q: Do you have a guarantee?
A: Yes - we have a full money-back guarantee. If you are not delighted with your membership to our website, then email us your receipt within 30 days of purchase, and we will refund your membership fee in full.

Q: How expensive are tax sale properties and tax lien certificates?
A: It all depends on how many years of back taxes have been unpaid. Generally, the amount of back taxes owed is only a fraction of the value of the property itself, so if you are able to acquire the property for taxes, you will be able to sell the property very quickly on the open market for a profit.

Q: How can I become a member of your site?
A: To join our site and have full access to the Members' Area, all you have to pay is a one-time fee of $19.99, for one year's access.