Wednesday, January 26, 2011

What are Tax Lien Certificates?

For any property that is owned in the United States, there are certain local taxes that need to be paid every year. In the event of non-payment of these taxes for a substantial amount of time, a county government or municipality has the right to seize the property from the owner. To give an opportunity to the owner to pay his tax dues, a county may sell tax lien certificates for the property. It is a provision for the owner to secure a loan to pay his taxes.

The person who buys a tax lien certificate is providing a loan to the real estate owner. This provides the owner with some time to repay the tax debt. A holder of any tax lien certificate must be returned the principal amount, along with a fixed interest, within a fixed period of time. Failure to repay the loan provides the tax lien certificate owner with a right to acquire the property outright in some states. It is a tax debt relief instrument.

It all depends on whether the real estate owner is able to pay back. In any case, you will certainly make a profit, based on the interest rate paid back to you. Many people looking for a real estate investment go for tax lien certificates, as they provide them with an opportunity to acquire properties at a fraction of market prices in some states. 

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