With the U.S. economy in its worst position since the great depression with promise to worsen for the next couple years, many Americans wonder where they can find relief.  Despite the historically dreadful economy there is relief in tax liens and tax deeds.  Right now is the time to get involved with tax lien investing because it offers a unique investment opportunity.  A tax lien is a unique investment because of three main reasons: It is state mandated - Remember when the states were allowed to govern themselves without being sued by the federal government?  Those were great times.  Well there are still some instances where the states are allowed to govern themselves.  States govern the tax lien and/or tax deed program in their individual states.  That means that the state has set up regulations for how much an investor will make on a tax lien certificate and the life of the tax lien certificate (redemption period).  Arizona has set laws that the annual return is 16 percent; Florida's law is 18 percent; Texas' law is 25 percent for every 6-month period.  Tax liens are incredibly unique because the investment is regulated by the state.  There is security found in tax liens that cannot be found anywhere else. Tax liens are backed by real estate - This is another huge factor that results in increased security for the investment.  Not only is the tax lien or tax deed investment state regulated, but also each tax lien is backed by the same property that the tax lien was issued for.  That means that if the property owner were to fail to pay delinquent taxes during the redemption period, then the investor can take ownership of the property.  Tax liens are unique because they are extremely secure being backed by real estate and state regulated. Tax lien certificates promise huge returns - The third of the three main reasons that tax sales are such a phenomenal place for investing is that tax lien certificates promise extremely high returns.  Annual returns range from 8 percent on the very low side to 50 percent on the high side.  But returns can grow exponentially when you take ownership of the property if the property owner fails to pay the delinquent taxes.  The other advantage of tax lien properties is that the investor controls the return.  The investor doesn't need to accept 8 percent if they're interested in 8 percent; they simply need to invest in a state with higher returns. Americans face the daunting task of making money and keeping the money that they make.  Tax lien and tax deed investing offers an opportunity to make money that is unrivaled.  Real estate is dangerous and the stock market is hopeless.  We can help you make real money and build your retirement like no one else on the planet.  The thousands of investors we have taught thus far evidence that we can help anyone create financial independence. No Risk Investor is the most trusted resource for tax lien and tax deed investing.  Investors all over the world have joined the ranks of tax lien and deed investors using No Risk Investor's simple resources to make money in tax liens and tax deeds.  No other source provides as many quality lists and tools to help investors quickly find great investments that will return 16% - 50% every year.

There are many ways one can become an expert in tax lien and tax deed investing.  There are two primary ways that stand out to me.  The first is to surround oneself with information, and the second is by acting.  One can never become a proficient tax lien investor unless they have those two things: learning and experience.  The learning brings knowledge and the experience brings wisdom.  I wanted to take a minute to write a blog about the many things that No Risk Investor has that make learning and investing a thousand times easier than anything else. Tax lien investing is really quite simple.  Five years ago it was quite difficult.  It involved a lot of phone calls, mailing letters, and traveling.  We set out to make it as simple as possible.  The first thing we did was set up a system to retrieve tax lien and tax deed lists from all over the country.  That is the most time consuming part of tax lien and tax deed investing.  You can't buy tax lien properties until you have a list.  All an investor has to do is download a list from the site.  Thousands of lists are available on the site with hundreds of thousands of tax deed properties and tax liens on those lists. The next thing our students wanted to know was when the tax sales were actually happening.  Is the list you just downloaded a list for the auction or is it a list of left over liens?  It is also important to know when the sale is when considering purchasing at the tax lien sales or after.  So we started posting all the month's events on a calendar on the website.  And the events correlate with lists in the Download Center. Then we thought our students might want to attend online auctions all over the country from the comfort of their homes.  And they did.  So we went out and found out where all the online auctions were happening and provided links and information for each one of those auctions.  So now our students can buy tax liens and deeds all over the country in their undies in their home office (if they want to...). Then we had students that didn't even want to deal with tax liens and tax deeds (bizarre since that's all we do...) but they just wanted to buy properties right away.  We understood the urgency so we set up a system where only our students can buy discounted properties whenever they want for pennies on the dollar.  They love that. We also provided the most up-to-date free coaching and training videos, education materials (that usually sell for $1,000), and other resources.  Our students are becoming some of the nation's most proficient tax lien and deed investing professionals. No Risk Investor members have access to everything they need to be successful in tax liens and tax deeds.  We're happy to help.  If you haven't signed up for a membership, go learn more on the tax lien investing home page or contact us for more information.

Since we are talking about redemption tax deed states, I wanted to take a minute to describe Louisiana tax deed sales.  Although many investors classify Louisiana as a tax lien state, I'm here to correct the rumors and make sure you know its actual rules as a redemption tax deed state.  What that means is at Louisiana tax sales they do not sell tax lien certificates, they sell a tax deed.  But attached to the tax deed is a redemption period.  Although the investor purchases a tax deed essentially transferring ownership, the property owner still has a period of time to pay back the delinquent property taxes along with any interest or penalties that have accrued to that point in time. The redemption period in Louisiana is one of the longest at 3 years.  That is a pretty long time, but every year that your money is tied up in that investment you would make 12 percent on your money.  That essentially equates to 1 percent every month of the life of the investment.  That is still phenomenal because it is state mandated.  You might return 12 percent annually in the stock market if you are lucky, but you might lose 12 percent, too... so this is still miles ahead of the alternative.  Louisiana also adds a 5 percent penalty at the time of redemption.  So when if the property owner decides to pay their delinquent taxes with interest then another 5 percent is tacked on at the time of redemption and is classified as a penalty.  So if they redeem at the end of the first year, then you would have made 17 percent on your investment. If the property owner does not redeem within the 3-year redemption period, then the property owner loses their right to the property and the investor is a new property owner.  Louisiana tax sales are a great place to invest.  It offers fair returns on your money along with a penalty that the investor receives upon redemption. No Risk Investor is the most trusted resource for tax lien and tax deed investing.  Investors all over the world have joined the ranks of tax lien and deed investors using No Risk Investor's simple resources to make money in tax liens and tax deeds.  No other source provides as many quality lists and tools to help investors quickly find great investments that will return 16% - 50% every year.

If you're interested in tax deed sales, then Georgia is one of the top spots in the country.  But Georgia tax sales are a bit unique.  Georgia's rules are more in line with Texas tax sales and Louisiana tax sales; meaning Georgia is a redemption tax deed state.  They sell a tax deed that has a redemption period attached to it.  That initially turns off some people, but Georgia actually provides a great opportunity.  Let me share a few things about Georgia. Each tax deed that is sold in Georgia has a redemption period of 1 year and 45 days, but during that period an investor will make a 20 percent penalty on their investment.  Georgia tax sales operate through a premium bid method, which means that the winning bidder is the bidder that bids the highest price tag above the minimum bid.  When purchasing at Georgia tax sales you will probably bid a premium amount above the minimum bid amount.  Don't worry, though, because the premium you bid also receives a 20 percent return.  Another bonus is that when the property owner fails to redeem the investor can file a Notice of Foreclosure of Right of Redemption, which triggers another 10 percent penalty.  The Notice can be filed 1 year and 1 day after the sale of the tax deed. Because the investor receives interest on the surplus bid (the amount bid above the minimum asking price) investors tend to bid high amounts for their tax deeds.  As we have always said, make sure to run all the numbers before attending the auction and figure out a maximum bid amount that you are willing to place.  Make sure your maximum bid leaves enough margin to allow you to exit and make the money you are interested in making.  For example, if the property value is $55,000 and you place a winning bid of $53,000, then your margins are small and it may be difficult to make a large return. When investors bid up the premium, it also increases the likelihood that the property owner will not redeem, which gives the investor the right to own the property.  The amount you bid is easy to control.  Just plan ahead. Georgia tax sales are great for investing.  A few main points include the following: Georgia sells redemption tax deeds (tax deed with redemption period of 1 year and 45 days) 20 percent penalty during first year of investment 10 percent penalty added when Notice of Foreclosure of Right of Redemption is filed Premium bidding method (premium is included in price of tax deed) Physical presence is necessary to purchase tax deeds No Risk Investor is the most trusted resource for tax lien and tax deed investing.  Investors all over the world have joined the ranks of tax lien and deed investors using No Risk Investor's simple resources to make money in tax liens and tax deeds.  No other source provides as many quality lists and tools to help investors quickly find great investments that will return 16% - 50% every year.

I was talking to our property division manager yesterday about tax lien properties and the latest news from that division of the company.  He was talking about the many tax lien properties that we still have available in inventory that students can buy right away.  But he was also telling me about some new properties that his team has been working on that he's really excited about.  "It's not something that anyone else is doing."  Other companies have tried to do something similar, but have never been able to make it work.  But our team is able to make it work and has been blowing our students away. His team is actually going out and buying properties individually, fixing them up, and putting renters in them.  He has literally bought thousands of properties for us and treats each property like a personal investment.  He builds each of these properties into a cash flowing investment and then we offer the renting and cash positive investment to our students.  As you can imagine, it has turned out to be a huge hit with our students. Tax lien properties are a great way to make money, and we just want to help students make money sooner than later.  Obviously we know how to invest in tax liens, tax deeds, and real estate properties better than the average citizen, so we have decided to help our students by starting the process and giving students the biggest head start possible.  We are excited to help you and know that you can start receiving a monthly rent check today. No Risk Investor is the most trusted resource for tax lien and tax deed investing.  Investors all over the world have joined the ranks of tax lien and deed investors using No Risk Investor's simple resources to make money in tax liens and tax deeds.  No other source provides as many quality lists and tools to help investors quickly find great investments that will return 16% - 50% every year.

When I was first introduced to tax liens and tax deeds many years ago, I learned something very quickly; finding quality tax lien and tax deed information is quite difficult.  I got a job as a support agent for a company that trained thousands of real estate investors in many different strategies and I was a tax lien expert.  No Risk Investor didn't exist back then so all the manual work had to be done by each individual and it wasn't very fun.  In fact no only did No Risk Investor not exist, but most counties didn't have websites.  Along with a friend that I taught about the strategy, we started calling county after county to get information and lists of tax liens and deeds.  It was time consuming and at times very frustrating.  If you've read my past posts, then you know that working with county workers and trying to chase information down by phone can be difficult. I worked with that company for a long time and helped train countless investors, both advanced and beginning, in tax lien investing.  I spent time on the phones, on the road, and at the county with students.  It was a lot of fun, but through the years I always had one major thought; THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY.  Having the entrepreneurial spirit I decided to make it happen since I couldn't find what all my students and I were looking for. The point was that in order to make this investment strategy more appealing and functional was to provide tools and resources necessary.  I wanted calendars, tax lien lists, tax deed lists, up-to-date information and education, online auctions, and properties.  I knew how incredible the strategy was because I could make high returns and get cheap properties, but I also knew how difficult it was.  So No Risk Investor was born.  I built a system for other investors with everything that I wanted as an investor.  And it turned out to be a hit. The latest tool that we have built to make it even simpler is the investor toolbar.  It should be released soon and will be a free add-on to your browser.  It will have many of the tools and resources that investors need when browsing properties online.  Features include property evaluation, property search, real estate forms, statistics, credit information, indexes, featured properties from No Risk Investor, and much more.  Check back later for its free release. No Risk Investor is the most trusted resource for tax lien and tax deed investing.  Investors all over the world have joined the ranks of tax lien and deed investors using No Risk Investor's simple resources to make money in tax liens and tax deeds.  No other source provides as many quality lists and tools to help investors quickly find great investments that will return 16% - 50% every year.

This is a great article that talks about the great opportunity of tax sales. Thursday, June 24, 2010 By Melanie Ziems Getting a piece of property for $500 may seem too good to be true, even in today's economy. At a public tax sale of properties on Tuesday, though, some local residents took the first step toward owning land for just that, give or take a few hundred dollars. About 2,500 properties were up for auction at the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office's annual tax sale at the parish courthouse in Covington on Wednesday morning. More than 150 bidders showed up to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase a tax lien on a property and eventually own the land, or, if not, collect reimbursement as well as interest payments from the owner. When a property owner doesn't pay property taxes, the parish sells the property for the cost of the owed taxes. "You're really buying the tax burden," St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman George Bonnett said. The original property owner has three years to redeem the property by reimbursing the bidder for the back taxes as well as paying fines and interest. "Very rarely does the buyer end up with the property," Bonnett said, but the process often proves to be a wise investment opportunity for patient bidders with the initial capital to collect on interest. Bonnett said the number of properties to be auctioned was smaller than last year by about 400, but he wouldn't comment on what economic trends that might speak to. Inside the courtroom, Slidell real estate agent and bidder Sandy Bertram noticed "people aren't bidding as much as last year." She cited the economy for the thinner-than-usual crowd. This was her third year to attend the tax sale. The unlikelihood of ever fully owning one of the properties didn't stop Paul Lewis from seeking property he could actually end up owning. It was his first time at a tax sale, he explained, and he was looking for an "upgrade." With a wife and three kids living with him in their three-bedroom home in Covington, he was hoping one of the several properties he paid the taxes on would eventually be completely his. "People don't do what they're supposed to do with their money," he said. "I want to take advantage of that." Some people came just to check out the scene. "We just came to see what it's all about," said Metairie resident Alice Bonura, leaving after about an hour. "But, I'll be back." And as long as St. Tammany residents forgo their property tax responsibility, Bonura will have a sale to return to. Source: Nola.com

Throughout our education material we mention the importance of beginning your tax lien investing in your own backyard.  We get a lot of emails from phone calls from students who are concerned about this.  It is either difficult to invest in tax liens or tax deeds or they want to buy tax liens and only tax deeds are available (and vice versa) in their home county.  This might be a problem for investors, but there are a few suggestions. The main reason we suggest you begin in your home county is because it gives a new investor the opportunity to learn the process face-to-face.  A visit to the county building to have a discussion with the right county worker isn't a bad idea.  This gives the new investor a valuable education that stretches to other tax lien and deed counties across the nation. If you're interested in that then here is your solution.  Since noriskinvestor.com was created it makes investing across the country very simple bringing accessibility to new levels.  An investor had to either visit or negotiate by phone but now the information can just be retrieved through the site.  State and county information, tax lien lists, tax deed lists, and investing education can be downloaded in just a few seconds.  So an investor in California who is interested in tax liens and cannot purchase California tax liens because they don't exist could log into the site and could buy tax liens across the country with just a few clicks. Tax lien investing is an incredible strategy where returns are high and risk is low.  It would be nice if executing the strategy were simple as well.  Despite what you may hear at seminars, in the past it has been one of the most time-consuming and daunting tasks, but with No Risk Investor, it has become one of the most simple investment strategies.  It's rewarding, safe, and simple! No Risk Investor is the most trusted resource for tax lien and tax deed investing.  People all over the world have joined the ranks of tax lien and deed investors using No Risk Investor's simple resources to make money in tax liens and tax deeds.  No other source provides as many quality lists and tools to help investors quickly find great investments that will return 16% - 50% every year.

Let me give you a few tips before tax lien investing at your scheduled tax sales.  Tax sales are a great place to make investments, but it's important to be properly prepared for attending and making bids.  Here are a few things to keep in mind. REGISTRATION Every county in which you would like to buy tax lien certificates will require that you register to participate in the tax sale.  Each county will have different requirements for the registration including time frame before the sale and amount of deposit (if deposit is required).  Try not to procrastinate.  The last thing you want to do is show up to the tax lien sale 15 minutes before its start and try to register.  The county may or may not allow you to make a last second registration. ATTENDANCE As investors grow larger, they want to be in more than one place at a time.  So the question is asked, "Do I have to be present at tax sales to make a purchase?"  The good news is that it is not always required for an investor to be present.  This doesn't mean that you can call in your bids.  It simply means that someone can appear in your stead.  It may be necessary to have a corporation of some sort set up if you plan to have someone represent you at tax sales.  It's easier to have someone represent a company than an individual. COUNTY PROCESSES One thing you need to know before buying tax lien certificates or tax deeds is when final payment is due.  If you do not pay according to county regulations and time frames then you may be banned from tax sales in that county.  Make sure you know what is expected of you and make sure to follow through.  You should also know the appropriate payment method for the county.  Some accept credit cards while others only accept cashier's checks.  When checking out with the county, make sure to verify all tax lien certificates and/or tax deed properties are correct on your purchase list.  As rare as it may be, sometimes they get mixed up. Go out there and have some fun at your next tax lien sale.  If you're not quite ready to make purchases, perhaps it's a good idea to attend an auction just to see how things go.  You'll notice that there are always many observers at these tax lien auctions.  Relatively few people actually are bidding. No Risk Investor is the most trusted resource for tax lien and tax deed investing.  People all over the world have joined the ranks of tax lien and deed investors using No Risk Investor's simple resources to make money in tax liens and tax deeds.  No other source provides as many quality lists and tools to help investors quickly find great investments that will return 16% - 50% every year.

In the last post we gave a couple examples of ways that you can run into trouble with tax liens and tax deeds.  Although it's fairly difficult to lose money in tax lien properties and tax deed properties, it is possible, and we want to make sure you avoid it. So here are the due diligence steps that will help you avoid those costly mistakes. KNOW THE STATE AND COUNTY When deciding where to invest it's important to know the laws and regulations for the area.  Find out when and where tax liens and deeds are purchased.  Is the investor required to attend a tax lien sale, or can he or she purchase tax liens and deeds over-the-counter?  When does the investor have to submit payment for the tax lien or deed purchase?  If you're buying tax liens, know how long the redemption period is.  This can range from 6 months to 3 years depending on the state.  You should know how long the life of your investment will be and when you can take ownership of the property, if the opportunity arises.  It is also important to understand the process of taking a tax lien to deed, when that opportunity arises.  Although it is rare when a tax lien goes through the redemption period and you can take ownership (unless it's in the middle of the Arizona desert), you may want to understand that process just in case. KNOW THE PROPERTY This is probably the most important step during due diligence but is an easy thing to do.  Find out what the property type is.  Is it a single family residential home?  Find out what the assessed and market values are for the property.  Make sure that your investment is backed by valuable property.  If you're buying a $500 tax lien certificate, the property doesn't need to be worth $1,000,000; just make sure there is sufficient value so that if you end up owning the property, you are the owner of valuable property. As you're purchasing tax lien foreclosure properties, you may want to hire a real estate agent who is familiar with the area.  It is common practice to call local agents and have him or her take a look at the property for you.  Let the agent know that you're looking to sell a property and you want him to take a look at it.  You may also get information about how things are selling in the area. You may also want to get a real estate attorney that is familiar with tax deeds and tax liens.  They would help you foreclose on tax liens, when it is necessary.  The real estate attorney will help you dot your i's and cross your t's. No Risk Investor is the most trusted resource for tax lien and tax deed investing.  People all over the world have joined the ranks of tax lien and deed investors using No Risk Investor's simple resources to make money in tax liens and tax deeds.  No other source provides as many quality lists and tools to help investors quickly find great investments that will return 16% - 50% every year.