Don’t Buy Tax Lien Certificates Until You Read This!

posted by admin on 2009.04.30, under business
30:

Some real estate gurus make tax lien investing sound like it’s

a sure thing. That you’re guaranteed to make huge interest rates

and that’s it’s “government guaranteed.” Unfortunately for You,

they leave out a few facts and are stretching the truth quite a bit.

First you have to understand that tax sales are auctions and

in most state those extremely high interest rates are bid down to

extremely low rates. Why would investors do that? It’s simple,

sometimes there are other penalties that they will get should the

lien redeem. In New Jersey for instance the penalty is between

2-6% depending on the amount of the lien. In Florida there is a

penalty of 4%. Also once you own the lien, you can pay the

subsequent taxes and get the maximum interest on that.

Secondly, you must understand that there is no guarantee that

you will get paid on your lien. Of course if you don’t get paid,

you can foreclose once the redemption period is over. But no

one guarantees that you will be paid! What these gurus mean

when they say that tax liens are “government guaranteed” is that

the laws are on your side. If you don’t get paid you can

eventually foreclose on the property. The only thing guaranteeing

your investment is the property! That’s why I don’t recommend

investing in tax liens through the mail or online. Would you buy

property that you didn’t see first!

When you buy a tax lien certificate, even though you are not

purchasing the property, there is always the chance that the lien

will not redeem and you will have to foreclose on the property.

What if the property is worthless? What if it is an unbuildable

piece of land? Then you are stuck with a worthless piece of

property that no one will want to buy from you and if you don’t

continue to pay the taxes on it, it will eventually revert back to

the county that sold it to you.

Yes, there are risks involved in tax lien investing and no, it is not

a sure thing. It is however an excellent way to invest your money

if you know what you are doing. If you are contemplating buying

a program to learn how to invest in tax lien certificates or tax

deeds, beware! Don’t buy an e-book, coaching program, or a

course from someone who candy coats the business of investing

in tax lien certificates and tax deeds and makes it sound like you

can’t fail and there are no risks. The truth is that you can fail and

there are risks to avoid. Instead buy one of these products from

someone who tells you what the risks are and how to avoid them.

This will give you a better chance for success in buying profitable

tax lien certificates and tax deeds.

Joanne Musa is a Tax Lien Investing Coach and Consultant who works with investors who want to learn how to buy profitable tax lien certificates and tax deeds. She is the president of Tax Lien Consulting LLC, a consulting firm for tax lien investors. She is the author of the e-books: Tax Lien Investing Secrets and Tax Lien Lady’s State Guide to Tax Lien and Tax Deed Investing, available at http://www.taxlienconsulting.com For more tips on investing in tax lien certificates send an e-mail to MoreTips@taxlienconsulting.com

Joanne Musa - EzineArticles Expert Author

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