Behind on Property Taxes? You Still Have Options — and Equity Worth Protecting.
We buy Central Florida houses with back taxes, liens, and tax certificates — as-is. The taxes get paid at closing, out of the sale. Not out of your pocket.
No repairs. No judgment. No cost to find out where you stand.
Get a No-Obligation Cash Offer » or call/text us: 321-316-1051
Falling Behind on Taxes Happens to Good People. What Matters Is What Happens Next.
Medical bills, a job change, a fixed income that stopped keeping up — there are a hundred honest reasons property taxes go unpaid. It happens to homeowners all over Orlando, Apopka, Sanford, and Deltona, and nobody plans for it.
Here’s what most owners don’t realize: in Florida, unpaid taxes turn into tax certificates, and after enough time, the certificate holder can force a tax deed sale — an auction of your property. If that happens, you can lose the property for a fraction of what it’s worth, and years of equity can disappear.
The good news: until that auction happens, you’re still in control. You have time, you have options, and if the property has equity, that equity is yours to protect.
The Back Taxes Are Our Problem to Solve, Not Yours
- Taxes, certificates, and liens get paid at closing — directly out of the sale proceeds. You never write a check for them.
- You don’t need to fix anything. We buy as-is, whether the house needs a roof or just needs a new owner.
- We do the county legwork. We’ll pull the exact payoff on the tax certificates and show you the real numbers, so you know exactly where you stand before you decide anything.
- We’re local, and we show up. We can sit down with you at the property or over coffee, walk through the numbers face to face, and answer your questions in person — not from a call center three states away.
- Still want to keep the house? Then we’ll tell you that. Sometimes a payment plan with the county or paying off the certificates is the smarter move, and we’ll say so.
Know Your Numbers in 24 Hours
Step 1 — Tell us about the property. Short form or a quick call. We’ll pull the tax status with the county — you don’t have to dig anything up.
Step 2 — See the full picture. We show you what’s owed, what the property’s worth, and a fair cash offer — so you can see your actual equity in black and white.
Step 3 — You choose. Sell and walk away with your equity, or use what you learned to keep the property. Either way, you’ll know exactly where you stand — and it costs you nothing.
Why Talk to Us Instead of Waiting
Tax problems don’t age well. Certificates collect interest, and once a tax deed application is filed, the clock speeds up. Listing with an agent takes months you may not have — plus repairs, showings, and commissions.
We’re the buyer. We can move as fast as the situation needs — in some cases closing in days, with the taxes paid off at the table and the remaining equity wired to you.
Sage Hill Properties is a local, family-run investment company in Central Florida. We work with these county tax offices every week — Orange, Seminole, Lake, Volusia, Brevard — and we know exactly how to get payoffs done cleanly and on time.
Straight Answers About Back Taxes in Florida
How far behind can I be and still sell?
Right up until the tax deed sale happens. Even if a tax deed application has been filed, there’s usually still time — but the sooner we talk, the more options you have.
Do I have to pay off the taxes before selling to you?
No. That’s the whole point — taxes, interest, and fees get paid from the sale at closing. You bring nothing to the table.
Will I actually get money, or does it all go to the taxes?
If the property is worth more than what’s owed, the difference is your equity — and it comes to you at closing. We’ll show you that math upfront, before you commit to anything.
What if there are other liens too — code enforcement, utilities, a mortgage?
Same answer. The title company pulls everything, it all gets paid at closing, and you see the full breakdown before you sign.
Is this going to hurt my credit?
Selling doesn’t hurt your credit. Letting a property go to a tax deed auction, on the other hand, can leave money on the table you never get back.
Find Out Where You Stand — It Costs Nothing
The worst move is not knowing your numbers. Tell us about the property, and within a day you’ll know what’s owed, what it’s worth, and what your options are. Then you decide. No pressure either way.
Get My Cash Offer » or call/text: 321-316-1051
We buy houses with back taxes in Orlando, Apopka, Sanford, Kissimmee, Deltona, Palm Bay, and throughout Orange, Seminole, Lake, Volusia, and Brevard counties.
The Florida Tax Deed Timeline — How Much Time Do You Actually Have?
Here’s the sequence most owners never have explained clearly. Taxes become delinquent on April 1. Around June, the county sells a tax certificate — an investor pays your bill and earns interest, but you still own your home. The certificate holder must then wait two years from the delinquency date before applying for a tax deed. Only after that application does the county schedule an auction. Translation: falling behind doesn’t cost you the house tomorrow — but once a tax deed application is filed, the timeline compresses fast, and title work for a sale takes time. The sooner you know your numbers, the more options you have.
Do I get money back if my house sells at a tax deed auction? Often, yes — if the auction brings more than what’s owed, the surplus belongs to you and any lienholders. But claiming surplus funds takes time and paperwork, and auction prices usually come in far below market value. Selling before the auction almost always nets you more.
Related Situations
Did the tax problem come with an inherited property? Here’s how selling an inherited house in Orlando works — back taxes get settled at closing there too. If the estate is still in court, see selling a house in probate in Florida — the county’s tax clock keeps running during probate, so don’t let a tax deed sale sneak up on the estate.