We buy houses directly — as-is, no repairs, no agent fees.
Selling a Pensacola, Florida house with a tax lien on it
Liens and unpaid taxes are settled at closing. You do not pay them first.
What this actually means
Unpaid property taxes can become a recorded lien against the property, and in many places that lien can be sold to an investor who then holds the claim and earns interest on it. The lien travels with the property, not with you, which is why a buyer's title company will find it and why it has to be resolved at closing.
What usually goes wrong
Owners frequently discover the amount owed is far higher than the original tax, because interest and fees have been compounding for years. The second problem is assuming a lien means the house is already lost. Usually it is not — but the window is not indefinite.
Your options
Pay the lien off and sell normally. Sell and clear the lien out of the sale proceeds at closing. Arrange a payment plan with the authority, where one is offered. Do nothing and let the interest continue to accrue.
What applies in Pensacola, Florida
Under Florida law the holder of a tax certificate may apply for a tax deed once two years have passed since 1 April of the year the certificate was issued — which is the point at which an unpaid tax bill can start to cost the owner the property. (Source: https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2023/197.502) The median time a home sits on the market in the Pensacola area was 67 days in August 2026. (Source: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEDDAYONMAR37860)
Common questions
Do I have to pay it before selling? Not if you sell to us. It comes out of the proceeds at closing. Will I get anything? That depends on what the property is worth against what is owed. We will show you the arithmetic. Is a lien the same as losing the house? No. It is a claim against it. Losing it is a later and separate step.
What we do
We buy properties with tax liens attached and settle the lien through closing, so you are not asked to find the money first. We cannot reduce what is owed or negotiate the lien away, and we cannot tell you how long you have. The authority holding the lien can tell you both.
How selling to us works
You tell us about the property. There is no cost and no obligation. We look at it — in person where that is useful, and we do not ask you to prepare it first. We make an offer, and we explain how we arrived at it rather than simply naming a number. If the offer works for you, you choose the closing date. If it does not, that is a perfectly good answer and we leave it there.
Tell us about the property
Send us the details and we will take a look. No cost, and no obligation to sell.
Start with the property address
No obligation · No fees · Takes about 2 minutes · Your information stays private