Sell house fast with back taxes owed in San Rafael, CA.
Unpaid property taxes accrue interest and penalties fast, and eventually trigger a tax-lien sale. Selling for cash pays the taxes at closing and stops the bleeding before the county sells the lien.
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Quick answer
How to sell a tax-delinquent house in San Rafael, CA
Submit the San Rafael address, get a written cash offer plus an owner-financing scenario within 24-48 hours, and close at a local title company in as few as 12 days. No fees, no commissions, no repairs.
What San Rafael back taxes owed sellers tell us
Common pain points.
- Multiple years of unpaid property taxes
- Tax-lien sale notice received from the county
- Penalties + interest growing every month
- Can't catch up while still paying current bills
- Don't want to lose the home (and equity) to tax sale
Typical close in San Rafael
12-21 days
Trusted by sellers to get cash + terms offers
Trusted by sellers to get cash + terms offers
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FAQ
San Rafael back taxes owed questions.
- Will homeinvestor.co pay off the back taxes on my San Rafael house?
- Yes — all unpaid property taxes are paid in full at closing by the title company from the sale proceeds before the seller gets the remainder. You don't pay anything out of pocket.
- What if I owe more in back taxes than the house is worth?
- Then there's no equity for you, but we can still sometimes negotiate with the taxing authority for a discounted payoff. It's case-by-case — submit your address and we'll tell you what's possible.
- How long until the county can foreclose on a tax lien in California?
- Varies by state, but generally 1–4 years of delinquency before the taxing authority can hold a tax-lien or tax-deed sale. Don't wait — the longer you wait the higher the penalties and interest stack up.
- Can I sell if there's already a tax-lien sale scheduled?
- Often yes, if there's still a "right of redemption" window. We've closed San Rafael deals days before the scheduled tax sale. Faster the better.
- How fast can we close?
- 12–14 days for a clean tax-delinquent house. Title company pulls a tax certificate, calculates the payoff, and wires the taxing authority at closing.
Your tax-lien runway here:
Back Taxes Owed in California: the local playbook.
CA foreclosure type
non judicial
California's NOD-to-trustee-sale timeline is ~120 days. If you have equity to protect, we can usually close in 14–21 days and stop the clock before the sale date.
Who closes your deal in CA
Escrow agents handle California closings — no attorney fees on your end. You select the escrow/title company that's closing the deal.
San Rafael sits in Marin County — recording, court filings, and tax-lien notices all run through that county's offices.
San Rafael market reality
High equity statewide means terms deals (owner-financing) often net you 10–15% more than a discounted cash sale. We give you both numbers so you can pick. Bay Area, LA, San Diego, and Sacramento have the most competing buyers.
- Est. median home
- $418,000
- Typical DOM
- 52 days
For San Rafael tax-delinquent sellers specifically: a typical MLS sale at 52 days on market plus CA's normal 30–45 day escrow stretches the resolution to 87+ days — usually longer than the runway you have. A direct cash close in 12–21 days is what makes this path work.
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