tax deed
Washington tax deed guide
Washington counties foreclose delinquent property taxes and auction the property. King County distinguishes these tax foreclosures from mortgage foreclosures and later sales of unsold county tax-title property.
Source review applies to the named instrument and scope in the worked example below. It does not cover every county procedure or transaction in Washington.
When does the clock start?
The delinquency and court foreclosure precede the bidder’s purchase; county notices specify the last opportunity to redeem.
How and when is a return earned?
No statutory investor interest accrues daily, monthly or annually on this completed deed purchase.
What amount earns a return?
The purchase price is a real-estate acquisition cost, not an interest-bearing certificate balance or guaranteed redemption principal.
What happens at redemption?
King County’s notice describes redemption before the auction day, with special protected-person provisions requiring separate attention.
When does earning end?
Unsold property may become county tax-title inventory and be offered later under different sale procedures.
Does property use change the rules?
Classification sources checked 2026-09-15. Review applies to the procedures described below; calculator support is stated separately.
The ordinary tax-foreclosure redemption provision reviewed does not create a residential-versus-agricultural investor rate. Owner status does change post-sale exposure: property of a minor or a person adjudicated legally incompetent may be redeemed within three years after sale.
That exception includes statutory interest and adjustments for qualifying improvements and use. Joint owners can redeem individual interests, and certain tax-deferral liens have separate payment treatment. An ordinary deed-sale assumption is unsafe until these facts are checked.
What to verify before bidding
Review ownership shares, minority or adjudicated-incapacity records, deferred-tax liens, sale date and any improvement/use accounting.
What this calculator covers
The example excludes the protected-person redemption exception. It covers completed ordinary foreclosure purchases, not all Washington parcels.
Try the rules
What this deed purchase earns
Washington — completed ordinary tax-foreclosure deed purchase. A private buyer acquires property at an ordinary county tax-foreclosure sale without the protected-person exception in RCW 84.64.070(5). Excludes that protected-person redemption, federal redemption, erroneous-sale relief, pending proceedings and separate assessment instruments.
The purchase price is a real-estate acquisition cost, not an interest-bearing certificate balance or guaranteed redemption principal.
The prefilled amounts and any collector conventions below are illustrative assumptions. Confirm those facts for an actual holding.
Holding the property
No statutory interest over time.
The flat line shows no statutory investor interest. Your purchase price is not a repayable lien balance; property value and resale proceeds are separate.
Statutory investor interest is not applicable to this completed property purchase. There is no guaranteed repayment of the purchase price or interest.
View values at each change
| Date | Statutory interest |
|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2026 | $0.00 |
| Jan 1, 2027 | $0.00 |
No statutory investor interest accrues daily, monthly or annually on this completed deed purchase. Values use the inputs above and the same calculator as the worked example.
No statutory interest for this instrument. Statutory investor interest is not applicable to this completed property purchase. There is no guaranteed repayment of the purchase price or interest.
- A private buyer acquires property at an ordinary county tax-foreclosure sale without the protected-person exception in RCW 84.64.070(5).
- Ordinary redemption ends at close of business the day before sale. Property of minors or persons adjudicated legally incompetent has a separate three-year post-sale redemption rule with interest and improvement adjustments.
- The holding date does not start an investor interest clock. A $25,000 deed purchase still has no statutory interest entitlement after one day, six months or one year; this does not value the property at $25,000 or promise its repayment.
- Track rental income, actual sale proceeds, ownership expenses and gains or losses separately. Taxpayer delinquency charges and interest payable by a financed buyer are not investor earnings.
- Excludes that protected-person redemption, federal redemption, erroneous-sale relief, pending proceedings and separate assessment instruments.
Illustrative statutory components only, not investment profit. Nonrefundable overbids and fees can produce a loss even when interest is earned. Cash receipts, property value, sale proceeds and booked income are separate.
Before you bid
What to watch for
- A later county tax-title listing is not the same transaction as the original foreclosure auction.
- Calculator scope: A private buyer acquires property at an ordinary county tax-foreclosure sale without the protected-person exception in RCW 84.64.070(5). Excludes that protected-person redemption, federal redemption, erroneous-sale relief, pending proceedings and separate assessment instruments.
Read the rules
Official sources
Use the governing law and the county’s sale terms to confirm the rules for your certificate or deed.
Keep reading
Related guides
Compare nearby states, then return to the full library or the product page that matches this instrument.