See how TaxLienSimple works, start to finish

This is TaxLienSimple. In the next few minutes, I'll find a surplus fund, check that it's worth working, and track it all the way to payout.

Start in County Data, on the Surplus funds tab. Every number here comes from the county's own list, and you can see how much is still open.

Open a state to see each county: the total, what's still open, the largest record, and the nearest deadline.

Search records takes you straight to those records.

Here in Research, you can narrow it down. I'll keep the open records, set a deadline within ninety days, and sort by the largest amount.

Open a record to see the detail.

Here's the amount, the claim deadline, and the former owner. Below that is everyone on the case. Lienholders and government claims can be paid before the owner, so check them first.

Every record shows the state's rules: how long the claim window is, any limit on your fee, and what you must tell the owner.

If it's worth working, add it to My claims.

Your claims live on one board, by stage. The top shows what you're working, your expected fees, and what's due this week.

Open the claim. The deadline countdown sits at the top.

From here you can search for the former owner by name and mailing address. Anyone matching the auction buyer is left out, because that's the wrong person.

Note who you're working with, and set a follow-up date. You'll get a reminder email that morning.

Every call, email, and letter goes in the contact log, so you never lose track.

Enter the fee you agreed. TaxLienSimple holds it to the state's limit, and shows what you'll earn.

Print a first letter in one click. Every letter tells the owner they can claim from the county for free.

The recovery agreement prints the state's fee limit and the required disclosure, and it won't print a fee above that limit.

Keep the paperwork here: photo ID, death certificates, the signed agreement. Only you can see it.

Move the claim along as it progresses. When the county pays, record the amount and your fee.

That's the whole workflow, from finding the money to getting paid, in one place.

If you came here for tax liens, start in Property Research and choose Tax Lien.

Liens without a set sale date sit under Timing not assigned yet. That includes over the counter liens you can buy now, with no auction.

Pick a state and a county. I'll use Maricopa County, Arizona.

Tick Mapped only to see each lien on the map, and switch to aerial imagery to look at the property from above.

Open a lien to see the full research.

The Research Score grades it from A to D, out of one hundred, and shows where the points come from.

Estimated value and confidence gives you a value range, and tells you how far to trust it. It's a starting point, not an appraisal.

Risk flags come up before you buy: whether it's still available, liens that may survive, and a source that may be out of date. Open one to see what to check.

The due diligence checklist shows the lien to value ratio and the back taxes, and what you still need to verify yourself.

Sources and freshness links every fact back to the county's own record.

Then calculate your maximum bid. You get a comfortable range, a caution range, and the price where you should stop.

Back in Research, mark it as a bid candidate, and add private notes that only you can see.

Save your search as a Deal Radar, and new matches come to you by email.

That's tax liens: from a county to a lien worth buying, with every fact sourced to the county.

Buying the property itself? In Property Research, choose Tax Deed.

Pick your state and county. Here it's Harris County, Texas, where sales are already scheduled.

Set a price range you're comfortable with, and tick Mapped only.

Open a property.

Start with the Research Score, then the estimated value range, and how confident that estimate is.

Then the risk flags. In a deed sale, liens that survive the sale and a structure we couldn't confirm matter most.

Run the rehab and flip analysis to see what's left after repairs, holding costs, and selling.

Back on the property, download the parcel report as a PDF, to keep with your notes.

Watch the property and mark it as a bid candidate. Tick Saved only at any time to see your shortlist.

That's tax deeds: from a county to a property you're ready to bid on.

Foreclosure auctions work a little differently. In Property Research, choose Foreclosure.

Pick your state and county. I'll use Genesee County, Michigan, where sales are already on the calendar.

Each listing shows the address, the sale date, and its grade.

Open one.

Check the risk flags first. In a foreclosure, liens and encumbrances the sale may not clear are the big one.

Before the sale, you can reach the owner. Draft a letter for this property from the Letters and Scripts library.

Or add it to the Outreach Tracker, and work it through each stage.

And when a foreclosure sells for more than was owed, the surplus can show up under Surplus Funds, which has its own walkthrough.

That's foreclosures: research the sale, reach the owner, and track every follow-up.