How to buy tax-sale property in Oregon (2026)
You buy the property itself, not a lien. The owner has 2 years to pay you back. You earn 1.3% interest a month. You win with the highest bid. Sales are held on a schedule that varies by county.
- Redemption period
- 24 mo
- Interest / penalty
- Flat rate · 1.3333%
- Bid method
- Highest bid
- Sale timing
- Varies
How to bid here · Oregon
HybridWhether the sale is online, in person, by sealed bid, or a mix. The format decides how you register and whether you can react to other bids. See the full glossary for more terms.- 1.Confirm the county has foreclosed: real property is subject to foreclosure once three years have elapsed from the earliest delinquency date, and title is deeded to the county after the redemption period (ORS 312.010(1), 312.200)
- 2.Watch for the county's disposition of the property: a former primary residence is listed with a real estate broker or agent, while other property goes to a public high-bid auction (ORS 312.520(1)-(3))
- 3.Find the auction advertisement, which must run in a multiple listing service for at least 30 days before the auction; the auction may include real-time online bidding (ORS 312.520(3)(c)(A), (3)(e))
- 4.Bid at least the minimum starting bid: two-thirds of the property's fair market value, or, at a re-auction after a failed sale, the outstanding taxes and allowable costs (ORS 312.520(3)(c)(C), (4))
- 5.Win as the highest bidder, provided the bid exceeds the outstanding taxes and other allowable costs (ORS 312.520(3)(b))
- 6.Close the sale with the county and take the deed; the county deposits the gross proceeds and determines any surplus for the former owner (ORS 312.520(8), 312.530)
- RegistrationSigning up as a bidder before the sale. Counties set the deadlines and paperwork, which may include an application, identification, and a no-delinquent-taxes statement. See the full glossary for more terms.
- Required: UnknownUnknown
Not verified from a source yet.
- DepositMoney you must post before or at the sale, often a flat amount or a percentage of your bid. It is usually applied to the purchase price if you win and is often non-refundable if you fail to pay. See the full glossary for more terms.
- Required: UnknownUnknown
Not verified from a source yet.
- FormsPaperwork a county may collect before you can bid, such as a bidder ID card or a W-9 for tax reporting. See the full glossary for more terms.
- Bidder ID card: UnknownW-9: Unknown
- EligibilityRules about who may bid. Some counties restrict non-residents or bar anyone who owes delinquent taxes from participating. See the full glossary for more terms.
- Residency required: UnknownNo delinquent taxes: Unknown
The winning bid must exceed the outstanding taxes and other allowable costs chargeable against the property (ORS 312.520(3)(b))
- PaymentHow and when you must pay after winning. Certified or cleared funds are common and personal checks usually are not; missing the deadline typically forfeits your deposit. See the full glossary for more terms.
- Unknown
Not verified from a source yet.
Oregon does not auction tax liens: the county forecloses judicially, takes a deed, and later disposes of the property. ORS 312.520 (rewritten by 2025 c.475) sends former primary residences to a broker listing and everything else to a public high-bid auction with a two-thirds fair-market-value floor; a second auction drops the floor to the taxes and allowable costs. Bidder registration, deposits, and forms are not addressed in the statutes cited, so they remain unknown.
Citations
Sale type
ORS 312.200
official source“The properties not redeemed within the two-year period prescribed by ORS 312.120 shall be deeded to the county by the tax collector”
Redemption
ORS 312.120
official source“shall be held by the county for the period of two years from and after the date of the judgment of foreclosure, unless sooner redeemed”
Interest / penalty
ORS 311.505
official source“(2) Interest shall begin to accrue, and shall be collected, at the rate of one and one-third percent per month, or fraction of a month, until paid”
Bid method
ORS 312.520
official source“The property shall be sold to the highest bidder at auction, provided the bid exceeds the outstanding taxes and other allowable costs chargeable against the property”
Sale schedule
ORS 312.520
official source“After the expiration of the statutory redemption period under ORS 312.120 or 312.122, the county may elect to retain the property for public purposes or transfer title to the property to a nonprofit organization”
ORS 312.120 (2-year redemption, 5% penalty); ORS 311.505(2) (1-1/3%/month). | Prose: deed | interest 1-1/3% per month on delinquent taxes; 5% penalty plus interest on redemption (ORS 312.120(2)) | 2 years after judgment of foreclosure, unless sooner redeemed | public high-bid auction to highest bidder (after county holds property) | varies by county (auctioned only after redemption period if not retained/transferred)
Frequently asked questions
- What do I actually buy at a Oregon tax sale?
- The investor buys the property itself at sale. No redemption period usually follows, so title transfers directly.
- How long does the owner have to redeem the property in Oregon?
- 24 months (2 years)
- What interest or penalty do I earn on a Oregon tax sale?
- 1.3333% flat per month.
- How is the winning bidder chosen in Oregon?
- The parcel or lien goes to the highest bidder at auction.
Track Oregon sales as they post
Get alerts when new Oregon auctions and parcels appear, and see the plans that unlock the full parcel book.
Not legal, tax, or investment advice. Read the full disclaimer.