I am interested in investing in real estate. Are buying properties through tax sales a good investment?

From what I've found out, it is possible to purchase property for the back taxes that are owed, but unpaid. I would like information on how to find these properties and how to purchase them. I think there's an auction. Do I have to attend the auction in person, or is it possible to purchase online, like on ebay? I live in the central area of California (Fresno). Is the procedure different for different areas of the state or country? Is there a website where I can go to obtain more information on this subject for my area? Any information you can provide would greatly help. Thank you.

If it was such a hot property, and they saw they were going to lose it, why didn't it sell? Good advice I got once was never to invest in something I knew nothing about. There are websites which charge a fee for such information. Auctions on tax properties are "As is, where is" propositions. Some countries will not allow foreign ownership of land. Often, too, permanent residency is a bit of a hard go as well, depending on the country.
Beware on the online "Tax Auction/Govt. Seizures/ confiscation sites. Some list properties that are years ago sold and the listings have not been removed. I type in a small town to see what they list. That tells me a lot. Also, beware of houses where kitchens were ripped out being sold by law enforcement. These are usually former METH labs and could still be very hazardous to your health.

I dont know about California but here in Florida tax lien certificates are an excellent investment for several reasons
1) The interest you earn on the back taxes is guaranteed by the county that sells you the certificate. I believe the max interest you can earn here in Florida is 18% annually
2) If the owner of the property does not pay the back taxes including the above mentioned interest...You get the house, and since tax liens take priority over mortgages you could end up with a house free and clear...but that is unlikely

A little advice, when looking at buying a tax lien, try to buy one where to the owner lives out of state, that way you will have a better chance of actually getting the property.

Use a search engine and type in "Tax Lien Sales"

Good luck, go to a few auctions to see how it works, they are fun then once you feel comfortable start bidding, It really is a no lose situation

Well, California has more laws on real estate than people I think so it's in your best interest for you to do some research.
For many years here in N.M. we had a company that did nothing but tax sales on behalf of investors and was incredibly lucrative then they changed the law of notification and it became very expensive to do the research on a per property basis. So we discontinued the service and only do it on a limited basis. Tax sales require a knowledge of what the law says about what kind of title you are acquiring and what residual property rights the taxpayer losing the property will retain if any. It also requires you to know how to locate the property and be able to go see it and see if it meets with your liking. Of course when you get to the auction you will be competing with many bidders that most likely don't know what they are doing and simply bid on the property because they trust the government (hmmm "trust the government" when the government just took a property away from somebody?, interesting concept) In any event here are the links that you will need to do research in California
PROPERTY TAXATION LAWS: http://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/proptax.... or http://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/ptrules....
Property Tax Delinquency Information: http://www.sco.ca.gov/col/taxinfo/tcs/in...
Delinquent Property Tax Sales/Auctions Santa Barbara: http://www.countyofsb.org/ttcpapg/delinq...
Taxation and explanation of mobile homes: http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/tax/mobpa...
Happy Holidays and Buena Suerte

wow 18% in Florida..
the higher the auction price (cash only)..the better the chances the owner can not pay
and the interest..
Washington is 8%..but it is a small county one i went to..and severely depressed..
you had to be there in person because the county wanted the money that day..and that was one of the rules.
a representative can attend and bid for you..
but the price is expected to be paid that day..