Tax lien leads
A lien has been recorded against the property for unpaid taxes. That is a matter of public record, it accrues interest, and it does not go away on its own — which is why owners on this list tend to pick up the phone.
What is actually on the list
When a property owner misses enough tax payments, the county records a lien. In many states the county then sells that lien to an investor, who collects the debt plus statutory interest and, if it stays unpaid long enough, can move to take the property. The details vary a great deal by state and sometimes by county, so the one thing worth doing before you work a lien list anywhere new is reading that county treasurer’s own page on how its sale works.
What matters commercially is simpler: the owner has a debt attached to the house, it is public, and it has a clock on it.
Why these owners answer
A tax lien is one of the few problems in real estate that a homeowner cannot quietly ignore. The balance grows, the notices keep coming, and the eventual outcome is losing the property over an amount that is usually small next to its value. People in that position are unusually willing to have a conversation about selling, even when they were not thinking about selling last week.
That is the whole reason this is our largest category. Of the leads we have worked, tax liens are the biggest single slice — not because we prefer them, but because that is where sellers reply.
What you should expect on the call
Two things come up constantly. The first is embarrassment — many owners assume you are a collector, and the opening seconds matter. The second is that the lien is frequently not the real problem. It is a symptom of a death in the family, a divorce, a job loss, an inherited property nobody wants, or a landlord who has run out of patience. The lien is what made him or her findable; the story is what makes the deal.
The practical consequence: do not lead with the lien. You already know about it, and saying so early makes the call feel like enforcement.
Where we hold tax lien leads leads
Counted from our own inventory on September 10, 2026. States are listed by how many of this list type we have actually worked, not by population.
Questions people ask
Is the owner still allowed to sell a house with a tax lien on it?
Yes. A lien is a claim against the property, not a freeze on it. In an ordinary closing the lien is paid out of the proceeds like any other payoff, which is often exactly what the seller wants — it clears the debt without him or her having to find the cash first. Your title company handles the mechanics.
How far behind is someone before a lien shows up?
It varies by state and county — some record after a single missed year, others wait longer. That is why we point you at the county treasurer for the specific rules rather than quoting a number that would be wrong somewhere.
Are these owners in foreclosure?
Not necessarily, and usually not. A tax lien and a mortgage foreclosure are separate processes. Some of these owners are current on the mortgage and only behind on taxes; some have no mortgage at all, which is common on inherited property.
Do I get the lien amount with the lead?
No. What you get is the seller — his or her name, phone number and the conversation that already happened. Lien balances live with the county and change as interest accrues, so a figure attached to a lead would be stale by the time you called.
Other lead types
Every lead on Freedom Leads is a seller who already replied to a text. $5 each, sold once, to one buyer.