Highlands County, Florida

Oct 7, 2026 · in 6 days

Tax Deedscheduledvia County site

Parcels

3 withdrawn hidden

Opening bids

$939,050

all parcels priced

Redemption

None

clear title at sale

Quiet title

$2K–$5K

typically required

What survives this sale

Florida tax deed generally clears many junior liens; federal tax liens and certain governmental interests can survive. Independent title search required.

Highlands County rules

Sale type: Hybrid
Redemption period: Lien: 2 years before deed application allowed. Deed: none once issued.
Investor return: Lien: 5–18% (bid-down, 5% minimum return rule)
Governing statute: Florida Statutes Ch. 197
Population: 109,778 residents
Checked: 2026-07

Auction logistics

Format: Online
Frequency: Designated Wednesdays starting 10:00 a.m. online (bi-weekly pattern historically); certificates annually June window
Platform: RealAuction RealTaxDeed — Highlands County tax deeds863-402-6565
Deposit rules: Register and fund bidder deposit on RealTaxDeed before sale. Standard FL pattern: greater of 5% of high bid or $200 non-refundable deposit applied to purchase; balance with costs due per platform/Clerk terms (certified funds). Sold AS IS; Clerk does not guarantee marketable title. Contact Tax Deeds Division 863-402-6565.

Title risk

Common after Florida tax deed for insurable title before resale/refinance.

Offices and records

Tax collector: Highlands County Tax Collector — Tax Deed Process / certificates863-402-6683
Clerk of court: Highlands County Clerk of Courts — Tax Deeds863-402-6565
Property appraiser: Highlands County Property Appraiser
GIS / parcel map: Highlands County Property Appraiser / GIS

Areas trending up

Sebring / downtown lake edge — County-seat and hospital employment with lake-recreation demand
Avon Park / US-27 corridor — Relative affordability and retail/service jobs along primary north-south spine
Lake Placid / south Highlands — Second-home and retiree demand around lakes with constrained waterfront inventory

Notes

Florida dual-track: Tax Collector sells certificates and county-held certificates via RealTaxLien (highlandsfl.realtaxlien.com); Clerk runs tax deed sales. Beginning January 2026, all tax deed sales are online Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. at highlands.realtaxdeed.com (previously in-person at Government Center Board Room, Sebring). Lands Available list for unsolds. Tax deed applications via RealTDA when certificate is 2–7 years old; applicant earns 1.5%/month until sale/redemption.

3 sources

Inherited from Florida rather than researched for Highlands: type, redemption, returns, statute.

Parcels — ranked by assessed value over opening bid

Parcel	Address	Opening bid	Assessed	Spread	Status
address 5252 pebble beach dr., sebring	5252 PEBBLE BEACH DR., SEBRING · SEBRING	$45,809	—	—	pending
address 7033 san benito dr., sebring	7033 SAN BENITO DR., SEBRING · SEBRING	$45,809	—	—	pending
address 7055 san benito dr., sebring	7055 SAN BENITO DR., SEBRING · SEBRING	$45,809	—	—	pending
address 712 winthrop st., avon park

Spread is not profit.It compares the opening bid to the county's assessed value, which is not market value — Florida assesses at just value, but Save Our Homes / Amendment 1 caps compress assessed below market on long-held homesteads. Open a parcel to run the full max-bid analysis, which accounts for the assessment ratio, surviving liens, quiet title, and holding costs.