Cameron County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Cameron County, seat of Brownsville: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 27, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Texas tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Cameron County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Cameron County Sheriff's Office
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of the month, conducted entirely online. The Cameron County auction calendar shows a tax sale on Tuesday July 7, 2026 and Tuesday August 4, 2026, each flagged "TS 10:30 AM CT", and the Preview Items For Sale page is headed "Tuesday August 4, 2026". The site FAQ states: "The sales are conducted between 10:00 a.m. CT and 4:00 p.m. CT. All sales will cease at 4:00 p.m. CT on the day of the sales and any sales not completed may be reposted for a future date." Not every first Tuesday carries a sale: as of July 25, 2026 the calendar showed no scheduled tax sale for September or October 2026.
Registration and deposit
Register free on the county auction site before the sale. The county's Tax Foreclosure Sale Process page states: "Anyone may bid on the properties by registering on this site at least five (5) business days before the auction. One account will be established for each bidder." A bid deposit is required: "a deposit equal to 5% of the bidder's intended total bid must be made prior to the auction. This deposit can be made via ACH or wire transfer." Deposits must be settled and allocated to Cameron County before the auction starts; wire deposits are due by 5 p.m. ET two business days before the auction and ACH debit deposits must be initiated by 4 p.m. ET five business days before the auction. Cash and international funds are not accepted. Texas Tax Code 34.015 also applies: the auction site links a Written Statement (Form 50-307) request form certifying no delinquent taxes are owed. Winning bidders owe the balance within 24 hours of the close of the online sale, paid by wire transfer, after which the county issues a tax sale deed or tax resale deed (allow 2 to 4 weeks).
Cameron County sells REDEEMABLE tax deeds online, not tax lien certificates. The county's own process page states: "Tax foreclosure sales are conducted by the Cameron County Sheriff's Office, facilitated by Realauction.com, LLC." Commissioners Court authorized online bidding by resolution adopted June 25, 2019 and recorded as instrument number 20191108000078 in the Official Real Property Records of Cameron County, under Texas Tax Code 34.01 and 34.05. Both original foreclosure sales and resales of struck-off property run on the same platform. The site warns: "Property purchased at tax sale may be subject to a statutory right of redemption", and that bidders must run their own title search because "Additional liens, mortgages, encumbrances or title defects may exist". The Tax Assessor-Collector's website routes investors to the sale through its Property Tax > Foreclosed Properties > Tax Sales menu, which links directly to the RealAuction site. Bidding is proxy style: the system bids on your behalf in $100 increments up to your maximum. All times are Central. For sale process questions the Sheriff's bidder letter directs callers to the county's delinquent tax law firm, Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, at (956) 546-1216; for platform and account issues, RealAuction customer service at (877) 361-7325.
Register on RealAuctionOver-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Texas has no over-the-counter certificate list. Parcels that draw no sufficient bid are struck off to the taxing unit that requested the order of sale, and that unit may resell them at any time by public or private sale. A public resale requested through the sheriff or constable may be sold for any amount. A private sale generally may not go below the lesser of the market value stated in the judgment or the total judgments against the property, unless every taxing unit entitled to proceeds consents. Ask the county or its delinquent-tax law firm for the current struck-off inventory.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Cameron County Office of the Tax Assessor-Collector
835 E. Levee St., 1st Floor, Brownsville, TX 78520 (mailing: P.O. Box 952, Brownsville, TX 78522-0920)
Official websiteNotes for Cameron County
- Sale authority split: the Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector (Edelmiro "Eddie" Garcia) collects delinquent property taxes, while the Cameron County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff Manuel "Manny" Trevino) conducts the tax foreclosure sale and signs the deed.
- The sale is fully online. The FAQ states: "Sales are now conducted entirely online via this web site. It is no longer necessary to appear in person to participate in the sale."
- Sale hours run 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT; the calendar lists the tax sale start as 10:30 a.m. CT.
- Registration on the RealAuction platform is global across its SheriffSaleAuctions county sites, but deposits are per county: funds must be separately allocated to Cameron County through the Manage Escrow module before you can bid.
- The August 4, 2026 auction showed 28 scheduled items on the calendar (26 / 28 active/scheduled) as of July 25, 2026.
- The Cameron County Sheriff's Office public website does not carry its own tax sale page; the sale list, calendar, and rules live entirely on the RealAuction county site.
- Cameron County's official domain is cameroncountytx.gov. The auction site's external links still point at the retired cameroncounty.us domain, which now returns 404.
Texas statewide rules
- Redemption
- The redemption clock runs from the date the purchaser's deed is filed for record, not from the sale date. Property that was the owner's residence homestead or was land designated for agricultural use when the suit or the warrant application was filed, and any mineral interest, may be redeemed on or before the second anniversary of that filing. Every other property may be redeemed only through the 180th day after the deed is filed. When a parcel is struck off to a taxing unit instead, the period runs from the date the taxing unit's deed is filed for record. The former owner has no right to use, possess, or collect rent from the property while the redemption right runs, and the right of redemption cannot be sold or transferred: any instrument purporting to transfer it is void.
- Deed deposit
- The Tax Code sets no statewide deposit and no buyer premium. Section 34.01 directs the officer to conduct the sale the way similar property is sold under execution, so payment terms are set locally by the officer who runs the sale. Most Texas counties collect the full bid in cash or by cashier's check on the day of the sale. Confirm the terms with the county before you bid.
- Homestead deeds
- Texas sets no separate opening bid for a homestead. What changes on a homestead parcel is the exit: a residence homestead, land designated for agricultural use when the suit or warrant application was filed, and a mineral interest all carry a two-year redemption right instead of 180 days, and the premium the owner pays can reach 50 percent in the second year. Price a homestead parcel for that longer clock.
- Surplus proceeds
- The officer pays any excess proceeds to the clerk of the court that issued the order of sale. The clerk holds the excess for two years after the sale and notifies the former owner when the amount exceeds $25. A claim must be filed before the second anniversary of the sale. The court pays established claims in statutory priority: a purchaser at a sale later adjudged void, taxing units for post-judgment or omitted taxes, other lienholders, taxing units for unsatisfied judgment amounts, and then the former owner. Anything unclaimed is distributed to the taxing units.
A tax deed does not convey marketable title. Most buyers file a quiet title action before they can resell or insure the property. See the due diligence guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Cameron County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Cameron County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Cameron County hold tax deed sales?
- annual. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.
Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.
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