County-held certificates
Washington has no standing over-the-counter list of the Florida type. When no bidder covers the minimum bid at the foreclosure auction, the county is deemed the bidder and takes title in trust for the taxing districts. That inventory becomes tax-title property, and the county resells it under chapter 36.35 RCW: the county legislative authority orders the sale and fixes a minimum price, and the treasurer publishes notice once a week for three consecutive weeks and sells at not less than that price. Counties may accept installment contracts of thirty percent down with ten equal annual installments at twelve percent interest. In listed cases the county may sell without calling for bids at all, including a sale made within twelve months after an auction that drew no acceptable bid, a sale to a government agency, a sale of a parcel assessed under five hundred dollars to an adjoining owner, and transfers to land bank authorities or for affordable housing. Inventory and process vary widely by county, so check the county's tax-title or surplus property page.
Lands available for taxes
Washington keeps no statewide Lands Available list. Tax-title inventory is held and resold county by county, and some counties go years between tax-title sales.
Either route skips the live auction, which means these are the parcels nobody bid on, so the due diligence matters even more. The national over-the-counter guide has the full cross-state playbook.
Verified Aug 16, 2026 against Washington sources.
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.