Howard County, TX tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •County seat is Big Spring. The courthouse is at 300 Main Street, Big Spring, TX 79720, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• •The Sheriff's Office is at 3611 W. Hwy 80, Big Spring, TX 79720, phone 432-264-2231. Its own website carries no sale listings, so sale notices come from the county's Foreclosure Notices page.
• •The Howard County Tax Assessor-Collector page carries no tax sale content. A site search of co.howard.tx.us returns zero pages containing the exact phrase "tax sale," so the posted PDF notices are the only county-published record of a sale.
• •Third-party aggregators list Howard County sales, but the one checked describes the sale as run by a "Treasurer's Office," which does not exist for this purpose in Texas, and it disclaims verification. Treat aggregator listings as leads only and confirm with the Tax Assessor-Collector.

Texas 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.Texas Tax Code 34.21 - Right of redemptionTex. Tax Code 34.21Verified Jul 25, 2026

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.Texas Tax Code 34.01 - Sale of propertyTex. Tax Code 34.01Verified Jul 25, 2026

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.Texas Tax Code 34.21 - Right of redemptionTex. Tax Code 34.21Verified Jul 25, 2026

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.Texas Tax Code 34.03 - Disposition of excess proceedsTex. Tax Code 34.03Verified Jul 25, 2026

Governing statute

Tex. Tax Code Chapter 34Texas Tax Code 34.01 - Sale of propertyTex. Tax Code 34.01Verified Jul 25, 2026

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.

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