Travis County, TX tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •County seat is Austin. The Tax Assessor-Collector named on the Tax Office Bidder's Basic Guide letterhead is Celia Israel.
• •The auction is fully online through RealAuction at travis.texas.realforeclose.com. There is no in-person courthouse-steps bidding described on the county's foreclosed-properties page.
• •Dual registration is the main trap for new bidders. RealAuction registration alone is not enough; the Tax Office written statement plus $10 fee must be filed at least five business days before the sale, and the county warns "You must register with BOTH RealAuction and the tax office."
• •Tax Office approval to bid is valid for one year, so a bidder cleared once can participate in subsequent monthly sales within that period.
• •Travis County Constable Precinct 5 (Constable Carlos B. Lopez, 1003 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78701, (512) 854-9100) is the office whose deed conveys the property; the Precinct 5 page links back to the Tax Office foreclosed-properties page rather than hosting its own sale list.
• •Non-tax foreclosure sales are handled separately by the Travis County Clerk, per the Tax Office FAQ.
• •The Tax Office site returns HTTP 200 for missing pages with a "Page Not Found" title, so URL checks there need a title check rather than a status-code check. RealAuction blocks generic fetchers with HTTP 403 but loads normally in a browser.

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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