Live data — updated November 5, 2026
Houston County, AL State-Held Tax Land (2026): 52 Parcels Sold by the State
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Quick answer: The State of Alabama, not the county, holds 52 parcels in Houston County that it bought at past county tax sales, and sells them over the counter by price quote from the Alabama Department of Revenue. By the DOR's own rule it sells a tax deed or a certificate depending on how long it has held the parcel: 27 it has held more than three years, which it sells as a State tax deed; 19 it has held less than three years, for which it assigns its tax-sale certificate; 6 bought in 2023, at the three-year line, where the DOR's quote says which.
Houston County OTC inventory snapshot
Of the 52 county-held listings DeedFlex tracks in Houston County, 52 show a listed amount. They run from $143 to $18,886, with a median of $3,609; 9 are under $1,000 and 34 under $5,000.
What is on the list: 32 land parcels, 20 not yet classified.
By listed amount: 5 under $500; 4 $500 to $999; 25 $1,000 to $4,999; 18 $5,000 to $24,999.
Median listed amount by type: land parcels $4,214 (32 listed); not yet classified $2,606 (20 listed).
Lowest listed amounts right now:
- $143 — land parcel
- $229 — not yet classified
- $231 — land parcel
- $251 — not yet classified
- $344 — not yet classified
- $580 — not yet classified
- $584 — land parcel
- $636 — not yet classified
Source: the county-held list as published by the county or its collection office, last checked 2026-10-27. Counts and prices are from the listings on this page and change as the county sells or adds parcels. How we check our sources.
What you are buying. The Alabama Department of Revenue: "If the state has held a tax sale certificate less than three years, the purchaser will be issued an assignment of the certificate. If the state has held the tax sale certificate over three years, a tax deed will be issued to the purchaser. Note: neither an assignment nor a tax deed gives the holder clear title to the parcel." (Tax Delinquent Property and Land Sales; Code of Ala. 1975, Title 40, Chapter 10, 40-10-132 et seq.). Each listing names which one applies, from the year the State bought it.
The full Alabama rules for county-held property, with the statute citations, are on the Alabama over-the-counter page. See also this county's tax-sale overview.
How to buy Alabama state-held property
- Find the parcel on the Alabama Department of Revenue's Tax Delinquent Property and Land Sales page. The State, not the county, is the seller.
- Request a price quote from the DOR. The amount on the listing is what was bid at the tax sale, not the price.
- Check what the quote sells you: a State tax deed if the State has held the parcel more than three years, or an assignment of its tax-sale certificate if less (Ala. Code 40-10-132 et seq.).
- Research the parcel the way you would at auction: title, condition and the liens that survive. Find your research setup or follow the step-by-step guide.
- Confirm with the DOR that the parcel has not been redeemed or sold before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
What do county-held properties cost in Houston County?
DeedFlex tracks 52 county-held listings in Houston County; their listed amounts run $143 to $18,886 (median $3,609).
How do I buy state-held land in Alabama?
Request a price quote from the Alabama Department of Revenue by its electronic application. The quote is emailed to you and payment must be postmarked within 10 calendar days of the quote date. The amount on our listings is the bid at the original tax sale, not the quote. Expect it to be slow and competitive. The Department of Revenue can take a long time to answer, other investors apply for the same parcels, and a parcel can go to whoever pays first -- applicants have been told a property was "no longer available because they received money order from another applicant".
Do I get a deed or a certificate?
It depends on how long the State has held the parcel. Under three years the State assigns its tax-sale certificate; over three years it issues a tax deed. Neither gives clear title, according to the Department of Revenue.