Bid Homes 101 — Auction Tracker

👋 You're browsing as a guest. Unlock bid amounts, deal scores, equity data, and more for just $10. 💳 Buy Full Access — $10 →

⚠️ Important: HOA vs. Mortgage Foreclosures — HOA auctions (~$10K) look cheap but the first mortgage survives. Click to learn the difference. ▼ Expand

🏦 Mortgage Foreclosure (What you want)

The bank is recovering an unpaid mortgage. If you win: deed is yours, foreclosed mortgage is wiped out, max bid = your total cost for clean title.

✅ Target: active listings, bid visible, assessed value well above max bid.

🏘 HOA / Condo Foreclosure (Risky)

The HOA is recovering unpaid dues (~$5K–$20K). If you win: deed is yours but the first mortgage survives. Bank will typically foreclose within 6–12 months.

⚠️ The $10K bid does not mean a $10K house — you inherit the mortgage.

—

Total Listings

—

Active Auctions

—

💡 Bids Visible

—

Under $200K

—

🔥 Deals ≥70% Below

—

Avg Visible Bid

—

Sold This Month

—

Sold This Week

—

🏘 Likely HOA

—

Canceled

—

🎯 First Buy Picks

—

Under $100K

💰 Equity Calculator Show deals where assessed − bid − repairs ≥ target profit:

Repairs $

Min Profit $

🏆 Best Deals Sold — properties sold furthest below assessed value ▲

Type:

Loading…

—

Sold in DB

—

Avg Bid Discount (sold)

—

Avg Hammer Price

—

Bids Visible (active)

📅 Upcoming Auctions (next 7 days) — —

🏆 Top Auction Winners (your competition)

📍 Best Zip Codes (sub-$200K mortgage)

Quick: ⚙️ Filters ▼

Address Search

Property Type

Auction Status

Zip Code

Date From

Date To

Max Bid ($)

–

Assessed Value ($)

–

Min Deal Score (%)

Max Cash to Close ($)

Min Sqft

Min Beds

Year Built

–

Max $/Sqft

Hide Sold

Hide Canceled

Hide HOA

🔒 Hide Hidden Bids

📌 My Watchlist Only

📝 Has Notes

📐 Has Size Data

🏚 Likely Vacant

💡 Reserve Disclosed

⚠️

HOA Foreclosures Included — Read Before Bidding. Properties marked 🏘 HOA / Condo ⚠️ in the Type column carry serious risk: the first mortgage is NOT wiped out when you win. The bank will typically foreclose on you within 6–12 months. The high deal score is misleading — it reflects HOA dues (~$10K–$20K) vs. a fully assessed home, not true equity. Only bid HOA cases if you plan to pay off or assume the surviving mortgage. Mortgage foreclosures (🏦) in this list are safe and recommended. Learn more →

🔴 Live Auctions Today

▼

⭐ Must-See Auctions ▲

Top upcoming deals ranked by equity potential — updated live

Hide all

🏠 Bid Homes 101 — Auction Listings

Show / Hide Columns

Date	Status	Watchlist	Notes	Prop Type	Type	Address	Assessed Value	Max Bid	Deal Score	Competition	Details

🔔 Get Notified

Case is now on your watchlist. Want an alert when this auction goes live?

Set up your email and phone in Account Settings to enable notifications.

Notify me by Email when auction is live Notify me by Text (SMS) when auction is live COMING SOON

❓ Bid Homes 101 — Help Center

Everything you need to know about Hillsborough County foreclosure auctions

🏛 How Hillsborough County Foreclosure Auctions Work

Where auctions happen: All foreclosure auctions in Hillsborough County are conducted online at realforeclose.com. Auctions run Monday–Friday at 10:00 AM EST.

✅ Mortgage Foreclosure WHAT YOU WANT

The bank is recovering an unpaid mortgage. If you win the auction:

You receive a clean deed
The foreclosed mortgage is wiped out
The winning bid is your total cost for clear title
No hidden liens from the foreclosing party

⚠️ HOA Foreclosure RISKY

The HOA is recovering unpaid dues (~$5K–$20K). If you win:

You get the deed — but the first mortgage survives
The bank will typically foreclose on you within 6–12 months
A $10K winning bid does not mean a $10K house
You could lose the property and your investment

📅 Auction Timeline

📌

Listed

Case filed, auction date set. Bid shows "Hidden".

💡

Bid Published

Max bid appears ~1–3 days before auction. Research now.

🔨

Auction Day

10 AM EST on realforeclose.com. Highest bid wins.

📝

Settlement

Full payment due same day. Deed issued after court filing.

💰 Florida Closing Costs (Buyer Pays)

📄 Documentary Stamps$0.70 per $100 of bid price 🔐 Title Insurance (TIRSA rate)Tiered — ~$5.75/$1K on first $100K, lower above 🗂 Recording Fee~$36 flat 📦 Misc / Title Search~$350 flat estimate

These are estimates. The "All-In Cost" shown in Top Deals Sold uses this formula automatically.

📖 Auction Terms & Outcomes Explained

🏦 Bank Takeback (also called "Bank REO")

When the auction ends and no outside bidder wins, the bank (the plaintiff) takes the property back. This happens because the bank bids up to the amount owed on the debt — if nobody outbids them, the bank "wins" its own auction and the property becomes bank-owned (Real Estate Owned / REO). You'll see the plaintiff's name or "CERTIFICATE OF TITLE TO PLAINTIFF" in the sold-to field. These properties often end up listed on the MLS later as REO listings at a higher price.

🚶 Bidder Walked Away (No-Show / Non-Paying Bidder)

Sometimes a bidder wins the auction but fails to pay in full by 4 PM EST on auction day. When this happens, the court re-schedules the auction and the property goes back up for bid — often at a lower starting price. The bidder forfeits any deposit paid. This is why relisted properties (Relist # ≥ 2) can be great opportunities: someone already tried to buy it and didn't follow through.

🔨 Auction / Active

The property has a scheduled auction date and is available to bid on. The bid may still say "Hidden" if the starting amount hasn't been published yet — bids typically go live 1–3 days before the auction.

📌 Hidden Bid

The court-set minimum starting bid has not yet been made public. Bids are usually revealed 1–3 business days before the auction. Use 💡 Bids Live to filter to properties where the bid is already visible, so you can calculate your numbers before auction day.

✅ Sold (Person Buyer)

A real individual won the auction and completed payment. This is different from a bank takeback. The "Sold To" name is a person or private investor. Use the 👤 Person Buyer filter to see only auctions won by actual people (not banks or LLCs).

🔄 Relisted

The property has been scheduled for auction more than once. Common reasons: nobody bid (no competition), the previous winning bidder didn't pay, or the case was briefly canceled and re-filed. A high relist count (3+) means this auction has been largely ignored — which can be a great opportunity for you to win unopposed.

🚫 Canceled / Redeemed

The auction was removed before it happened. The two most common reasons: (1) Redeemed — the homeowner paid off the debt before the auction, canceling it; (2) Dismissed — the court or plaintiff dropped the case. Canceled properties still show in the database for historical tracking.

⚖️ Plaintiff

The party that filed the foreclosure lawsuit — usually a bank or mortgage servicer (e.g., "Wells Fargo" or "US Bank"). In HOA cases, the plaintiff is the HOA association. The plaintiff sets the minimum starting bid based on what they are owed.

📋 Final Judgement

The court-ordered amount the homeowner owes to the plaintiff — this is the total debt (principal + interest + fees) as determined by a judge. It represents the maximum the bank needs to recoup. If you bid above this amount, the excess goes back to the homeowner. If you bid below, the bank absorbs the loss.

🎯 Deal Score

A simple percentage showing how far below assessed value the current max bid is: (Assessed − Bid) ÷ Assessed × 100. A score of 70 means the bid is 70% below assessed value — a strong potential deal. Scores above 100% mean the bid exceeds assessed value (rare, often an HOA case with a surviving mortgage).

🏠 Assessed Value vs. Market Value

The assessed value is what Hillsborough County says the property is worth for tax purposes — it often lags real market value by 1–3 years. Market value is what someone would actually pay today. Always check Zillow and recent comparable sales to get the real picture before bidding.

🏘 HOA Surviving Mortgage

In an HOA foreclosure, the first mortgage is not wiped out by the auction. Even if you pay $15K to win the auction, the original $200K mortgage still exists on the property. The bank that holds that mortgage can — and usually will — foreclose on you within months. HOA auctions are only worth buying if you plan to quickly flip the certificate or have a strategy for handling the first mortgage.

🔍 Quick Filter Guide

All Shows every listing in the database — active, sold, canceled, HOA, and mortgage. Good for a full overview.

🔴 Today Auctions scheduled for today. Check this every morning — winning bids close at 10 AM EST.

🟠 Tomorrow Auctions happening tomorrow. Use this the evening before to finalize your research and decision.

💡 Bids Live Active auctions where the max bid amount is publicly visible. Bids are usually hidden until 1–3 days before the auction date — this filter shows only confirmed amounts.

🎯 First Buy Properties the system has flagged as beginner-friendly: assessed value above $80K, low judgment amount, and not an HOA case. A good starting point for first-time auction buyers.

💵 Under $100K Active non-HOA properties with a visible bid under $100,000. Sorted cheapest first.

🏆 Prime Deals Non-HOA properties priced under $100K with a deal score ≥ 40% — a curated shortlist of the most actionable auctions combining low price and high discount.

💰 Under $200K Active non-HOA mortgage foreclosures with a visible bid under $200,000. Sorted cheapest first.

🔥 Best Deals Published bids only with a deal score ≥ 70% below assessed value. These are the strongest confirmed deals in the system. Hidden-bid properties are excluded.

🔥 Best Deals All Same 70% threshold, but also shows properties where the bid is still hidden. Hidden properties are sorted to the bottom — treat them as "potential" deals to monitor.

👍 Good Deals Published bids only with a deal score ≥ 30% below assessed value. A broader pool of solid opportunities that aren't quite at the "Best" tier but still represent meaningful savings.

👍 Good Deals All Same 30% threshold but includes properties with hidden bids. Useful for early scouting — bookmark these and check back when bids go live.

📅 This Week Active auctions scheduled for this calendar week (Monday–Sunday). Great for planning which auctions to research. Updates automatically each week.

✅ Low Competition Auctions that have been relisted multiple times — meaning nobody bid last time. Less competition typically means a better chance of winning at a lower price.

📌 My Items Shows only properties you've added to your personal watchlist. Requires login.

🏘 HOA Only Shows properties the system has classified as HOA foreclosures. These carry significantly more risk — see the "How Auctions Work" tab for details.

📋 Table Column Guide

Date Scheduled auction date. Properties auctioned at 10 AM EST on realforeclose.com.

Status Active = upcoming or relisted. Sold = a buyer won. Canceled = removed before auction (owner paid off, case dismissed, etc.).

Prop Type Property classification: Single Family, Condo, Townhouse, Multi-Family, etc.

Type Foreclosure type: Mortgage (bank recovering loan — preferred) or HOA (HOA recovering dues — risky, first mortgage survives).

Final Judgement The court-ordered amount the bank is owed — essentially the original debt that triggered foreclosure. In a mortgage foreclosure, the winning bid covers this (the bank gets paid up to the bid amount).

Assessed Value The Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's valuation — used as a benchmark for deal scoring. Not the same as market value, but a reliable reference point.

Max Bid The minimum starting bid set by the court. You can bid higher — the highest bidder wins. Shows "Hidden" until typically 1–3 days before the auction.

Deal Score A percentage showing how far below assessed value the max bid is. Formula: (Assessed − Bid) / Assessed × 100. Higher = better deal. 70%+ is exceptional; 30%+ is solid.

First Buy 🎯 A flag for properties that meet beginner-friendly criteria: assessed value ≥ $80K and final judgement < $50K (indicating less debt and a cleaner case).

Equity $ Estimated instant equity: Assessed Value − Max Bid. The potential profit if you won at the max bid and the assessed value is accurate. Does not include closing costs or repairs.

Relist # How many times this property has been scheduled and not sold. A high relist count (3+) means low competition — previous auctions went unbid.

Competition A color-coded rating based on relist count and bid visibility. Low = fewer bidders expected. High = popular/fresh listing.

💡 Bidding Tips for Beginners

1. Never bid on HOA foreclosures as a beginner

The first mortgage survives an HOA auction. If you win a $12K HOA auction on a house with a $180K mortgage, the bank still owns that debt — and will foreclose on you. Stick to mortgage foreclosures where the winning bid clears all encumbrances.

2. Research the property before auction day

Bids go live 1–3 days before the auction. Use that window to check the Zillow estimate, HCPA appraiser record, and Google Maps. Drive by if it's local. Use the 📎 Appraiser, Zillow, and Maps links directly in the table row.

3. You must pay in full the same day

Hillsborough County requires full payment by 4:00 PM EST on auction day. You'll need a cashier's check or wire transfer ready to go. There is no financing — cash only.

4. Factor in closing costs, not just the bid

Florida buyers pay documentary stamps ($0.70/$100), title insurance, and recording fees on top of the winning bid. Use the "All-In Cost" breakdown in the Top Deals Sold widget to see what past buyers actually paid after closing costs.

5. High relist count = low competition opportunity

If a property has been listed 3+ times without selling, it means no one bid in prior auctions. This is often your best chance to win at the minimum bid with little or no competition. Use the ✅ Low Competition filter to find these.

6. Watch the "Top Buyers" panel for your competition

The Market Intel panel shows which investors win the most auctions. If you see the same name bidding on a property you want, expect competition — they know the market.

7. Use your watchlist + email alerts

Add properties to your watchlist (📌 button in each row) and enable email notifications in Account Settings. You'll get a daily email at 7 AM listing all auctions happening that day for properties you're watching.

8. The Deal Score is a starting point, not a guarantee

Deal Score compares the max bid to the county's assessed value. Assessed value can lag behind market value — always verify with Zillow, recent comps, and a physical inspection if possible before bidding.

Auctions run Mon–Fri at 10 AM EST · realforeclose.com

📝 Property Notes