SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — It’s an unusual way to buy a house, but in this tough market, it may be the break you’re looking for. San Diego County is about to auction hundreds of homes, condos, and timeshares, some of which are in great shape while others may need a little TLC. CBS 8 is showing you some of the properties hitting the auction block.
“Now is the time you should start looking around for deals that might be there,” said Dan McCallister, San Diego County’s Treasurer-Tax Collector.
The county’s online auction features 468 properties available for bidding March 22-27 as long as you register by March 14. According to the county, all the listed properties have been in default on taxes for five or more years.
“Things happen and they can’t be controlled. We’re humans, we make mistakes, things happen,” said McCallister.
All sales are final, so it is a buyer beware kind of sale. McCallister told CBS 8 it’s possible to find some gems if you look hard enough, but he recommended doing ample research on homes hitting the auction block.
“No matter where you go in San Diego, there are gems within any given day, within any given community,” said McCallister. “Sometimes those things are readily available.”
Defaulted property owners still have time to pay up and avoid auction if they do so by 5:00 p.m. on March 21 to redeem their parcels, but as of right now, 58 residential and commercial properties, 356 timeshares, and 54 parcels of vacant land are listed for auction.
“There are some good values, some good bargains, but you have to hunt for them. You have to look for them,” said McCallister.
The County stands to take in $3.8 million if all properties sell for the minimum bid. Then that money would go into the county’s general fund.
Watch Related: San Diego County’s tax-defaulted properties hit the auction block (Mar 14, 2023)