Monroe County, Florida

Hybrid80,908 residentsLive auctions →

County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.

Sale typestate default

Hybrid

Redemption periodstate default

Lien: 2 years before deed application allowed. Deed: none once issued.

Investor returnstate default

Lien: 5–18% (bid-down, 5% minimum return rule)

Governing statutestate default

Florida Statutes Ch. 197

Notes

Florida dual-track Keys county: Tax Collector sells tax certificates; Clerk of Circuit Court conducts tax deed auctions online via monroe.realtaxdeed.com (RealAuction). Tax deed process and surplus handled by Clerk (305-292-3507). Certificate sale and TDA rules follow Ch. 197. Coastal flood zones, ROGO building rights, and Keys land-use constraints make pre-bid diligence especially critical. Sold AS IS.

Auction logistics

Format

Online

Frequency

Rolling online tax deed auctions as applications mature; certificates annually by Tax Collector

Platform

RealAuction RealTaxDeed — Monroe County tax deeds ↗

Deposit rules

Register and fund deposit on RealTaxDeed before bidding. Standard Florida high-bidder deposit (greater of 5% or $200) and next-day balance in certified funds typical — confirm exact RealTaxDeed FAQ for Monroe. Photo ID and vesting instructions required for deed issuance.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Florida tax deed generally clears many junior private liens; federal liens, certain governmental assessments, and easements can survive. Keys-specific building rights and FEMA/flood elevation issues are separate from tax-lien clearance.

Quiet title

Commonly required for insurable title after tax deed; coastal complexity often increases counsel/title cost.

Deal maths for Florida

Assessment ratio: 0.85× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $500

Florida assesses at just value, but Save Our Homes / Amendment 1 caps compress assessed below market on long-held homesteads.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Monroe County Tax Collector — Tax Certificate Information ↗

305-295-5000

Clerk of court

Monroe County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller — Tax Deeds ↗

305-292-3507

Property appraiser

Monroe County Property Appraiser ↗

GIS / parcel map

Monroe County Property Appraiser / GIS ↗

Areas trending up

Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.

Key West / Old Town–New Town edge

Tourism employment density and constrained island inventory supporting resilient pricing

Marathon / Middle Keys

Workforce and second-home demand with US-1 access and relative entry vs Key West

Key Largo / Upper Keys

Miami adjacency and dive-tourism demand; underwrite flood and ROGO limits