Hampshire County, Massachusetts
County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.
Sale typestate default
Redemption periodstate default
Investor returnstate default
Governing statutestate default
Notes
Massachusetts municipal tax-title system (G.L. c. 60) — no single county-run auction. Cities/towns take tax title, then may assign/foreclose via Land Court and sell surplus. Hampshire’s largest municipalities include Amherst and Northampton; each Treasurer/Collector runs its own process and any public sale. Investor must track individual town advertisements. Bid-down interest from 16% class of rights on assignments where used. Expect thin, sporadic inventory versus large metro counties.
Auction logistics
Format
Frequency
Deposit rules
Title risk
Deal maths for Massachusetts
- Assessment ratio
- 1× of market value
- Typical quiet title
- $3,000–$7,000 · 12 mo
- Recording and transfer
- $250
M.G.L. c. 59, § 38 requires assessment at full and fair cash valuation, with no classification ratio applied to the assessed value. The Department of Revenue certifies each municipality's values on a five-year cycle, with interim-year adjustments between certifications.
Offices and records
Areas trending up
Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.
University-driven rental demand with chronically tight multifamily supply
Cultural/employment core with strong small-city resale liquidity
Relative affordability versus Amherst/Northampton cores for workforce housing