Craven County, North Carolina

Tax Deed104,167 residents

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

Sale typestate default

Tax Deed

Redemption periodstate default

10 days upset-bid period after each high bid, not a traditional redemption

Investor returnstate default

N/A — outright deed transfer, subject to upset bids

Governing statutestate default

North Carolina General Statutes Ch. 105, Art. 26

Notes

North Carolina tax-deed / judicial foreclosure county — no tax-lien certificates. Craven County Tax Department (Tax Collection Division, 226 Pollock Street, New Bern) posts Property Foreclosures and also runs county-owned parcel offers (GIS “Property Available for Purchase” with deposit rules). Primary judicial tax foreclosure follows §105-374 with courthouse sale and 10-day Clerk upset bids. Coastal / New Bern–Havelock (MCAS Cherry Point) market with military and tourism demand; flood-zone diligence critical.

Auction logistics

Format

In-person (courthouse / commissioner sale + Clerk upset bids; confirm notice)

Frequency

Rolling as foreclosure judgments and notices of sale are ready

Platform

Craven County Tax Department — Property Foreclosures ↗

Deposit rules

Follow Notice of Sale; typical NC pattern is percentage deposit in cash/certified funds at sale, then 10-day upset period at Clerk (min +5% or $750). County surplus/offer track (separate) may require greater of $500 or 10% with offer. Confirm current deposit % on the active notice. Sold AS IS; Commissioner’s deed after confirmation.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Proper judicial sale generally extinguishes junior private liens of named parties; federal liens and omitted interests remain risks. Independent title mandatory — coastal flood and elevation issues common.

Quiet title

Commissioner’s deed after confirmation; quiet title still used for marketable/insurable title.

Deal maths for North Carolina

Assessment ratio: 1× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $250

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 105-283 requires all property to be appraised at its true value in money, which the statute defines as market value. There is no classification ratio and no county variation in the ratio itself — only in how recently it was measured.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Craven County Tax Collection Division ↗

252-636-6605

Clerk of court

Craven County Clerk of Superior Court (upset bids) ↗

Property appraiser

Craven County Tax / GIS ↗

GIS / parcel map

Craven County GIS / parcel maps ↗

Areas trending up

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

New Bern historic / Trent River edge

Tourism, county-seat jobs, and waterfront second-home demand

Havelock / MCAS Cherry Point corridor

Military family rental and SF absorption

James City / Bridgeton fringe

Relative entry inventory with New Bern commute liquidity