Galveston County, Texas

Redeemable Deed367,407 residentsLive auctions →

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

Sale typestate default

Redeemable Deed

Redemption periodstate default

2 years for homestead/ag/mineral properties; 6 months for all other property

Investor returnstate default

25% penalty in year one, 50% in year two (homestead/ag); 25% flat for the 6-month category

Governing statutestate default

Texas Tax Code Title 1, Subtitle E, Ch. 34

Notes

Redeemable tax deed. Galveston County Sheriff conducts delinquent tax foreclosure sales and resales exclusively online via RealAuction (no live courthouse tax auctions since 2020 Commissioners Court change). Execution sales remain separate and may still be live. First Tuesday monthly cycle. Lists also posted via LGBS taxsales.lgbs.com and PBFCM for various taxing units. Certificate of Eligibility from Galveston County Tax Office required before Sheriff’s Deed records.

Auction logistics

Format

Online

Frequency

First Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m. (holiday → next business day); confirm sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov

Platform

RealAuction — Galveston County Sheriff Tax Sales ↗

Deposit rules

Register on RealAuction. Bid deposit equal to at least 5% of aggregate intended bids via wire/ACH on the platform ≥10 days before sale (no deposit accepted at Sheriff’s Office). Winning balance by wire through RealAuction or cash/cashier’s check to Sheriff’s Office by 4:00 p.m. sale day. Furnish Certificate of Eligibility ($10 application) for deed recording. Failure to fund forfeits deposit; pattern of defaults may bring sanctions.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

As-is tax deed subject to statutory redemption (homestead/ag ~2 years; other ~180 days from deed recording). Federal tax liens survive. HOA and unjoined liens may remain. Post-judgment tax years often due beyond judgment amount. Execution sales follow different lien rules than tax sales.

Quiet title

Title companies typically require quiet title after redemption expires before insuring free-and-clear marketable title.

Deal maths for Texas

Assessment ratio: 1× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $400

Texas requires appraisal at 100% of market value as of Jan 1 (Tex. Tax Code § 23.01).

Offices and records

Tax collector

Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector ↗

409-766-2481

Clerk of court

Galveston County Clerk (official public records) ↗

Property appraiser

Galveston Central Appraisal District (GCAD) ↗

GIS / parcel map

GCAD / Galveston County GIS parcel resources ↗

Areas trending up

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

League City / Clear Creek edge

North-county suburban employment and school demand with stronger liquidity than barrier-island seasonal inventory

Texas City / La Marque industrial corridor

Port and petrochemical jobs supporting workforce housing turns versus pure vacation stock

Galveston Island mid-island / medical corridor

UTMB and tourism employment with tighter mid-island product versus beachfront luxury volatility