| Thorough research on all
potential purchases is essential. It is important that you
complete this research before the day of the sale. There
are definite risks when buying tax foreclosure and tax-title
properties. Even County owned surplus sales might present
risks. Buying property without doing complete research can
result in unwanted and costly surprises.
Warning: Even the most diligent
research efforts may not uncover all difficulties or unexpected
problems.
Free Seminar
The Whatcom County Treasurer´s Office periodically
offers a free seminar
designed for anyone interested in buying property at Treasurer´s
sales. We help take the mystery and confusion out of Whatcom
County Treasurer property sales.
Where is the best place to begin?
The Treasurer's Office will provide as much information
as it has available. Title reports, maps, appraisal sheets,
and tax information, are some items that will help you in your
research. The Treasurer's Office is only a starting point
though. Sometimes the information available is minimal.
It is up to the buyer to pursue other resources. Maps, and some other parcel information, may be found by searching for the parcel here on our website. Once you have searched, and located the parcel in question, various tabs near the top of the screen will be available to you. These tabs will provide information from our Assessor/Treasurer database.
To receive
a CD of all title reports for the current year foreclosure sale,
print the Affidavit to release
public records, 
complete it, deliver it to the Treasurer's Office with the appropriate
fee ($5 if picked up, $6 if mailed).
Ready for the auction?
Proceed to our property auction process page
for additional information on the process.
OTHER RESOURCES
Building, Zoning, Land Use - Questions on building
restrictions, zoning, use restrictions and controls, and others should
be reviewed before any purchase. City and County engineering,
building and codes, and planning departments are good places to get
information.
Title Insurance - Some title companies will not provide
title insurance for up to ten years from the date of sale. Policies
vary with each title company. If you are planning to build, title
insurance may be important to you.
Assessments - Many parcels have local improvements or
special assessments for which payment will be due. Check to find
what districts or associations service the parcel you are researching.
Some assessments are collected by the Treasurer's Office and some
are not. To avoid expensive surprises, become aware of these
before the sale.
Local Ordinances - Some properties may have easements,
use restrictions, zoning or other land use controls. We sell
all properties subject to applicable city or county ordinances.
The existence of these is the buyer's responsibility to detect.
Community Association Dues - We sell all properties subject
to restrictive covenants, if any allowing for imposition of community
association fees.
Easements - All easements
that are three years and older, are unaffected by tax foreclosure.
Easements are listed on the title search and are on record
at the Whatcom County Auditor's Office.
PLEASE
BE ADVISED: These parcels are privately owned until the
conclusion of the auction. Any site inspection of the listed parcels
must be done so with the authorization of the current parcel owner.
Anyone inspecting these parcels from anywhere other than the public
right-of-way does so without the authorization of Whatcom County.
Please respect the property rights of the parcel owners.
Physical Inspection - We strongly recommend that you
visit the property sites you are researching. Look at exactly
what is being offered for sale. Is there access to the parcel?
Can you accurately identify property boundaries? Are neighbors
using the parcel? These are a few of the questions that you may
want to ask.
Improvements - If there
are improvements on the parcel, you should find out if they go with
the land and how they are currently being used.
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