How to Buy a Property at a Tax Foreclosure Auction in Yakima County

Home, land, and commercial property ownership can be a tough thing to get into if you don't have access to family deeds, hefty mortgage loans, access to capital, or rich relatives willing to lend you the money to buy a house. Some savvy residents and real estate developers have learned the art of buying property in a foreclosure sale.

If you aren't familiar with the subject of property taxes, what are the most important things you should know? Let's start at the beginning.

Yakima County Property Foreclosures 101

When you buy a house, you have to pay property taxes*** to the county of residence.  Property taxes are due twice a year in Yakima County: in April and October.

If you (or your bank) are late paying property taxes, the County adds hefty fines and interest.

Foreclosure sales happen when someone is so far behind on paying their property taxes, the county takes ownership of the deed, and the property owners get kicked out.

There Are Two Types of County Foreclosure Sales

In a County foreclosure sale, homes, land, churches, and commercial buildings go up for auction. The winning bidder becomes the new owner of the property (and has to pay all of its past-due property taxes and liens, too).

There are two main types of foreclosure sales: No Reserve and Reserve sales. The properties with "no reserve" can be sold regardless how much someone bids past the opening bid.

If a property is up for auction and there are no buyers willing to pay the minimum opening bid, then the property goes back into ownership by the County.

What triggers a tax foreclosure in Yakima County?

In Yakima County, you are allowed up to three years of delinquency before an automatic foreclosure gets triggered. The County finalizes their list of foreclosed properties from the previous three years and puts them on their "distraught" list, then the property goes up for auction.

Read More: Do Washington State Home Sellers Ever Have to Disclose a Murder?

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Where do you bid on foreclosed properties and what should buyers be expected to pay?

In order to bid on a foreclosed property, you first have to deposit $1,000, pay a $35 processing fee, and a 5% buyer's premium fee. Once you have paid, you get access to the bidding. The direct website to bid on auctioned properties will be always listed on the public notices from the Treasurer's Office.

The next upcoming auction is on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

***Many homeowners hate it when property taxes go up and often vote NO on levies, but either way, property taxes must be paid. (As we have seen most recently, voting 'no' on a levy can have dire consequences for important services in our neighborhoods, but that is another story for another day).