Cerro Gordo County Treasurer
Ask about the property-tax account or a county tax-sale notice. The office lists 220 N. Washington Ave., Mason City, IA 50401, and 641-421-3127.
Mason City, Iowa · Cerro Gordo County
Selling a Mason City House With Back Taxes or Liens
When you sell to us, we can set it up so you don't have to prepay anything — it comes out at closing.
Yes. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Mason City and Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, including houses with back taxes or liens. You can call us now with the address and whatever notice or payoff information you have.
Call 888-274-5006. We answer 24/7.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the property address and whatever you know about the notice, payoff, creditor, or tax account.
How payoffs work
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your liens are paid off from the sale at closing.
A mortgage balance, lien, delinquent property taxes, and your share of current property taxes are separate from closing costs. The creditor or county office provides the current figures; the title company checks the records and payoff or release instructions for the specific sale. The settlement figures show how those amounts are handled at closing.
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
Start with the records you have
A lien is a legal claim that can affect ownership or the money due at closing. A payoff statement gives the current amount and instructions from the creditor. The county Treasurer can check the property-tax account and tax-sale information; a lender or other lienholder supplies its payoff details. The title company reviews the ownership and recorded claims for the transaction.
A tax bill or tax-sale notice, mortgage statement, lien or court letter, payoff statement, parcel number, or deed can help. You do not need every record in hand before you call. We can start with the property address and what you know.
If the payoff is the problem
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before.
What happens next
1. Talk through the property
Tell us the address, the house’s condition, and what you know about the lien, tax account, or notice. You can call before you have every record or current payoff amount.
2. Review the offer and written terms
We give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. Read the written offer and terms before you decide whether to proceed.
3. Check title and payoff details
If you choose to move forward, the title company checks ownership, recorded claims, current payoff instructions, and the figures needed for the closing. The relevant creditor or county office confirms its current account information.
4. Review the settlement and close
The settlement statement lists the sale price, payoffs, taxes, closing costs, and the amount left after those items. It's real estate. Sometimes there are bumps in the road. We won't disappear when that happens, and we'll be fighting to get this to the closing table.
Mason City and Cerro Gordo County offices
The county Recorder and Treasurer list offices at 220 N. Washington Ave. in Mason City. The County Assessor and City Assessor are separate offices at 215 N. Adams Ave. Not sure which assessor covers your property? Call us — we'll sort it out with you.
Cerro Gordo County Recorder
Use this office for recorded deeds, mortgages, and recording information. It lists 220 N. Washington Ave., Mason City, IA 50401, and 641-421-3056.
Recorder informationCerro Gordo County Assessor
Contact the County Assessor for county assessor questions. The office lists 215 N. Adams Ave., Mason City, IA 50401, and 641-421-3065.
County Assessor contact informationMason City Assessor
The City Assessor lists 215 N. Adams Ave., Mason City, IA 50401, and 641-421-3061.
City Assessor contact informationCerro Gordo County Clerk of Court
Use the Iowa Judicial Branch’s Cerro Gordo County listing for county court contact and case-routing questions. It lists 220 North Washington, Mason City, IA 50401, and 641-424-6431.
Cerro Gordo County court informationIowa tax-sale, mortgage-foreclosure, and transfer-tax facts
County tax sale and mortgage foreclosure are separate
A Cerro Gordo County tax-sale question goes to the Treasurer and concerns the county’s property-tax process. A lender’s mortgage foreclosure is generally a court case that can lead to a sheriff’s sale. The notice and the current county or court record show which process applies; do not use a mortgage-foreclosure date as a tax-sale date, or the reverse.
Read Iowa Code chapter 654 on mortgage foreclosure · Read Iowa Code §626.75 on sheriff-sale notice
Iowa real estate transfer tax
Iowa charges 80 cents for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the sale price above the first $500. The person conveying the property is liable by law, normally the seller. Exemptions can apply, so the closing professional confirms whether the tax applies and the taxable amount. A declaration of value is filed when required, and the county Recorder will not record the deed until the tax is paid.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax.
Compare possible net proceeds
Use the editable Mason City home-sale net proceeds calculator with your own estimated value, mortgage payoff, lien or tax amount, repairs, cleanout, carrying costs, and closing costs. Just an estimate — the actual number could be more or less depending on the home's condition.
What our sellers say
“LISTEN, PROPERTY TAXES GOT TOO HIGH FOR MY FIXED INCOME. SOLD IT TO THEM. WALKED AWAY WITH CASH. GLAD IT'S OVER.”
“Facing foreclosure ... Very stressful time... They handled it professionally and got me out of the debt...”
“no open houses. no realtors tracking dirt in. just a straight cash sale for our house so we could move. Glad it's over.”
Mason City property liens and back taxes questions
Can I sell a Mason City house with back taxes or liens before paying them?
Yes. When you sell to us, we can set it up so you don't have to prepay anything — it comes out at closing. Call or use the form with the property address and whatever tax notice, payoff statement, or lien record you have; you can start before you have every document.
Is a Cerro Gordo County tax sale the same as a mortgage foreclosure sale?
No. The county Treasurer is the local contact for property-tax and tax-sale questions. Iowa mortgage foreclosure is generally a court case that can lead to a sheriff’s sale. Check a tax-sale notice with the Treasurer and a court notice with the court; the two processes have separate records and dates.
Who can tell me the current tax or lien payoff?
Ask the Cerro Gordo County Treasurer about the property-tax account and any county tax-sale notice. Ask the creditor or lienholder for a current payoff statement. The title company checks the property records and the payoff or release instructions used for the specific closing.
What should I have ready before I call?
Start with the property address and any parcel number, tax bill or notice, creditor letter, payoff statement, mortgage information, court case number, or recorded document you have. You can call before you have everything assembled.
What if my lender payoff is more than the house may be worth?
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before. Share the payoff statement and what the lender has told you so we can talk through the property and the written terms available for your situation.
What transfer tax applies when an Iowa house sells?
Iowa real estate transfer tax is 80 cents for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the price above the first $500. Exemptions can apply, so the closing professional confirms whether it applies and the taxable amount. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax.
What happens after I contact you?
We talk through the Mason City property and the records you have. We give you written terms before you commit. If you choose to proceed, the title company checks ownership, recorded claims, payoff instructions, and the closing figures for that sale.
Talk through the property
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. You can start with the Mason City address and whatever notice or payoff information you have.