Grand Traverse County Treasurer ↗
Start here for county property-tax resources. Ask about the parcel’s current tax account, amount due, notice, and status.
Traverse City, Michigan · Grand Traverse County and Leelanau County
Can I Sell My Traverse 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. You can call us about selling a Traverse City house with liens or back taxes. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. We can talk before you have every record in hand.
Call 888-274-5006 to talk through the property.
Talk through the lien or tax notice
Start with the property address and what you know about the lien, creditor, tax account, or notice. You can call before you have everything together.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Tell us the address and what you know about the notice, lien, creditor, or tax account.
Prefer to call? 888-274-5006.
How lien and tax payoffs work
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your liens are paid off from the sale at closing.
The creditor or county tax office confirms its current balance and payoff instructions. The title company checks ownership and recorded claims, then uses the written payoff details to prepare the settlement figures. A lien or back-tax balance is paid from the sale; it is not part of the closing-cost promise.
Records that help—and you can call before you have them all
A property address or parcel number, recent tax bill or delinquency notice, mortgage statement, lien or judgment notice, case number, and any payoff letter can help. The lender, creditor, or county Treasurer confirms its own current amount; the title company checks recorded land records and works with the claimholder on payoff or release instructions. Start with what you have and call with questions.
Use the county office links below to find the property-tax or land-record route for the parcel.
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. Tell us about the house and the notice
Share the Traverse City address, the situation, and any tax or lien information you have. You do not have to resolve the payoff before starting a conversation.
2. Review the house and written terms
We discuss the house as it stands and give you the offer and sale terms in writing before you decide. Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
3. Let the title company and claimholders confirm the figures
If you choose to move ahead, the title company checks the ownership and recorded claims. The lender, creditor, or county tax office supplies current payoff or release instructions for its claim.
4. Review the settlement and close
The title company prepares the closing figures, including the sale price, lien and tax payoffs, and other settlement items. Your liens are paid from the sale at closing, and you can review the written figures before closing.
Traverse City county records and tax offices
Traverse City’s incorporated place overlaps Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. That city-level boundary does not identify the county for a particular parcel. Check the parcel address or number and use the matching county office; these are public information routes, not a parcel-specific title determination.
Grand Traverse County Register of Deeds ↗
Use the county’s land-record route for recorded deeds, mortgages, and other documents affecting the property.
Grand Traverse County Probate Court ↗
If an owner has died, use the Probate Court’s public information and contact route for estate or probate questions that may affect who can sign.
Leelanau County Treasurer ↗
Use the county property-tax resources for the parcel’s tax account and ask about any delinquent-tax notice, foreclosure timeline, and current status.
Leelanau County Register of Deeds ↗
Use the county’s land-record route for recorded deeds, mortgages, and other documents affecting the property.
Leelanau County Probate Court ↗
If an owner has died, use the Probate Court’s public information and contact route for estate or probate questions that may affect who can sign.
Michigan tax-sale, mortgage-sale, and transfer-tax facts
Delinquent property taxes and mortgage foreclosure are separate
A delinquent property-tax account follows the county tax process; a lender’s mortgage foreclosure follows a separate process and can lead to a sheriff’s sale. For mortgage foreclosure by advertisement, six months after the sale is the most common redemption period, but shorter and longer periods apply. Redemption requires the sale amount plus required interest and charges, not just the missed payments. Check the actual notice and live status with the county tax office or lender and have the title company or an attorney confirm the deadline and amount for the property.
Read Michigan's foreclosure stages → · Read the Michigan redemption statute →
Michigan real estate transfer taxes
For an ordinary taxable sale, Michigan's state real estate transfer tax is $3.75 for each $500 of the property's value at sale, or part of $500. The county tax is generally another $0.55 for each $500, or part. State and county exemptions are separate, so the parcel's county, sale value, and any exemption need to be checked for the actual sale. State law generally makes the seller responsible for the tax.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Michigan state and county real estate transfer taxes.
That closing-cost promise does not pay the seller's mortgage, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes; those remain separate settlement items.
Read Michigan state transfer-tax law → · Read Michigan county transfer-tax law →
Compare possible net proceeds
Use the Traverse City home-sale net proceeds calculator with your own estimated value, mortgage payoff, lien or tax amount, repairs, and closing costs. Just an estimate — the actual number could be more or less depending on the home's condition.
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Traverse City property liens and back taxes questions
Can I sell my Traverse 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. Your liens are paid off from the sale at closing. You can call before you have every notice or payoff document; the current amount is confirmed with the creditor or county office as the sale moves forward.
Do I have to get the payoff amount before I call?
No. Start with the property address and whatever notice, tax bill, payoff statement, or case number you have. The creditor or county tax office confirms its current balance and instructions, and the title company checks ownership and recorded claims for the sale.
Which county office should I contact about property taxes or records?
Traverse City overlaps Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, so the city name alone does not identify a particular parcel’s county. Check the parcel information, then use that county’s Treasurer for property-tax resources or Register of Deeds for land records. The office links are in the local section.
Are a property-tax foreclosure and a mortgage foreclosure the same process?
No. Delinquent property taxes go through a county tax process. A Michigan mortgage foreclosure can lead to a sheriff’s sale; after a foreclosure by advertisement, six months is the most common redemption period, but shorter and longer periods apply. Check the actual tax or sale notice and confirm the current amount and deadline with the responsible office, title company, or an attorney.
Who pays Michigan real estate transfer taxes when I sell to you?
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Michigan state and county real estate transfer taxes. For an ordinary taxable sale, the state rate is $3.75 for each $500 of value, or part of $500; the county rate is generally another $0.55 for each $500, or part. State and county exemptions are separate, and the property’s county, sale value, and any exemption affect what applies. Mortgage balances, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes remain separate settlement items.
What if the payoff is more than my house is worth?
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before. The creditor or tax office confirms the current amount, and the title company checks the settlement figures for the specific property.
What happens after I contact you?
We talk about the house and the records you have, then put the offer and terms in writing before you decide. If you choose to move ahead, the title company checks the ownership and recorded claims, confirms payoff instructions with the creditor or tax office, and prepares the closing figures.
More Traverse City seller resources
Talk through the property
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. Start with the Traverse City address and the notice or payoff information you have.