Unsold tax lien certificates are transferred back to the government and available on a first come first serve basis (no auction).
In many states, you can buy these government-owned tax lien certificates year round through the mail or the Internet. You can even walk into the government offices and purchase them over-the-counter.
Here’s a few of the many states where you can skip the auction and buy over the counter:
Alabama
Arizona
Colorado
Florida
Minnesota
Montana
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Wyoming