Cook County, Illinois: tax sale properties

9,182 properties on the official list. Minimum bids from $110. Filter and map them in the app.

How these are sold

Annual tax sale: registered bidders buy the unpaid taxes (a lien) by bidding the lowest penalty rate; the property is not sold. Published by Cook County Treasurer.

1. Register as a tax buyer for the annual sale (online, with the county's sale vendor) before the deadline the Treasurer posts.
2. Bid on the penalty percentage (18% maximum per 6 months by law); the lowest bid wins and pays the delinquent taxes.
3. The owner can redeem (pay back the taxes plus the penalty) for usually 2 to 2.5 years; most do.
4. Only if nobody redeems can the buyer petition the court for a tax deed, with notices and costs.

Illinois tax sale buyers bid down a penalty rate of up to 18% per 6-month period (35 ILCS 200/21-215).

Many listed properties are paid before the sale and drop off the list; the list is updated by the Treasurer.

Official contact: Cook County Treasurer (tax sale information) · website · official list

Illinois is a lien state. Maximum rate by law: Up to 18% per 6 months, bid down (penalty). Redemption: 2 to 2.5 years (residential). Illinois rules and dates.

Lowest minimum bids next to value (30 of 9,182)

A low minimum bid is not a bargain by itself: liens are usually paid off by the owner (you earn interest, not the property), auctions are bid up, and cheap parcels are often small, landlocked or unbuildable. Read the county's terms and check title before you bid.

Information only, not investment, legal or tax advice. Listings come from the agencies' own pages and can change or be withdrawn at any time: always verify with the agency or county before you bid or buy.