We Buy Sterling Heights Tax Lien Properties Fast
If the Macomb County Treasurer is sending letters, please call before you ignore them
Falling behind on property taxes in Sterling Heights happens for a lot of reasons – a job loss at Stellantis, a medical event, a death in the family, a rental that stopped paying, or sometimes just an inherited house nobody knew the taxes were due on. The Macomb County Treasurer is patient, but the calendar is not. If your Sterling Heights property is on the delinquent list and you do not want to lose it through tax foreclosure, you still have options. Selling to us for cash is one of them. Catching up through the Treasurer’s payment programs is another. We will tell you the truth about which one fits your situation.
We buy tax-delinquent homes across every Sterling Heights ZIP – 48310, 48312, 48313, 48314 – including in Lakeside, Plumbrook, Roosevelt Estates, Manorwood, Riverbend, and the Dodge Park area. We have closed on houses one summer away from the Macomb County tax auction and on houses with just a year of arrears that the owner wanted gone.
How Michigan tax foreclosure actually works
Michigan runs property tax foreclosure on a 3-year clock. Taxes that go unpaid in Year 1 become delinquent on March 1 of Year 2 and are turned over to the Macomb County Treasurer. Year 3 brings forfeiture. By the end of Year 3 – typically with a foreclosure judgment in late winter and the actual auction the following August – the property goes to tax sale. Once foreclosure is final, there is NO redemption period. The owner loses title. The Macomb County tax auction is generally held in August each year, and once the gavel falls, the door closes.
The one important update Sterling Heights owners should know: in *Rafaeli v. Oakland County* (2020), the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that counties cannot keep auction surplus – the amount above what was owed. That ruling is now codified at MCL 211.78t. If your property sells at the Macomb County tax auction for more than the delinquent tax, interest, and fees, the surplus belongs to you – but you have to file a claim within the statutory window. Miss the deadline and you lose the money. We are not your attorney, please talk to one, but this is real cash that gets left on the table by owners who do not know to ask.
There are also county-level relief programs worth knowing. The Pay As You Stay program (PAYS) waives accrued interest and fees for income-qualified owners with a Principal Residence Exemption (Form 2368) on file – turning a scary tax bill into something payable. Macomb County’s hardship and installment programs may also fit. For some Sterling Heights owners, working with the Treasurer is genuinely the better path. For others – especially heirs, out-of-state owners, or owners whose homes need more in repairs than they can recover – a cash sale before the auction protects the equity that is left.
How we help Sterling Heights owners on the delinquent list
Call us at 810-425-5961. We ask the basics: address, ZIP, what you owe Macomb County, where you are in the 3-year clock, whether the house is occupied. Within 24 to 48 hours we send a cash number. The number is based on real Sterling Heights comps in your neighborhood, and it accounts for paying off the back taxes at closing so you do not have to come up with the money yourself.
If the math works, we sign a clean contract and send the file to a Macomb County title company. The title company pulls a current Treasurer payoff, calculates exactly what is owed, and pays it directly from the sale proceeds. You walk with the difference. We typically close in 10 to 21 days, which is usually well inside the foreclosure clock even if you are deep into Year 3. We do not need you to bring money to close – the taxes come out of the deal.
We pay typical seller closing costs and there are no commissions. We buy as-is, so you do not have to repair anything or clean out the house. If there is a mortgage on top of the back taxes, the title company pays that too. The number we offer is the net you receive after all of it is settled.
Our offers on tax-delinquent properties usually come in lower as a percentage of after-repair value than on clean houses, because we are taking on the time pressure, the title cleanup, and the repair risk. For owners with little equity, we will sometimes be straight that there is not enough room for the deal to work – but we will still point you to the PAYS program, an attorney, or the Treasurer’s installment options. We would rather give you good information than waste your time.
What we buy across Sterling Heights
We buy tax-delinquent single-family homes, condos, duplexes, and small multi-family throughout Sterling Heights – in Lakeside, Plumbrook, Roosevelt Estates, Manorwood, Riverbend, and the Dodge Park area. We buy in 48310, 48312, 48313, and 48314. We buy whether you are one year delinquent or three, occupied or vacant, with a mortgage or free and clear.
FAQ
I am three years behind. Is it too late?
Probably not, but the clock matters. Foreclosure is typically finalized in late winter with the auction in August. Call us today – the earlier in the year, the more options.
What about the *Rafaeli* surplus money I keep hearing about?
If your property has already been foreclosed and sold by Macomb County, you may be owed the surplus above what was due. Please talk to a Michigan attorney about filing a timely claim under MCL 211.78t.
I cannot afford to pay the back taxes to sell. Now what?
You do not need to. The title company pays the Macomb County Treasurer directly from the sale proceeds at closing. You bring nothing.
Will you tell me if PAYS or an installment plan is better than selling?
Yes. If your situation fits a relief program, we will say so. We would rather you keep the house if that is the right call.
Will this go on my credit?
cash sale does not. A tax foreclosure can show up in public records. Selling before foreclosure protects you both ways.
Get a Cash Offer on Your Sterling Heights Home Today
Ready to talk numbers? Get a free, no-obligation cash offer on your Sterling Heights property in 24–48 hours. Start your free Sterling Heights cash offer here, or call us directly at 810-425-5961.
Related Michigan Resources
Some additional reading that may help with your situation:
Can I Sell My Michigan Home If I Owe Back Property Taxes?
Michigan Pay As You Stay (PAYS) Program: Eligibility and Application
Michigan Tax Foreclosure Surplus Funds: How to Claim Your Money After Auction
Have a Property in Another Michigan City?
We buy houses for cash across the entire state of Michigan. If your property is not in Sterling Heights, we still want to make you an offer. Here are some nearby cities we work in:
Warren · Clinton Township · Roseville · Eastpointe · St. Clair Shores
We also cover Michigan’s three largest cities — Detroit, Grand Rapids, Flint — plus more than 100 other communities. See our full statewide coverage.
Before the August auction
If the Macomb County Treasurer is sending letters about your Sterling Heights property, do not wait. Call Offer Now Michigan at 810-425-5961. We will tell you what your options actually are – sale, payment plan, or something else – and we will be straight with you about which one fits.