It's for real. You need to find counties that have sheriff sales/ tax auctions. Then, you need to find out what happens if nobody bids on a property... what happens to the property then? Some counties will hold on to them for a while, then publish a list - they basically just want them off their books and earning tax dollars again. You can simply make them an offer, some have a minumum... No two counties seem to do it the same. Even counties right NEXT to each other, well, it's like going from France to Germany.... To research these areas is also not easy - they are typically the areas not yet online... you have to go there. As is usual, there is nothing like this in massachusetts! (there are few good things here, besides the coastal towns) these houses have been pretty neglected and unloved, so they are pennies to buy, but expensive to rehab. But I find people who will do it for under 20k. The houses are already worth twice that, so it's great if you can find them. I have not found this in any 'posh' areas, which is a shame... Here's another cool thing, some counties will actually pay to preserve this property while it's sitting there unwanted!! They do all the expensive stuff, like electrical, windows, siding, roofs. Now THAT is truly awesome.

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