| Course | Cost | Guarantee | Learning Method | Student Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney’s Secret Best Overall | $249 | 30-day money-back | Audio CD guidebook, 240-page coursebook | 6-month access to instructor via email and phone |
| BiggerPockets.com Best for Community Support | $39 per month | None | Resource library, interaction with community members | Massive community of interactive members |
| National Tax Lien Association Best for Certification | $995 for non-members | None | On-demand courses, workshops, and conferences | Access to instructors and mentors |
| Udemy Best for State Specific | $11.99 | 30-day money-back | On-demand course, downloadable resources | Email access to instructor |
What to Look for in a Tax Lien Investing Course
The first thing to consider in choosing a tax lien investing course is the curriculum. Is it comprehensive? Will it teach you what you need to know to start investing in tax liens? Is there student support from the instructor or mentors?
The second key component is the expertise and track record of the instructor. The instructor should have the experience to provide critical insights. The third component is the compatibility of the teaching method with your learning preferences and schedule availability.
Cost is also a consideration and any tax lien courses try to upsell you to courses that can cost $20,000 or more. While tax lien investing has the potential to produce substantial returns, you first need to test the waters. Combining a lower-cost course with your own research might be a better way to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Benefits of Becoming a Certified Tax Lien Professional?
The National Tax Lien Association (NTLA) is the trade group that represents investors, lenders, service providers, and government officials as it relates to tax lien sales. It is also the sponsoring organization of the only certification program for tax lien investors, offering a Certified Tax Lien Professional (CTLP) credential. While you don’t need certification to invest in tax liens, a CTLP certification provides you with a reliable assessment of your knowledge and skills. CTLPs are also hired by lenders, real estate organizations, and government organizations associated with the practice of tax lien sales.
Are There Prerequisites for Tax Lien Investing Courses?
There are no prerequisites for tax lien investing courses. Those with a background in real estate or foreclosures might be able to pick up on the subject matter more quickly.
What Do You Learn in a Tax Lien Investing Course?
After taking the course, you should know the essentials of tax lien investing in terms of the process; calculating the purchase price; understanding the bidding and redemption processes; knowing your legal rights as an investor; finding, identifying, and selecting tax liens; and reviewing the pitfalls of tax lien investing.
A good course can also provide insights into the rules, processes, and legal aspects of investing in specific states or counties. Some courses are specific to one or two states, which is fine if you plan to invest in those states; other courses try to cover more states.
It’s important to note that rules, processes, and legal aspects differ from state to state and even county to county, and most courses don’t have the capacity to cover all the nuances of each. A critical part of your education process is to conduct additional research in the states or counties you want to target.
What Is the Difference Between a Tax Lien and a Tax Deed?
Tax liens and tax deeds are similar except in how they are auctioned and how the investor generates returns. With a tax lien sale, you bid on a certificate produced by the state or county in the amount of past-due property taxes owed on a property. Essentially, you bid the interest rate paid on the certificate. Tax lien certificates are offered with the maximum rate payable by the state. To reduce its costs, the state awards the certificate to the lowest bidder. The property owner has a certain amount of time to redeem the certificate, at which time the investors receive the interest.
With a tax deed sale, you bid on the property title. The tax deed is transferred to the highest bidder, giving them an ownership interest in the property. If the property owner pays the back taxes, they can redeem their ownership interest.
In both cases, if the property owner cannot redeem the certificate or the title, the investor receives the property, and they can sell or manage it for rental income.
How We Chose the Best Tax Lien Investing Courses
Our initial research found about 20 websites claiming to be tax lien investing courses. However, after a deeper dive, we found that most were less instructional and geared more towards marketing, seeking to upsell people to a much more expensive course after taking a free or low-cost course. We narrowed our scope to those courses that are purely instructional with good reputations, reasonable pricing, and solid curriculums.