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Most Florida counties sell foreclosed property online through their clerk's own RealForeclose site. The mechanics are the same everywhere; the deadlines are not. Here is the sequence, and where people lose money in it.

  1. Step 1

    Register on the clerk's site, not a national one

    Each county runs its own auction site, usually <county>.realforeclose.com. An account on one county does not work on another, so register separately in every county you intend to bid in. Registration is free.

    What we watch: Do this days ahead. Some counties verify an account by hand before you can bid.

  2. Step 2

    Wire your deposit before you can bid

    You cannot bid against money you have not already placed. Florida clerks require a deposit on account first, and the winning bidder's deposit is 5% of the final bid under Florida Statute 45.031. Most platforms let you deposit by wire or ACH.

    What we watch: ACH can take several business days to clear. Wire if the sale is this week, and check the county's cut-off time.

  3. Step 3

    Read the judgment before you look at the house

    Open the case on the clerk's docket and find the final judgment. It tells you who is foreclosing and how much is owed. There is no opening bid at a Florida sale: bidding starts at the judgment amount, which is sometimes 50 to 70% below what the property is worth.

    What we watch: If the plaintiff is an association rather than a lender, a first mortgage almost certainly survives the sale.

  4. Step 4

    Set your maximum bid away from the auction

    Work out the resale value, subtract repairs, subtract every lien that survives, subtract your costs and the profit you require. What is left is the most you can pay. Write it down before the sale opens.

    What we watch: The number you set while calm is the number you will be tempted to ignore while bidding.

  5. Step 5

    Understand how the clock works

    Auctions run one lot at a time on a countdown. On most Florida platforms a bid placed in the final seconds extends the clock, so a sale does not end simply because the timer ran out. Sales usually start in the morning and move quickly.

    What we watch: Being logged in early matters more than bidding early. Lots are called in order.

  6. Step 6

    Use a proxy bid rather than clicking

    Most clerk platforms accept a maximum bid and then bid on your behalf in increments, up to that number. That removes the reflex to click one more time, which is where discipline usually fails.

    What we watch: Enter your real maximum, then leave it alone.

  7. Step 7

    Check the docket the morning of the sale

    Sales are cancelled at the last minute for bankruptcies, payoffs and motions. A cancelled sale is not always removed from the auction calendar straight away.

    What we watch: Confirm the sale is still on before any money moves.

  8. Step 8

    Pay the balance on the clerk's deadline

    Win, and the deposit is taken immediately. The balance, plus the clerk's fees, is due on the county's deadline, which is generally the next business day and often by a set hour that morning.

    What we watch: Miss the deadline and you forfeit the deposit and the property. Know the exact hour for that county before you bid.

  9. Step 9

    Wait out the certificate of sale, then take title

    The clerk files a certificate of sale, which ends the owner's right of redemption. Ten days later, with no objection filed, the clerk issues the certificate of title and the property is yours, as is.

    What we watch: Your money is committed during those ten days. If somebody still lives there, plan for a writ of possession.

The deadlines that differ by county

Deposit cut-offs, sale hours and the hour the balance is due are set county by county. These pages carry the figures read from each clerk's own site.

Compare all 36 counties side by side

Education, not legal advice. Clerk procedures change. Confirm the current rules with the county clerk before you bid, and have a Florida attorney or title company review a property before you commit money.