Gulf County, FL
In-person tax deed sale at 11 a.m. in Port St. Joe — one parcel, opening bid $15,881.74
The Gulf County Clerk lists a tax deed sale for November 4, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. EST in the front lobby of the Gulf County Courthouse in Port St. Joe. It's a one-parcel sale (case TD#2026-13, a residential address on Chapel Lane) with an opening bid of $15,881.74, brought by a certificate holder who applied for the deed. The county also lists sales on October 7 and October 28 — one of those listings is already marked redeemed, a reminder that an owner can pay off the taxes and pull a parcel before the auction.
This is a tax deed sale under Chapter 197, Florida Statutes, not a certificate purchase: the high bidder receives a tax deed issued in the county's name, and the county states plainly that it does not warrant or guarantee clear and marketable title — buyer beware. The county estimates the minimum deposit at $794.09 (5% of the winning bid), payable in cash or certified funds, and bidders can't leave the courthouse to fetch money. Florida's 5%-or-$200-minimum, non-refundable deposit rule is the same one other county clerks cite for these sales.
Florida rules at a glance
Florida sells tax lien certificates at auction with bidding conducted by bid-down — investors compete by accepting a lower interest rate, down from the statutory maximum of 18%. Property owners have two years to redeem before the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed.
The statute, the bidding and what goes wrong for new buyers are on the Florida page; every sale date we have sourced for Gulf County is on the Gulf County page.
Property & tax profile
The median homeowner in Gulf County pays $1,578 a year in property tax — below the Florida median of $2,730 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes after one missed year — about the face value of a one-year certificate, before interest, fees and any premium. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $1,715; homes owned outright, $1,459.
On a home with a mortgage, the lender has its own reason to pay a delinquent tax bill: the tax lien outranks the mortgage, and a tax deed can wipe out the loan. On a home owned outright, nobody but the owner — or the heirs — has that reason. In Gulf County, 56.9% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (Florida: 43.7%, U.S.: 39.4%). That is more than the state as a whole, so a larger share of the delinquent bills here have no lender behind them.
36.5% of all housing units in Gulf County are vacant. 19.5% of all units are seasonal or vacation homes, empty by design rather than abandoned. The figure that matters for a lien buyer is the Census “other vacant” category — not for rent, not for sale, not a holiday home, but a catch-all that includes foreclosures, homes held up by legal proceedings or family reasons, homes needing repairs, and abandoned ones. Here it is 7.3% of all units (Florida: 2.8%, U.S.: 3.6%). That is above the state rate, so expect more empty properties on the delinquent list: the ones least likely to redeem, and the most likely to need work if the deed ends up yours. Drive by before you bid.
Half of the homes in Gulf County were built in or before 1995 (Florida: in or before 1988). The typical tax bill is 2.6% of the median household income of $61,179 (Florida: 3.7%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013) — see the figures on data.census.gov. Survey estimates with margins of error; anything too uncertain to state is left out.
Before you bid: Check the parcel hasn't been redeemed, run your own title search for liens that survive the deed, and confirm the date, opening bid and deposit terms with the Gulf County Clerk of Court's tax deed office before bidding.
Official source: gulfclerk.com — checked October 4, 2026
More sales: 38 other county sales are on the calendar in November 2026 — see them by date; or the upcoming sales in Florida.
This page reflects publicly posted county auction notices as of publication and is general information, not financial or legal advice. Sale details can change — always confirm current terms with the county directly.