Kitsap County, WA
Tax foreclosure auction on Public Surplus, Jan 26, 2027 — last day to redeem Jan 25
Kitsap County's next real property tax foreclosure auction is scheduled for January 26, 2027 on www.publicsurplus.com, and the last day an owner can redeem is January 25, 2027. The treasurer begins foreclosure once a tax year is three years late: this cycle covers parcels with 2023 or earlier taxes still unpaid in January 2026, when foreclosure costs started to accrue, and owners could stop it by paying just the at-risk years by April 30. Everyone with a recorded interest found by the title search is served by certified mail with a notice and summons, which is also published in the local newspaper (RCW 84.64.050). After the county files in May, the owner or anyone with a recorded interest can still redeem until the close of business on the last business day before the sale, but only with certified funds covering all taxes, interest, penalty and foreclosure costs — no personal checks (RCW 84.64.060).
After the sale the prior owner has no rights to the property, unless they were a minor or deemed legally incompetent by a court; those owners can redeem within three years by paying the sale price plus interest on the tax amount, and must also repay any improvements the new owner made (RCW 84.64.070). The treasurer's 'before you buy' notes are worth reading closely. Most liens are extinguished by the tax sale, but Kitsap County gives no guarantee of that; questions about building, zoning and use belong with the city and county departments; and some title companies won't insure a tax-foreclosed property for up to ten years after the sale, which matters if you plan to build or borrow. Parcels that get no bid are deeded to the county as tax-title property and can later be sold by public auction or private negotiation (RCW 36.35.150). The county also posts foreclosure results and a surplus funds list for past sales.
Washington rules at a glance
Washington sells no lien certificates: three years after taxes go delinquent the county treasurer forecloses in superior court and auctions the property itself, with a minimum bid equal to the taxes, interest and costs (RCW 84.64.050, 84.64.080). The owner can redeem until the close of business the day before the sale; after it, the buyer gets a treasurer's tax deed and there is no redemption, except that a minor or a person adjudicated legally incompetent can redeem within three years by repaying the price with interest and the value of good-faith improvements (RCW 84.64.070). Anything bid above the minimum is held for the owner of record for three years.
The statute, the bidding and what goes wrong for new buyers are on the Washington page; every sale date we have sourced for Kitsap County is on the Kitsap County page.
Property & tax profile
The median homeowner in Kitsap County pays $4,279 a year in property tax — below the Washington median of $4,556 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes for each year it goes unpaid — the debt that the opening bid at a deed sale is usually built from, plus interest and costs. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $4,237; homes owned outright, $4,397.
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 Kitsap County, 32.1% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (Washington: 33.9%, U.S.: 39.4%). About the same as the state as a whole.
7.2% of all housing units in Kitsap County are vacant. The figure that matters for a buyer at the tax sale 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 2.1% of all units (Washington: 2.0%, U.S.: 3.6%). Close to the state rate.
Half of the homes in Kitsap County were built in or before 1986 (Washington: in or before 1985). The typical tax bill is 4.1% of the median household income of $104,158 (Washington: 4.6%).
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: This is a Public Surplus auction, not Bid4Assets, so open an account there ahead of time. Parcels drop off as owners redeem through January 25, so check the list on the treasurer's foreclosure page right before the auction and ask the Kitsap County Treasurer about anything the listing doesn't answer.
Official source: kitsap.gov — checked October 4, 2026
More sales: The upcoming sales in Washington.
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.