HomeA tax sale dateDeKalb County
Got a DeKalb County tax sale notice? Here is what happens next, and how to stop it.
A DeKalb County tax sale notice means the county plans to sell the house on the courthouse steps, at noon on the first Tuesday of a month. The next DeKalb County tax sale is set for November 3, 2026. You can stop it by paying what is owed in full before that day. If it does sell, you still have 12 months to buy it back. Below are our own counts from the county's lists, and every option side by side.
How many houses are on the DeKalb County tax sale list?
- The next DeKalb County tax sale is set for November 3, 2026.
- 60 houses are on the list for that sale.
- At the last sale, on October 6, 2026, 36 of 257 houses on the list came off it before the sale. We are still checking what happened to 221 of them.
- 5 of the 60 on this list are held by an estate.
- At least 3 of the 60 have the owner living in the house.
Our own counts from the county's sale lists. We never show which houses.
How does the DeKalb County tax sale work?
The sale
The first Tuesday of the month at noon, on the steps of the DeKalb County Courthouse. Most years the county holds a sale each month from April through December.
The ad
Once a week for four weeks before the sale, in The Champion Newspaper. The county also posts the list on its website.
What stops it
Pay what you owe in full, with the fees and interest, and the lien is cleared. Once a house is set for sale, the county takes only cash, a bank cashier's check, or a bank wire.
After the sale
You have 12 months to buy it back. The price is what the bidder paid plus 20 percent, plus any taxes the bidder paid since. The bidder gets no rent from the house in that year.
Example: a DeKalb County house with a tax sale date
The numbers are rounded, and each one says where it came from. Yours will use your own house.
What your house is worth, fixed up
$300,000
What similar houses nearby sold for, the middle of the range.
What you owe
The county's own tax-sale listing for this house.
What the tax sale can take from you
Georgia law: 12 months to buy it back, at 20% on top.
Georgia law: 12 months to buy it back, at 20% on top.
How we got the sell numbers
Our repair planning bands for a 1,500–2,500 sq ft house.
The 8% agents and closing usually cost.
Your options, keep or sell
Keep the house
Pay the taxes and keep it
Before the sale date
About what you walk away withYou keep the house
It works if you can pay what the county shows, with interest.
Buy it back after the sale
Within 365 days
About what you walk away withYou keep the house
It works if you can pay the bidder's price plus 20%.
Sell the house
Sell before the sale date
Days, with a buyer who closes fast
About what you walk away with$254,000
It works if a buyer closes before the date.
List it with an agent
If there is time before the date
About what you walk away with$270,000
It works if the taxes are paid or the sale is far enough out.
The sell numbers are what is left after the taxes are paid. They are not an offer. On a call we narrow each one down for your house.
Who do I call at DeKalb County about the tax sale?
DeKalb County Tax Commissioner
Ask for the payoff good through the sale date.
What else do people ask about the DeKalb County tax sale?
When is the next DeKalb County tax sale?
On the first Tuesday of a month, at noon. Most years DeKalb holds one each month from April through December. The date for your house is on the notice and in The Champion. The next date we have is at the top of this page.
Can I pay with a personal check once my house is on the list?
No. Once a house is set for sale, DeKalb takes only cash, a bank cashier's check, or a bank wire. It will not take a personal check, a money order, or a card.
Can I pay part of it?
The county takes part payments, but interest keeps adding on what is left. The lien is cleared only when the whole amount is paid.
My house sold at the DeKalb tax sale. Is it gone?
No. You have 12 months to buy it back. After that, the bidder can send a notice to end your right to buy it back. Call us before that notice comes.
What happens to the extra money if the house sells for more than the taxes?
The tax office holds it until the right person claims it. You can file the claim yourself, or a Georgia lawyer can. The county does not accept a power of attorney for it.
Tell us the address. We will pull the date and the payoff.
Free to call. Missed the date already? Still call.
Prefer to talk? Call 678-379-6820