What I Paid and What It's Worth: My Tax Deed Portfolio

Short answer: I hold 24 valued Florida properties. On the 23 with a recorded price I paid $216,700, and they're worth $473,015 on the highest available estimate for each: 2.18 times what I paid. Those are my results, not a promise of yours.

The standout

Three acres in Osteen cost me $15,000 in 2010. The county now values the land at $147,900, nearly ten times what I paid.

The other side

Plenty of my lots are small. My recorded purchases run from $1,600 to $31,800, and for several of them the county's value is below what I paid. I bought 7 more parcels in 2026, so I'm doing this now, not remembering it.

How I count

For each property I take the highest of what I paid, the county's just value, Zillow's estimate where it fits, and the median of comparable lot sales where the lot is a normal building lot. That's a generous way to count, so I show the method. It isn't an appraisal, and it's before any debts. See the full table.

Sources

• Volusia County Property Appraiser
• Duval County Property Appraiser

Next: the Florida guide, the Volusia guide, the glossary, or work with me. Not legal, tax or investment advice.