Chatham County's Delinquent Tax Sale: What Owners Should Know
Published by Cash Flow Deals · Last updated 2026-08-05
The Savannah Business Journal reported on May 27, 2022 that Chatham County added advance online registration ahead of its June 7, 2022 tax sale. Chatham County's Tax Commissioner runs these sales every month for properties with delinquent property taxes, as required by Georgia law. That monthly sale is still running today.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline before a tax sale deadline | 60-90+ days to list, negotiate, and close | You choose between the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved buyer we already have buys directly from you for more. |
| What happens to sale proceeds | Seller nets whatever is left after repairs are renegotiated | You choose the Fast Cash Offer with no repairs for you to make, or the Premium Cash Offer with only lender-required repairs covered and settled from the sale proceeds, with nothing out of your pocket. |
| Who buys the home | Open market buyer, financing not guaranteed | A real FHA or conventional homebuyer, funded by their own lender |
What happened in Chatham County
The Savannah Business Journal reported on May 27, 2022 that Chatham County's Tax Commissioner's Office opened advance online registration for its monthly tax sale, with the next sale set for Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Georgia law requires counties to hold these sales to collect delinquent property taxes. Chatham County still runs the same process today: the Tax Commissioner's Office, now led by Sonya L. Jackson, holds sales the first Tuesday of the month, with the next one set for September 1, 2026, at the Savannah Civic Center's Bryan Room rather than the courthouse steps used in 2022. Once a property is publicized for tax sale, an owner has very little room to reverse the process, which is why the Tax Commissioner's Office points delinquent owners toward resolving the debt well before the published sale date.
How a property gets to tax sale in the first place
A property lands on the tax sale list after property taxes go unpaid long enough that the county levies against it. That's a separate track from a mortgage going delinquent, but the two often move together: a homeowner who can't keep up with their mortgage frequently falls behind on property taxes at the same time, since both draw from the same stretched household budget. By the time a property shows up on a published tax sale list, the owner is already deep into a financial hole that a quick sale, not a public auction, is usually the better way out of.
Why this still matters for a Chatham County homeowner today
ATTOM Data's June 2026 foreclosure report shows Georgia running one filing per 3,420 housing units, with Bryan County, just next door to Chatham, among the state's counties carrying the heaviest filing activity. Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey puts the 30-year fixed rate at 6.66% as of July 30, 2026, a rate environment that makes refinancing out of a delinquency far harder than it was even a few years ago. A homeowner already behind on property taxes, with a mortgage rate reset looming, is exactly the profile the monthly Chatham County tax sale exists to catch.
What an owner can do before the tax sale list is published
Once your property is advertised for tax sale, your options narrow fast and you lose control of the timeline. Before that happens, you can compare the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose which offer fits, well ahead of any published sale date. With Premium, the buyer's own lender funds the purchase, and title transfers once directly from you to the buyer. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. Only what the Premium buyer's lender requires gets fixed, with those costs settled from the sale proceeds from our share; with Fast Cash, you sell as-is without making repairs. For either offer, the number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. If the Premium Cash Offer buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number.
Common questions
How often does Chatham County hold a tax sale?
Monthly, on the first Tuesday, when a sale is scheduled. The Tax Commissioner's Office added advance online registration ahead of the June 7, 2022 sale, per the Savannah Business Journal, and the same monthly process continues today.
Where is the Chatham County tax sale held now?
As of 2026, sales are held on the second floor of the Savannah Civic Center in the Bryan Room at 301 W. Oglethorpe Avenue in Savannah, a change from the courthouse steps location used in 2022.
Can I get my property back after it's sold at a Chatham County tax sale?
Recourse is very limited once a tax sale happens, which is why the Tax Commissioner's Office points delinquent owners toward resolving the debt before the sale date rather than after.
Does falling behind on property taxes mean I'm also behind on my mortgage?
Not necessarily, but the two often happen together since both draw from the same household budget. A homeowner behind on either should treat it as an early warning sign, not wait for both to compound.
Keep reading
Related reading
- Chatham County's January Listings Came In at a Higher Median Price ›
- Savannah's Market Is Freezing at 6.58% Rates: What Chatham County Sellers Should Know ›
- Behind on Your Mortgage in Chatham County? You Have Options ›
- Savannah's Housing Market Slows: Chatham County Homes Now Average 70-82 Days on Market ›
- Mortgage Rates Near 6.7%: What Hall County Sellers Should Know ›
- Georgia's Special Session Could Cut Homestead Property Taxes ›
This affects sellers in
What this means for your options
Rising mortgage delinquency is often the first sign of a softening local market. Homeowners who move before their equity position weakens keep more control over the outcome.
Wait and see
Keep the property as-is and hope conditions improve. The mortgage, insurance, and upkeep keep costing money while you wait, with no set date for things to turn around.
List with a traditional agent
Standard MLS listing, typically 5-6% in commission, and a financed buyer whose deal depends on appraisal, inspection, and lender approval — any of which can fall through after weeks on market.
Sell to Cash Flow Deals
Two offers for your house, Fast Cash or Premium Cash, and you choose. Cash: Cash Flow Deals buys the house as-is and closes. Premium: More money. A pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have buys directly from you.
See both offers before you decide anything.