In article <8ce26dc8.0307191445.1b23dbc1[at]posting.google.com> , dh003i
<dh003i[at]mail.rochester.edu> wrote:

- quote -

Yes...hazardous waste. If you end up owning a property this way,
you have unlimiated liablity to clean up any hazardous waste. That
includes any damange done to adjacent properties or migration of the
waste through the water table. You could end up getting a nearly
worthless piece of property, and have a multi-million dollar cost
to clean it up. Once the EPA finds that you have hazardous waste,
you have to clean it up, and you cannot file bankruptcy to get out
of it. You really have to know for sure what you are getting into
here if you don't have the resources of the big money groups to go
out and survey and test each property. It is very easy to get hurt
very badly here.

- quote -

Most info out there is of the scam and hype variety. The net-net
of the matter is that banks and big money groups have gotten
involved in tax-lien investing, and they normally bid the rate
of return down so low that it isn't worth your time and effort
to try to compete. The days of the 12%, 16%, and 20% rates of
returns are mostly history. If you do see a property that the
big money groups are passing on, that is your red flag that
something is wrong with it.

-john-

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John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708 john[at]johnweeks.com
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
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Ok, I know a little bit about tax liens. Basically, you buy out
someone else' tax-debt to the government, and as a result, take on the
roll of the government in collecting large (12+%) rate-penalties per
year, until the debt is paid off.

Most of the information I've found online about tax-liens seems
questionable and thin, as it is short on details, and suggests there
is little or no risk.

So, I have a few questions on tax-liens:

(1) What are the risks involved in investing in tax-lien certificates?

(2) Are there any reliable sources on tax-lien law? I'm aware that
this is an investment where the rules of the game are largely governed
by the law; however, my search for laws on tax-liens has been
unproductive.

(3) Are there any mutual funds available to someone in the 15% tax
bracket that invest in tax liens? (e.g., one's that don't require
hundred-thousand dollar contributions). I do not like travelling much,
and wouldn't be good at surveying property to determine if the value
of the net property is less than the cost of paying off the tax-debt
and the penalties.