There are many opportunities to purchase real property (real estate) from state and federal government agencies. For example, many cities, towns, and counties have sheriff’s sales or auctions—many of which a buyer can participate in online. You can locate more information about these sales in your city, town, or county by searching online for sheriff’s sales, tax foreclosure sales, and delinquent property tax sales.
State and federal government agencies sell real property assets for several reasons:
• Law enforcement agencies sell real property seized from or forfeited by criminals.
• The U.S. Treasury Department and state departments of revenue sell items forfeited for violations of Treasury laws or state tax laws—including failure to pay income taxes and property taxes.
• Agencies sell items they no longer need.
United States General Services Administration (GSA)
The United States General Services Administration (GSA) is a federal governmental agency that is responsible for promoting effective use of federal real property assets—as well as the disposal of real property that is no longer mission-critical to federal agencies.
With thousands of properties in the federal portfolio, disposing of underused federal property is a considerable task. GSA—while working together with partner federal agencies, state and local governments, non-profit organizations, business groups, and citizens—leaves a lasting positive impact on communities by making valuable government real estate available for numerous public purposes.
Unneeded or underutilized federal property can vary widely in type and value, and may include:
• Undeveloped land;
• Office buildings;
• Warehouses;
• Commercial and industrial facilities;
• Military holdings; and
• Single- and multi-family residences.
These former federal properties can contribute to a community’s vitality by providing benefits such as:
• Expanded employment opportunities;
• Housing for the homeless; and
• Establishment of educational centers, parks, and open spaces.
Real property available for purchase from the U.S. government may be located in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories.
• The Office of Real Property Utilization & Disposal Resource Center provides information about the handling of excess real property and information on properties being offered for sale to the general public. https://disposal.gsa.gov/s/
• GSA’s Real Property auction website allows the public to bid on property 24 hours a day/365 days a year. https://realestatesales.gov/gsaauctions/gsaauctions/
Additional information is available specifically for:
Federal agencies disposing of real property:
• https://disposal.gsa.gov/FAA
Federal agencies looking for real property:
• https://disposal.gsa.gov/FederalExcessNotices
State agencies and public organizations looking for real property:
• https://disposal.gsa.gov/SurplusNotices
Citizens looking for real property:
• https://realestatesales.gov
You can bid on real estate for sale through the following federal agencies’ websites:
• Fannie Mae
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
In Texas, individuals have the opportunity to purchase real estate from state and federal government agencies through various sales and auctions, including sheriff's sales, tax foreclosure sales, and delinquent property tax sales. These sales can often be accessed online. Real property is sold by government agencies for reasons such as the disposal of assets seized or forfeited by law enforcement, the sale of items forfeited for tax law violations, and the sale of surplus property no longer needed by the agency. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for the disposal of federal real property that is no longer mission-critical to federal agencies. The GSA's Real Property Utilization & Disposal Resource Center provides information on excess real property and properties for sale to the public. The public can bid on federal real estate through the GSA's auction site and other federal agencies' websites, including Fannie Mae, FDIC, USDA, HUD, and the VA. Texas residents interested in these opportunities can find more information and participate in auctions by visiting the respective websites and resources provided by these agencies.
