Blog / State spotlights
Alaska tax sales: the season preview
What's actually for sale
Alaska sells tax deeds. Boroughs, not counties, run the system, and many areas of Alaska have no organized borough tax sale at all — coverage and inventory vary widely. The municipality must first decide by ordinance whether to retain foreclosed property for a public purpose before selling, and former-owner repurchase rights can survive until that ordinance/sale step in some municipalities (e.g. Kenai Peninsula Borough).
The rate that decides your return
n/a
The clock you're investing against
Sale schedule: No statewide schedule — each borough / city sets its own sale schedule after foreclosure and deed to the municipality (AS 29.45.460)
Redemption: At least 1 year after the foreclosure judgment: property transferred to the municipality is held for at least one year, during which a party in interest may redeem by paying the lien amount plus penalties, interest and costs (AS 29.45.400). Unredeemed property is then deeded to the borough or city (AS 29.45.450); there is no redemption against a later municipal-sale buyer, though some municipalities extend a former-owner repurchase right until sale.
Where the sales happen
Varies by municipality: outcry auction, sealed bid, or online, as the borough/city decides, Borough/city land-sale pages; no dominant statewide platform. Lists post on the county's schedule, change as owners redeem, and registration typically closes before sale day — the investors who see the list first set the market.
Watch Alaska lists for me
LienToDeed scans the published lists and texts you when new Alaska properties post — scored, with a max bid or max rate.
Deep dives: Alaska laws · Alaska investing guide · Alaska sale calendar. Law verified 2026-10-30.