Like most counties in Arizona, Mohave County has a few rules and procedures that differ from those in other counties.
On the positive side, their GIS system is quite good, and, as of 2011, they are still paying February interest, which even Maricopa stopped doing earlier this year. Also, you will find that the people in the Recorder’s office are among the nicest people you’ll find anywhere!
On the negative side, getting detailed information on outstanding CPs and their owners is difficult. Mohave also passes through a $7 per CP charge to cover the cost of using the RealAuction platform, whereas other counties include such charges in the $10 non-refundable TIF. This means that each CP has $17 in non-refundable fees when bought at purchase. Unlike other counties, Mohave does not include the $5 per CP subtax fee in the CP principal when investors subtax. Regardless of how many CPs you are subtaxing, there is a further $5 subtax processing fee each time you subtax. Taking these differences together, you can see that in the first year of owning a Mohave County tax lien, you could be paying an extra $17 in non-refundable fees per CP (assuming you subtax). On smaller CPs, and Mohave County has many small liens, this can seriously dent your return. Doing more detailed work also has additional expenses, as Mohave charges a $50 per month access fee if you require online access to recorded documents – a free option in several other counties. With assignments, you are required to use their form, one for each CP. Other counties will let you group assignments together on your own form. This might result in higher notary fees and administrative hassle if you are trying to assign multiple tax liens in Mohave County.
Adding it all up, Mohave County may not be the best place to look for investors buying a small number of smaller liens, especially if more detailed research is required. On the bright side, Mohave County tax lien auctions tend to be less competitive, and a large number of liens remain available for purchase over-the-counter every year.