SAMPLE $100 PACKET · REAL LOT, REAL PUBLIC DATA
628 NE 71 St, Miami, FL 33138: a 5-foot strip, not a lot
Miami-Dade tax-deed case 2026A00138. This is what a delivered packet looks like, using a lot from the Oct 8 sale. Every fact links to the public record it came from.
Verdict: REJECT
Do not bid. The parcel is the south 5 feet of Lot 3 (238 sq ft total). The county values it at $268 and has for three straight years. The opening bid alone is $1,975.09, about 7× the value, before recording fees, doc stamps, and any surviving liens. A 5-foot strip cannot hold a house under single-family zoning, so it is worth something only to the two neighbors.
County-source facts
| Case / folio | 2026A00138 · 01-3218-004-0050 | source |
|---|---|---|
| Sale | Thu Oct 8, 2026, 2:00 PM ET (Miami-Dade); still scheduled at our county read Oct 8, 2026, 8:32 AM ET | source |
| Opening bid | $1,975.09 | source |
| Assessed / market value (2024, 2025, 2026) | $268 each year | source |
| Lot size | 238 sq ft | source |
| Legal description | BAYWOOD PB 5-85 | S5FT OF LOT 3 BLK 1 | LOT SIZE 238 SQ FT | source |
| Use / zoning | Vacant residential: vacant land · Single family, ancillary unit | source |
| Buildings | None on the appraiser record | source |
Three-case math (before closing costs)
| Scenario | Your cost | County value | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win at the opening bid | $1,975 | $268 | −$1,707 |
| Win at 2× opening bid | $3,950 | $268 | −$3,682 |
| Win at 5× opening bid | $9,875 | $268 | −$9,607 |
Recording fees, documentary stamp tax, and quiet-title costs would make every row worse.
Red flags
- Sliver parcel. The legal description is “S5FT OF LOT 3”, a strip of a lot rather than a whole lot.
- Bid far above value. The opening bid is 737% of the assessed value.
- Not buildable on its own. 238 sq ft under single-family zoning; resale is realistically to an adjoining owner only.
- No qualified sale history. The only recorded transfers (2001) are marked disqualified on the appraiser record.
Title and liens: where to look (link-out only)
- Miami-Dade Clerk official records: search the folio for mortgages, judgments, and liens.
- County code-enforcement citations by folio: open citations can survive the deed.
Named unknowns
- Whether either neighbor would buy the strip, and at what price.
- Surviving government liens (code enforcement, special assessments) until the clerk and citation searches are read.
- The final result of the Oct 8 sale. Check the county preview after 2:00 PM ET.
Guarantee: Delivered before the sale or your full $100 back.
Applies only to orders placed at least 24 hours before the sale start.
- What “delivered” means: The finished packet (verdict, cited county facts, lien and title red flags, three-case math, and named unknowns) is emailed to the address you used at checkout.
- What “before the sale” means: Before the auction start time the county’s RealAuction calendar lists for that lot’s sale date (for example, Palm Beach 10/14/2026 9:30 AM ET or Miami-Dade 10/15/2026 2:00 PM ET).
- When it applies: Only to orders placed at least 24 hours before the sale start: your payment and a complete intake (the lot address, case or parcel number) must reach us at least 24 hours before that auction start time. Orders placed later are not covered. That matches our standard 24-hour delivery window.
- How to get your refund: Reply to the delivery email, or email igor@igorganapolsky.com. If the packet arrived after the auction start time, you get the full $100 back to your original payment method. No forms and no argument.
Applies to the $100 diligence packet. The $29 Quick Check carries the same guarantee: delivered before the sale or your $29 back.
Order a $100 packet for your lotOr a $29 Quick Check
Owner name and mailing address are deliberately left out. Facts read from the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser and the county auction preview on Oct 7–8, 2026.
Screening research from public records, not a title search, appraisal, or legal advice. Tax-deed lots are sold as-is. Auctions can be cancelled or redeemed up to the sale. Verify everything with the county and your own advisers before you bid.