Selling a house in Red Oak

County records for a Red Oak sale

Red Oak is an Ellis County city of about 19,365 people, going by the Census Bureau's 2024 estimate. The county records you need for a sale are listed below.

• Property tax. The Ellis County Tax Office has a Red Oak branch at 101 Live Oak St., (972) 825-5640, open weekdays 8:00 to 4:30. Its collections-by-entity sheet lists the City of Red Oak, Red Oak ISD and Ellis County ESD No. 4 (Red Oak) without the highlighting it uses for units it does not collect for.
• Values and protests. The Ellis Appraisal District sets values and keeps ownership; the tax office's FAQ sends value questions there, since placing a value is not the collector's job.
• Deed records. The Ellis County Clerk records real property from its office at 109 S. Jackson St. in Waxahachie, and its Recording Division accepts eRecording through approved vendors; the page describes it as a way to submit land records without visiting the office.

What the city exempts

Red Oak's line on a tax bill is shaped by exemptions the city chose. On the Ellis County Tax Office's 2025 rates and exemptions sheet, the City of Red Oak shows:

City of Red Oak on the 2025 Ellis County sheet

Item	Amount
Owners 65 or older	$20,000 exemption
Disabled owners	$3,000 exemption
General homestead percentage	none listed
Tax freeze for owners 65 or older	freeze year 2004

Red Oak ISD shows no local exemptions of its own on that sheet. The sheet's footnote gives the state-required school exemptions: $140,000 for each resident homestead, plus $60,000 more for owners 65 or older. Ellis County ESD No. 4 (Red Oak) also appears as a separate taxing unit. The tax office's FAQ says your statement lists the taxable value and the tax rates of the taxing units on your account.

Tax bill problems, and the harder situations

• A value that changed after the bill. If the appraisal district adjusts your value, the tax office's FAQ says a revised statement follows once the adjustment reaches the tax office. A statement for a property you no longer own should be returned to the office with a note saying so.
• Bills you never saw. The same FAQ cites Tax Code §§ 31.04 and 33.01: the owner is responsible for getting the statement, and penalties and interest are assessed even when no bill arrived. Taxes are due by January 31.
• Payment plans. Partial payments are accepted, and qualifying homestead owners who are 65 or older or disabled can pay in four quarterly installments. Monthly agreements are set up only for taxes already delinquent.
• A tax certificate. The property page says certificates are sold only at the Waxahachie office, $10 each, not at the Red Oak branch.
• If it reaches a tax sale. The tax sales page says Ellis County holds them online on the first Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m., and the winning bidder must pay in full on the day of the sale.

Foreclosure, renters and estates. A trustee's sale needs at least 21 days' notice posted at the courthouse door and filed with the county clerk (Property Code § 51.002); in Ellis County that clerk is in Waxahachie. Before a landlord can file an eviction in the justice court for the property's precinct (Property Code §§ 24.004–24.005), the tenant generally gets three days' written notice to vacate unless the lease says otherwise. Probate is filed in the county where the person who died lived (Estates Code § 33.001). Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas lists a Waxahachie office (972-923-3344) for those who qualify. Read about the risks of a vacant rental or selling an inherited house.

Selling to Cash Home Advisors

You can sell your Red Oak house as-is, without making repairs. We pay all closing costs, and we can close in 7–14 days. See how it works or send us the address.

Local offices for this area

• Ellis Appraisal District
• Ellis County Tax Office
• Ellis County Tax Office: Property
• Ellis County Tax Office: Tax Rates

ZIP codes we buy in: 75154