If property taxes aren’t current, the county may foreclose on the property and sell it at public auction. [1] X Research source If you go to the website of the tax assessor in the county where the property is located, you may be able to search records online. In more rural counties, you may have to go to the tax assessor’s office or your local public library and search paper records. [2] X Research source In most cases, if you know the street address of the property, you can search the county database that way. You’ll get the most precise results if you’ve determined the plat number or the lot and block of the property. The tax records will include the name and contact information of the property owner. Tax records also may include detail about the most recent appraisal of the property, including its dimensions, number of rooms, type of heating or air conditioning, and other property features. [3] X Research source If the property has a tax lien or deficiency, the owners may be more willing to sell the property just to get rid of the debt. [4] X Research source
The recorder of deeds is responsible for maintaining public records of all land ownership and transfers. [6] X Research source In most counties, the recorder’s office is located in the county courthouse. [7] X Research source Some recorder’s offices may even have these records online for you to search, especially if the property is in a major metropolitan area. [8] X Research source The deed records the transfer of property, so you not only find the current owner of record, but also who they purchased the property from and if there are any liens on the property. [9] X Research source Deeds also will be easier to search if you’ve determined the plat or lot number of the property, since the plat number is the only information required for the legal description of the property on the deed. [10] X Research source
You may have to pay a fee to use some of these search tools, or to access a full report with your complete search results.
If local residents are familiar with the owners of the property, you can learn if the owners are approachable people.
Don’t hang around too much or the neighbors may start to get suspicious. If you talk to anyone, or if anyone approaches you and asks you what you’re doing, be up front about your intentions. Especially if you want to buy the property, you don’t want to start off on the wrong foot with people who might one day be your neighbors.
You will need the address to search public records for the property owner’s identity as well.
Send it through the mail, don’t just leave it in the box or on the property. If the owners have moved elsewhere, it’s possible they have the mail forwarded to a different address. If the property is truly abandoned, this isn’t likely, but it’s worth a shot. Include your name and a phone number on the post card, as well as the reasons you are contacting the owner.
In addition to knowledge about the neighborhood including general demographics and property value trends, a real estate agent has contact with title search companies and other professional resources. A real estate agent’s professional connections can enable her to find information about a property owner much faster than you could on your own.
If you want to buy the property, connecting with a title search company will be essential, because you will need a complete and accurate history of the property’s title and its value. [13] X Research source A title company isn’t going to conduct a title search for free. Title search fees, which typically run between $200 and $400, normally would be included in the general closing costs when you were buying a house. [14] X Research source A title search independent of a home sale might cost more, depending on the company you contact.
Skip tracers also may interview neighbors, relatives, or other sources and conduct surveillance on the property if necessary to locate the owner. Independent skip tracers often work with bounty hunters, bail bondsmen, and private investigators. [16] X Research source
