How to Find Who Ownes a Property: Who Owns This House | BiggerPockets Blog

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Let’s say you come across a home or land that interests you but don’t see a for sale sign. You may be wondering how to find out who owns a property. Because property ownership records are public, you can access property data quickly, especially if you have the property’s address. But not all cases are easy. Sometimes, it takes a little work.

Whether you are considering buying a home for your primary residence or buying a home real estate investorKnowing how to do landlord research can be helpful.

Reasons to know who owns the property

There are several reasons to find owner information. For example, you walk through a neighborhood you’ve never seen before and you fall in love with a piece of residential real estate instantly. Its exterior speaks to you, and deep down you know it’s the perfect investment, but there’s no for sale sign in front of it. You have funds ready to make an offer and want to see if your landlord will sell for the right price.

You may also want to locate your landlord if you find an abandoned property that you know you can fix and flip for a profit. Perhaps there is a vacant piece of land that you would like to buy To build a house. Property records can help you decide your next move.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that when you find out who owns a property, they’ll want to sell it, but it might be worth the effort.

Ways to find out who owns the property

If you find a property you would like to buy, you have multiple options, from having a simple chat to searching for property details via the Land Registry.

Here’s how to find who owns a property.

Check with your local resident’s office

Most property owners pay property tax to the county. The county tax assessor determines the assessed value of the property and collects property tax payments. The assessor keeps a record of homeowner, property values, and property tax records, so starting with a city council assessor’s office may help you find out who owns property and how much taxes are paid.

You can access a property assessment online at the county tax assessor’s website or in person at a city hall. You may find a property tax bill or other property data tool to help you search these property and land records. Many tax assessor’s office records are free, but if you go there in person, they may charge a small fee to access the documents.

Remember, when you find the owner’s information, the contact details may not be available, so you still have some work to do. However, having your landlord’s name provides more opportunities to find contact information on social media or even the Yellow Pages after using a county evaluator.

Check with the county clerk or registrar

The county clerk’s office may also have a registry of property owners. It is an excellent place to check if the local tax assessor does not have a property history. This may happen if the landlords do not pay taxes on the property or the land is not registered.

The county recorder’s office records title deeds when property information changes. A check with the county clerk’s or county recorder’s office provides relevant information, such as property owners’ names, addresses, contact information, and property chain of ownership, that may be necessary for you to find out who owns the property.

Use an address company

The title company can perform property title searches for a fee. A title search is another way to determine property title information, including title chain and any lien-related information. For example, when you buy previously owned property, the mortgage company hires a title company to conduct home title searches to make sure there are no liens in the home. Even if you don’t buy the home, you can pay a title search company to find the current or previous owners.

Title companies charge $75 to $200 to search for a title, depending on the complexity of the job. You can contact a local title company or ask a newer mortgage lender an address search company to use in your address search.

Search online

A simple online search may be all you need to determine who owns the property. white Pages.com It is a free online service that provides real estate ownership information using a reverse address lookup. It’s best not to rely on sites like this for accuracy, but it can be a good start.

Ask a real estate agent

Real estate agents have access to more information than the general public. First, they can access a file Multiple list service (MLS), which lists any active home rosters. They may also have greater access to address searches or other vital data that you can’t get in public records.

Many real estate agents will offer this service for free to develop relationships within the community.

Use of mailing list brokers

Mailing list brokers are an online service that aggregates public records in bulk for companies but may also serve individuals. The downside is that the price is usually quite steep for mailing list brokers because they work with high volume and put a lot of work into their research.

Check your local library

The local library is a logical place to check property records because it’s public information, and the library staff excels in research. In addition, you can ask the library staff for reference resources, as they may have several property data tools at their disposal. They may also be able to help you dig deeper than a basic public record search.

Knock on the door or leave a note

Your solution may be to talk to find a landlord. If you’re ready to suddenly strike up a conversation with your landlords, consider walking through the area and knocking on the door. If the property is vacant, consider talking to neighbors about your landlord. Neighbors may have more property information than the owner’s name, which can help you decide if it’s worth considering.

After all, while the property may be what you’re looking for, if the traffic is bad or there are complaints from neighbors about crime or rowdy citizens, you may want to look in a different direction.

Not one house? Leave a note with your name, phone number, email, and reason for contacting. Who knows, they might just call you!

Contact a real estate attorney

If you know or are OK with calling a real estate attorney, they may offer you direction. Lawyers may not have access to more in-depth information than you, but they often have the right contacts to get the information needed.

Tips for approaching the homeowner

After learning the best ways to find out who owns property, it is essential to understand the best way to communicate with the legal owner of the property. It may not be the best strategy to approach the current owner and say, “Hey, I want to buy your house.” Instead, you should be as prepared as possible with the following:

• deposit depositMake sure you have serious money to show the landlord that you are serious about buying the property. The larger the deposit, the more serious you look. Remember, however, only put cash in if you can keep up with the contract.
• Get pre-approvedAn official pre-approval letter showing the property owner that you are a serious and capable buyer. Knowing that you have already gone through the underwriting, you can assume the payments and interest rateand are ready to buy a home that can help your case.
• Work with a real estate attorneyIt is best to have a real estate attorney available to help you with the details of the contract and to make sure that the purchase is legal.

Final thoughts: How to find out who owns property

When searching for property information, you have several options. Examine your free options first, as you may find the property record you need online or through a professional, such as a real estate agent who offers a free property search. Paid options are also present, but only use these if you have exhausted all other options.

Note by BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.