While there are a number of ways that you can determine who owns a property, these are some of the most common and effective ways to do it:
1. Searching Public Records:
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Get Information From The County Tax Assessor:
The county tax assessor will always know who owns a property, and this information is part of the property owner’s public record. Therefore, you’ll be able to access it. They will even be able to give you the identity of someone who owns a vacant lot.
While you may have to visit the tax assessor in person to view this information, some counties have an online search feature that allows you to view the information. In some cases, you’ll need to go to the library to find the information in your county’s records.
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Look At Property Deeds:
All property deeds are recorded, and it’s possible to view the records at the county recorder’s office. You will need to visit the office in person though. The recorder’s office is usually in the county courthouse, but it can be located elsewhere as well. You can determine where the office is located by searching for it online.
Not only do deeds show you the current owner of a property, but they show you everyone who owned the property in the past as well. This is especially important if the property in question is foreclosed. The current owner of a foreclosed property is a bank rather than an individual.
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Online Property Search Tools:
There are a number of privately owned reverse address search tools that allow you to search for the owner of a property online. While you have to pay to use some services, there are others that are free. A great example of a free tool that allows you to determine the owner of a property is Freebackgroundcheck.org. This tool allows you to get detailed information about the owner of a property.
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Visit City Hall:
City halls often will be able to provide you with auditor materials. Some examples of these records include census and voting records. These records will list the property owner’s name. Similar information can be found at some libraries.
2. Talking To Neighbors:
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Speak With The Nearest Neighbor:
Sometimes, neighbors will be willing to share a lot of information about the owner of a property. In other cases, they won’t be willing to share much about it or tell you who owns a house in the neighborhood. It’s best to begin asking a neighbor by simply asking if they know the person that owns the property next to them and be as friendly as possible. You don’t want to come across as nosy. This is especially true if you’re considering buying the property as your residence and prefer to keep your interest anonymous.
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Talking With Neighbors To Get The Address:
The address of a property isn’t always clearly visible from the street. This is especially likely to be true if the property is within a multiplex. If this is the case, you’ll have to talk to one of the neighbors to get the address. This address can be used to search public records for the owner of a property. It also can be used to send a letter to the property owner’s residence to determine their identity.
3. Find A Professional Property Search Service:
There are three main types of professionals that you can use to find the owner of a property. These groups of professionals are real estate agents, title companies, and skip tracers.
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Working With A Real Estate Agent:
If a house is for sale, you’ll be able to find the identity of the property owner by giving the real estate agent, such as that on www.hpw.com/chapel-hill, a call. Their number is listed on the for sale sign. The only time that a property for sale will not have the telephone number of a real estate agent listed is if the property is for sale by owner. However, the sign next to these properties generally lists the phone number of the current property owner.
If the property is not for sale, you still may be able to talk to a real estate agent to find the identity of the owner. Real estate agents that have experience selling properties in the area are especially likely to be familiar with the property owner. In addition, real estate agents have many professional connections. This will help them to find a property owner’s identity.
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Working With A Title Company:
Title companies frequently perform searches for property owners. You’ll have to go through a title search company if you’re thinking about buying a property whether you use one to find the identity of the property owner or use another method to do so. It generally costs between 200-400 dollars for a title company to figure out the owner of a property.
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Working With A Skip Tracer:
Skip tracers have access to a wide range of databases that the general public doesn’t. This means that they may be able to find the identity of a property owner that has suddenly abandoned their property.
