Real estate investing is no small feat. Navigating complexities like property liens and more can be challenging.
Among these challenges one may be determining how you find out who owns a property. This is crucial knowledge that property investors, buyers and sellers, real estate professionals, and even the curious explorer might find invaluable. This piece will provide a detailed guide on how to accurately find property ownership information.
Before embarking on this quest for knowledge, it is important to understand why you might need this information. As a real estate investor, knowing who owns a certain piece of land can be the difference between scoring a good deal and missing out on one. For would-be homeowners, it is always prudent to know the real owner of a house before you start negotiating for a sale.
Even lenders find it useful to have property ownership information at hand when they need to verify a client's claims. Hence, mastering the art of finding out who owns a property is a crucial life hack.
Now that we’ve established the importance of knowing who owns a property, let's delve into the steps you need to take to find this information. Bear in mind that while these steps aim to provide a streamlined guide, the specific details may vary depending on the location of the property, the records available, and the tools you have at your disposal such as real estate software.
Finding out Who Owns a Property
Your first port of call would be government records. These include the county clerk's office where you can find a wealth of information, particularly records of property deeds. These official documents list all transactions of a particular property including the crucial details about its owner(s). Another useful source of data is the local tax assessor's office which keeps a detailed record of property tax owed by homeowners.
Getting the owner information may not be straightforward due to the complexity of these records; therefore, you may need to go through the following steps:
Step 1: Identify the location of the property and the owner information you want to uncover. This could be the physical address or land coordinates (longitude and latitude).
Step 2: Check with the county where the property is located. Contact the county clerk, recorder, accessor, or other local official sources. They usually have a database that contains details like the owner's name, property size, and value. Some even have website systems where you can type in an address and find out who owns the property.
Note that not all counties have their records online, and some might charge a fee for these services. Another thing to keep in mind is that the name listed might not be the actual owner. It could be the title company that was in charge of the transaction.
Step 3: Once you have gotten the owner's name, the next part is to track down the owner. Finding their contact information might be a bit more difficult, as these details are usually not listed in property records due to privacy reasons.
Utilizing Technology to Find Property Owners
If these traditional methods of finding out who owns a property don't yield results or you want a simpler approach, it might be time to turn to technology.
Real estate investing has become increasingly digital, and certain online platforms and real estate software offer services that can find this information in minutes. Remember to choose a credible platform, like DealMachine, and although they may have a fee, it could save you lots of time and effort.
Real estate platforms will usually have a database with information about most properties. Once you find the property you are interested in, the owner or the records should be right there. The contact information, however, might not be included.
However, in DealMachine, you'll be able to access contact information connected to potential owners, renters, etc. for free. Most skip tracing services will usually return the name of the owner, their mailing address, and the property tax details.
When using online services, be mindful of privacy laws. Ensure you are using the information gathered responsibly and legally. In many countries & states, it's illegal to use someone's personal information for malicious purposes. Always be mindful and respectful of these rules.
Conclusion
If you've been wondering how to find out who owns a property, here's your guide. It may seem like a daunting task, but with a bit of patience, the right resources, and the steps outlined in this article, finding property ownership information can be a breeze. This blog post has attempted to simplify the process of finding out who owns a property but remember that regulations or procedures may vary according to location and specific circumstances.
