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Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd/Getty Images July 26, 2022 Lara Vukelich is a freelance writer who has written for Bankrate, Huffington Post and Quiet Revolution to Expedia, Travelocity, and MyMove. She is based in San Diego, California. Troy Segal is Bankrate's Senior Homeownership Editor, focusing on everything from upkeep and maintenance to building equity and enhancing value. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
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Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. We’ve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by and edited by , who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions an individual will ever make. Our real estate reporters and editors focus on educating consumers about this life-changing transaction and how to navigate the complex and ever-changing housing market. From finding an agent to closing and beyond, our goal is to help you feel confident that you're making the best, and smartest, real estate deal possible. Bankrate logo Editorial integrity
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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. If you’re in search of ownership info about a piece of real estate, you’re not alone: Thousands seek such data every day. Maybe you want to make an offer on that lake cabin you’ve had your eye on for years, even though it’s not currently listed on any . Or perhaps you’ve spotted a “For Sale By Owner” sign on a cute home; you’re interested, but you want to make sure you’re negotiating with the real deal. Or maybe you see something unusual going on in or around a house, and feel the owner should be notified. There are a few different ways to determine the owner of a home, a lot or piece of land. If you’re lucky, the entire process will take just a few minutes; even when you hit a snag, help is always available. Here are some ways house-hunters, potential homebuyers or inquisitive minds can conduct a search. Public resources for finding a property owner
“The easiest way to find out who owns a property is to do a title search, because this is public information,” explains Lee Suryani, a senior real estate sales and leasing agent in San Diego. Of course, if you’re with a home purchase, a is often standard operating procedure by your real estate lawyer. But even if you are not, you can do one yourself. Believe it or not, a simple online search of the address may reveal who currently owns the property without having to pay a dime. If not, there are other public avenues to explore. 1 Consult the county clerk s office
Since real property ownership is a matter of public record, info on sales, transactions and defaults — including the names of the parties involved — should be available at a particular department of your county or municipality: It’s often known as the office of land registry, property records or land records. You can get the data you need in person, on the phone, via email or even (in tech-savvy states) online. 2 Try the tax assessor
The person or company who currently owns a property is, presumably, paying property taxes on it. That means your county tax assessor will have a record of their identity and how much tax they pay. Google the name of the county where the property is plus “tax assessor” to get started. In some counties, you will need to pay a visit to City Hall to access the records. Other regions may provide online search databases. If you want a physical copy of the records, be prepared to pay a nominal fee. Otherwise, this is often a free option for discovering property ownership. 3 Pay a visit to the library
Your local library may also grant free access to public databases on their computers. Plus, the staff are prepared to direct patrons to reference materials related to property sales and ownership. If the home or building in question was sold a long time ago, your local librarian may be able to dig up physical records that are harder to come by.
Private resources for finding a property owner
If the public resources fail you, or you’re hitting a wall for some reason, you may want to go private, and pay a professional to get the info. 1 Consult a title search company
Suryani suggests reaching out to a property title company. These are the independent firms who do title searches during real estate transactions, to ensure there is no “” — that is, they “verify that there is no old claim against the property title, such as debts on the mortgage or a lien,” she says. While the company may charge you for their services, you’re guaranteed to come up with an answer. Any title company in your state can do an address search for you to discover sales records and the property’s current legal owner. 2 Talk to a real estate attorney
If the property is owned by an LLC or it is the subject of a probate dispute, finding the owner can get tricky. In situations where you just can’t seem to figure out who holds the title, a may be able to figure out why you’re hitting a snag and get to the bottom of ownership. This is a more expensive option than doing your own records search, to be sure. But if you’re really in a pickle it may be worth a shot. 3 Engage a real estate agent
Finally, don’t forget about how knowledgeable are. Suryani says that anyone who works in real estate can run a title search for you. Many agents won’t charge for this service in the name of relationship-building; if they do, it might not cost that much. 4 Professional record-finding resources
If you’re in a position to regularly search for property owners — you’re beginning to develop a business, say — you may want to sign up with a professional record search service. These firms sometimes charge a monthly subscription fee. In return, you gain access to fairly detailed data. You may even be able to track down the owner of a property who only has their PO Box listed. Some record-finding services include: Final word on finding property owners
Finding out who owns a building or piece of land is usually simple, and has several advantages. It helps you guarantee that you only do business with the true, legal owner of the property. And you may be able to engage directly with a potential seller whose home is not listed, but who might be (in a hot market, every early advantage helps). Often when you search, you can not only confirm who owns the property, but also unveil any existing liens or old debts. Public records will give you the name of the current owner and the current property taxes. You can also see when property transactions took place and an overall history of ownership. Once you have the owner’s name, you may be able to turn to a grantor/grantee database (like for San Diego County) and see who the current mortgage holder is. You won’t be able to see how much money a property owner owes on their mortgage or what their payments look like, but you’ll be able to verify that there is a loan and who the lender is. Of course, you’ll still want to get details about the property’s condition and eventually examine it firsthand. Still, finding the owner of a property is a good start if you want to make an offer or verify real estate facts. SHARE: Lara Vukelich is a freelance writer who has written for Bankrate, Huffington Post and Quiet Revolution to Expedia, Travelocity, and MyMove. She is based in San Diego, California. Troy Segal is Bankrate's Senior Homeownership Editor, focusing on everything from upkeep and maintenance to building equity and enhancing value. Related Articles