How to Find the Real Owner of a Property (3 Detective Tricks)
You’ve found the perfect property—a vacant house with untapped potential. There’s just one problem: you have no idea who owns it. Before you can craft an offer, you need to find the owner. This is a fundamental skill for any off-market investor.
Here are three detective tricks you can use:
Start with the County Tax Assessor: Every county maintains a public record of a property’s interest holder(s) for tax purposes. A simple online search on the county assessor’s website can often give you a partial legal description- a perfect starting point at the Recorder’s Office.
Become a Digital Detective: If the records held by the county are a dead end (e.g., a deceased person or an old address), go online. Don’t forget about the most powerful search engine-Google.
Talk to the Neighbors: Never underestimate the power of old-fashioned fieldwork. Neighbors are often a goldmine of information. They might know the owner’s name, their situation, or even how to get in touch with them.
Finding the owner is just the first step. The real work begins when you analyze the title to understand their story and motivation. The TIP Method is your guide to this deeper level of due diligence.
Mastering the art of finding owners is a superpower. The Title Detective’s Playbook dedicates an entire chapter to advanced skip-tracing and owner research techniques. [Get your copy to become a master at finding off-market deals.]
