How to Do a Property Title Search
Because property records and tax information are classified as public record, anyone can access this information online. If you are a property owner, you can find information about taxes due, back taxes owed and the value of your land, house and any other buildings. You can also access this information about other property owners, which can be helpful when researching property values in an area or considering buying a new house.
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Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Internet connection
- Name or address of a property owner
- Name of the county property official
Instructions
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Finding the Information
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Make sure you have the name of the property owner and/or address of the property. In almost all cases, you can look up a property using one of these pieces of information.
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Determine the elected official that is responsible for maintaining property records in your county. This is usually the county auditor, financial officer or fiscal officer. The exact title varies from county to county and state to state. Once you know the official, go to the person's website.
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Locate the area of the site that allows you to search property records. Each site will use different terminology, but look for links that go to tax information, tax maps, property records, etc. Clicking on the link should bring you to a search page.
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Search by property owner's name, address or parcel number. Parcel number and address will yield the most precise results, but if you only have a person's name this will work, too. You may have to choose between more than one person with that name once results are returned.
Interpreting the Results
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Find the property value, building value, acreage and condition of the structure on the web page. Many sites also show an outline of the home or building, including any additional add-ons like porches, decks and storage buildings. Here you will also see the square footage of the home.
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Find the tax information. Here you can see the tax amounts for a 6-month period, any back taxes that are currently due on the property and a history of payments.
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Click the link to transfers or sales, which will provide a record of when the home was built, sold and bought by new owners. You can see the names of all owners and the amount they paid for the home at the time of purchase.
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Tips & Warnings
If you cannot locate your elected official's website or are having trouble finding the information you need, call the office. This is public record, so by law you are free to look up the information. Someone in the official's office will be able to help you.
