How to Know If a Broker Bought Your Home From REO in California

Researching California public records will help you determine if a broker bought your REO home.

"REO" is the acronym for "real estate owned" and refers to foreclosed property that failed to sell at auction. An REO property is owned by the mortgage holder due to the original purchaser defaulting on the loan agreement. If you formerly owned a California home and are curious to learn if a broker bought the property, public records can help you answer that question.

Instructions

1. Search property records. Check with the California county office overseeing real estate recordings in the community where your former home is located. This office is typically known as the county clerk's office. For instance, in Los Angeles County, the registrar-recorder/county clerk records all real estate records. On this county's website, click the "Real estate records" link for information on deeds and mortgages. Some California counties have online record searches available, and others require you to call or appear in person to search records. The mortgage holder would be listed as grantor in the record search, and if a broker purchased the home, he would be the grantee. You can also link to county clerks through the CA.gov website. Click the "Public records" link, then "Recorded documents" under real estate.

2. Contact the tax assessor. The tax assessor's office in the county where your former home is located will have information on the person or company now responsible for paying taxes on this property. Search online for the county tax assessor, and then enter the address of the property in the search engine to obtain details on who is now liable for property taxes to determine if it is a broker. Some counties, such as Sacramento County, will provide property ownership details over the phone.

3. Check with real estate regulators. If you know the name of the person who purchased your former home but are unsure if she is a broker, check with the California Department of Real Estate Licensing. From the home page, click on the link for "Real estate license lookup" and enter the name of the person you suspect may be a broker. To conduct a broad search if you are unsure about her complete first name, just enter the last name and scroll through the directory. The name, license type, and city where the broker is based will be provided.

References

• US REO Properties: Real Estate Owned is a Familiar Term Used While Discussing Foreclosure Issues
• Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Real Estate Records, Military Discharges & UCC Financing Statement
• CA.Gov: Department of Real Estate: Real Estate License Lookup
• Ca.Gov: State of California: Recorded Documents
• Sacramento County Assessor: Ownership Information

Resources

• California Department of Real Estate Licensing: Public Licensee Information