How to Find Out If Someone Owns Property

Property ownership is public record in the United States. Whether you’re trying to collect a judgment, investigate someone’s assets, verify claims of ownership, research potential business partners, or simply satisfy curiosity, property records reveal who owns real estate. This comprehensive guide explains how to search property records, find properties owned by specific individuals, understand what property records reveal, and use professional services when DIY searching isn’t enough.

🔍 Why Search Property Records

People search property records for many legitimate reasons. Understanding common use cases helps you know what information to look for, how to use what you find, and whether your search purpose is legally appropriate.

Judgment Collection

Judgment creditors search property records to identify real estate owned by debtors. Recording a judgment lien against debtor-owned property secures your judgment against that asset and prevents the debtor from selling or refinancing without addressing your lien. If the debtor has sufficient equity above exemptions and senior liens, you might be able to force sale of the property to satisfy your judgment through execution proceedings. Property searches are essential for effective judgment collection strategy—you can’t lien property you don’t know exists. See what assets can be seized to collect a judgment for related information on collection options.

Asset Investigation

Attorneys, investigators, and businesses search property records as part of asset investigations—evaluating someone’s net worth for litigation purposes, investigating potential fraud, conducting due diligence on business partners or acquisition targets, or researching parties to litigation to assess their ability to pay judgments. Real estate is often a person’s largest and most valuable asset, making property records crucial to comprehensive asset investigation. Unlike bank accounts that can be emptied quickly, real estate can’t be easily hidden or moved, making it a reliable indicator of wealth. See asset search services for professional investigation options.

Pre-Litigation Research

Before filing a lawsuit, plaintiffs often research whether potential defendants have assets worth pursuing. Finding substantial real estate holdings suggests the defendant has resources to pay a judgment and that litigation may be worthwhile. Finding no assets—or only heavily encumbered property with no equity—might affect the decision to proceed with expensive litigation that may produce an uncollectable judgment. Pre-litigation asset research helps avoid wasting resources on judgment-proof defendants.

Verification

Property records verify ownership claims. If someone claims to own property—in loan applications, partnership discussions, court filings, or other contexts—you can confirm or refute their claim through public records. This verification matters for financial transactions, partnership evaluations, and any situation where claimed assets need objective confirmation rather than taking someone’s word.

General Research

Journalists, researchers, and curious individuals search property records for various legitimate purposes—investigating public officials’ assets for transparency reporting, researching property history for historical projects, understanding real estate markets for investment decisions, or simply satisfying curiosity about who owns particular properties in their neighborhood or community.

🏛️ County Assessor Searches

County assessors maintain property records for tax purposes. Their databases are often the easiest free resource for finding property ownership information and are usually the best starting point for DIY property searches.

What Assessor Records Contain

Assessor records typically include: property owner name and mailing address (where tax bills are sent), property address and legal description (the formal description used in legal documents), assessed value for tax purposes (which may differ from market value), property tax amounts and payment status, property characteristics (square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, lot size, year built), construction details, and sometimes sales history showing previous transactions. This information helps identify what someone owns and provides an approximate sense of value.

How to Search

Most county assessors offer free online search portals accessible through the county government website. Search by owner name to find all properties that person owns in the county—enter their name and browse results. Search by address to find who owns a specific property you’re interested in. Some assessors also allow searching by parcel number (the unique identifier assigned to each property) or legal description. Online access quality varies dramatically—large urban counties usually have robust online systems with comprehensive data; smaller rural counties may have limited online access or no online search at all, requiring phone calls or in-person visits.

Search Tips

When searching by name, try multiple variations: first and last name together, last name only, with and without middle initial, and common nicknames. Some databases require exact matches to return results; others support partial matching or wildcards. If the person might own property through a trust or LLC rather than in their individual name, you’ll need to know the entity name to search—property held by “Smith Family Trust” won’t appear when you search “John Smith.” Multiple searches using different name variations and entity names may be needed to find all properties.

Limitations

Assessor searches only cover one county at a time. If someone owns property in multiple counties across your state or in other states, you’ll need to search each county separately to find all their holdings. Assessor records focus on ownership and tax information—they don’t show mortgages, liens, or other encumbrances against the property. For that detailed information, you need recorder records. Some counties charge fees for detailed information, document copies, or don’t offer online search at all, requiring alternative access methods.

📜 County Recorder Searches

County recorders (sometimes called Register of Deeds or County Clerk) maintain the official documents affecting property ownership—deeds, mortgages, liens, and other recorded instruments.

What Recorder Records Contain

Recorder records include: deeds showing property transfers and purchase prices, mortgages and deeds of trust showing loans against property, judgment liens recorded against property owners, mechanics’ liens from unpaid contractors, tax liens from unpaid taxes, easements and restrictions, and various other recorded documents. Recorder records provide more detail than assessor records.

How to Search

Many county recorders offer online search by grantor (seller/borrower), grantee (buyer/lender), or document type. Search the owner’s name as grantee to find properties they’ve acquired. Search as grantor to find properties they’ve sold or mortgages they’ve signed. Online access and search capabilities vary significantly by county.

Reading Deeds

Deeds show who transferred property to whom, when, and for how much (though some deeds don’t include price). Grant deeds and warranty deeds transfer ownership. Quitclaim deeds release claims without guaranteeing ownership. The type of deed and consideration (price) stated provide information about the nature of the transaction.

Finding Mortgages and Liens

Recorder records show mortgages (called deeds of trust in some states) encumbering property. The mortgage amount and lender are recorded. You can see how much the owner owes against the property. Judgment liens, tax liens, and other encumbrances also appear in recorder records, showing claims against the property.

💻 Online Search Tools

Several online resources aggregate property information from public records, making searches easier than visiting individual county websites.

Real Estate Websites

Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and similar sites show property ownership information pulled from public records. Enter an address to see the owner’s name, sales history, tax assessment, and estimated value. These sites are convenient but may not have the most current information and sometimes contain errors.

Property Data Aggregators

Services like PropertyShark, CoreLogic, and similar platforms aggregate property data from multiple sources. Some offer owner name searches across multiple jurisdictions. These services typically require paid subscriptions but provide more comprehensive data than free sites.

Public Records Websites

Some websites specialize in aggregating public records including property information. These vary in quality and accuracy. Free sites often have limited or outdated information; paid sites tend to be more comprehensive and current.

Limitations of Online Tools

Online aggregators may have outdated information—recent transactions might not appear for weeks or months. Data accuracy varies, and errors occur when information is transferred between systems. For important decisions, verify online information against official county records.

🏆 Professional Asset Searches

When you need comprehensive property information across multiple jurisdictions or when DIY searching isn’t producing the results you expect, professional asset searches provide thorough investigation that goes far beyond what you can accomplish searching county websites one at a time.

What Professional Searches Provide

Professional asset searches examine property records across multiple counties and states simultaneously, finding real estate the subject owns anywhere in the country without requiring you to guess which counties to search. They identify properties held in trusts, LLCs, corporations, or other entities connected to the subject by investigating entity ownership and tracing connections. They provide current ownership status, estimated market values, mortgage information showing how much is owed against each property, and lien status showing other claims. Professional searches save enormous time compared to DIY searching and routinely find properties that manual searches miss entirely.

When to Use Professional Services

Consider professional asset searches when: you don’t know where the subject might own property and can’t search every county in America yourself, you need to search multiple jurisdictions efficiently, the subject may have hidden property in entities and you need help tracing ownership, time constraints prevent thorough manual searching of numerous counties, you need comprehensive and defensible results for legal proceedings where completeness matters, or you’ve already done DIY searches without finding property you believe exists. The cost of professional searches is often easily justified by thoroughness, time savings, and finding assets you’d never discover on your own.

Asset Search Process

Professional asset searches typically involve: searching national property databases that aggregate county records, investigating entity ownership through Secretary of State and corporate records, cross-referencing addresses from other sources, and compiling findings into a comprehensive report. Results include property addresses, ownership details, values, and encumbrances. See asset search services for more information.

📊 What Property Records Reveal

Property records contain extensive information beyond just who owns what. Understanding what records reveal helps you extract maximum value from your searches.

Ownership Information

Records show current owner name(s), how title is held (individual, joint, trust, entity), and the owner’s mailing address (which may differ from the property address). Multiple owners appear with their respective interests. This basic information identifies who owns property and how to contact them.

Transaction History

Sales history shows when property changed hands, who sold it, who bought it, and the purchase price. Transaction history reveals how long someone has owned property, what they paid for it, and the chain of ownership over time. Unusual transactions (sales between family members for minimal consideration) may indicate asset protection planning.

Value and Assessment

Assessed values for tax purposes indicate approximate property value, though assessed values often differ from market values. Some records include market value estimates. Combined with mortgage information, you can estimate the owner’s equity in the property—the portion available to creditors.

Mortgages and Liens

Recorded mortgages show loans against property—original amounts, lenders, and recording dates. Subtracting mortgage balances from property value reveals equity. Judgment liens, tax liens, and other encumbrances show claims against the property that affect what the owner can do with it or what creditors can reach.

Property Characteristics

Records typically include physical characteristics: lot size, square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, year built, and property type (single family, multi-family, commercial, land). This information helps evaluate property and verify descriptions.

🔒 Hidden Ownership Structures

People who want to conceal property ownership use various structures that make finding their real estate more difficult. Understanding these structures helps you search more effectively and recognize when professional investigation may be necessary to uncover hidden assets.

LLC Ownership

Property held by an LLC doesn’t appear when you search the individual’s name—you must search the LLC’s exact name. Connecting an LLC to its owner requires researching Secretary of State records to find the LLC’s members, managers, or registered agent. Some states (like Wyoming, Delaware, and Nevada) allow anonymous LLCs that don’t publicly disclose owners, making this connection very difficult through public records alone. Professional investigation may be needed to trace anonymous LLC ownership through bank records, management patterns, or other investigative techniques. See signs a debtor is hiding assets for more on asset concealment tactics.

Trust Ownership

Property held in trusts appears under the trust name, not the individual’s name. Finding trust-owned property requires knowing the trust name, which may not be obvious. Connecting trusts to their creators (grantors) or beneficiaries may require reviewing trust documents that aren’t always publicly recorded or available. Common trust naming patterns include “[Owner Name] Family Trust,” “[Owner Name] Living Trust,” or “[Owner Name] Revocable Trust”—variations that hint at the connection but still require you to know or guess the name to search. Some trusts use completely unrelated names to obscure the connection.

Nominee Ownership

Some people hold property in others’ names—a spouse, family member, adult child, or trusted associate who serves as a “straw owner” or nominee. The true owner controls and uses the property but doesn’t appear in any public records. Detecting nominee ownership requires investigation beyond basic record searches—examining who actually lives in or uses the property, who pays the mortgage and property taxes, whether the named owner has the apparent income or resources to have acquired the property, and whether transfers occurred suspiciously close to litigation or financial problems. Nominee ownership can constitute fraudulent transfer if done to avoid creditors.

Out-of-State Property

Property in other states won’t appear in local county searches. Someone might own significant real estate in states where they’ve previously lived, have family connections, own vacation property, or have invested for income or appreciation. Comprehensive searches require considering where the subject might own property beyond their current state of residence—previous addresses, family locations, vacation destinations, and investment markets.

Corporate Ownership

Similar to LLCs, property held by corporations requires searching the corporate name. Connecting corporations to their shareholders or officers requires corporate record research. Complex ownership structures with multiple layers of entities can make tracing actual ownership extremely difficult without professional investigation that follows the corporate chain to find the ultimate beneficial owner.

🌎 Nationwide Property Searches

Finding all property someone owns requires searching beyond a single county or state. Several approaches enable nationwide searching.

Systematic County Searches

If you know where someone has lived, worked, or has family connections, search those counties individually. Prior addresses from skip tracing help identify counties to search. This approach is thorough but time-consuming, especially for people who’ve lived in many places.

National Database Services

Commercial databases aggregate property records from counties nationwide, enabling owner name searches across all jurisdictions at once. These services aren’t free but save enormous time compared to searching counties individually. Professional asset search services use these databases as part of comprehensive investigations.

State-Level Resources

Some states offer statewide property search portals aggregating county data. These simplify searching within a state but don’t cross state borders. Checking state-level resources can supplement individual county searches.

Limitations

Even comprehensive national databases may not include all counties, particularly small rural counties with limited electronic records. Properties held in entities require separate entity searches. Very recent transactions may not yet appear in aggregated databases. For maximum thoroughness, combine database searches with investigation of likely ownership locations.

💼 Using Property Information

Once you’ve found property ownership information, various applications may be relevant depending on your purpose for searching.

Recording Judgment Liens

If you have a judgment against the property owner, record a judgment lien (abstract of judgment) in each county where they own property. The lien attaches to the property, preventing clear title transfer without paying your judgment. When the property eventually sells, your lien is paid from proceeds according to lien priority. Recording liens in every county where the debtor owns property is a fundamental collection strategy that costs relatively little but provides long-term protection.

Execution on Property

With sufficient equity above homestead exemptions and prior liens, you may be able to force sale of debtor-owned property through execution sale or sheriff’s sale. This is complex and often impractical for primary residences due to homestead protections, but it’s an option for properties with substantial unencumbered equity, particularly investment properties and second homes that don’t qualify for homestead exemptions.

Discovery Verification

In litigation, compare property records against discovery responses. If a debtor claims under oath to own no real estate but property records show ownership, that discrepancy indicates dishonesty and may support sanctions, contempt proceedings, or adverse inferences. Property records provide objective verification of claims made in legal proceedings.

Negotiation Leverage

Knowing what someone owns provides leverage in negotiations. A debtor who claims inability to pay while owning significant real estate faces credibility problems. Demonstrating knowledge of their assets—especially assets they may have tried to hide—often encourages settlement. Asset information fundamentally changes negotiating dynamics in your favor.

📋 Specific Search Situations

Different situations require different search approaches. Understanding common scenarios helps you search more effectively for your particular needs.

Finding a Judgment Debtor’s Property

When collecting a judgment, you need to find all property the debtor owns to maximize lien coverage and identify execution opportunities. Start with counties where the debtor lives and has lived. Search both the debtor’s individual name and any business entities they control. Check for property transferred to family members around the time of your litigation—fraudulent transfers may be reversible. Professional asset searches ensure comprehensive coverage.

Due Diligence on Business Partners

Before entering business relationships, verify that potential partners have the assets they claim. Property searches reveal whether someone actually owns real estate or is exaggerating their financial position. Significant undisclosed debts or liens against their property may indicate financial problems they haven’t disclosed.

Researching Potential Defendants

Before filing a lawsuit, research whether the potential defendant has assets worth pursuing. Finding substantial property holdings suggests the defendant can pay a judgment. Finding no assets—or heavily encumbered property with no equity—might affect your decision to invest in litigation that may produce an uncollectable judgment.

Locating Missing Persons

Property records can help locate people. If someone owns property, the owner’s mailing address in assessor records may be current. Even if they’ve moved, property ownership gives you a starting point for investigation. Tax bills and other property correspondence go somewhere.

Investigating Fraud

Property records reveal assets that may be inconsistent with someone’s claimed financial situation. A person claiming poverty while owning multiple properties raises fraud concerns. Transaction patterns—like transferring property to family members while in financial distress—may indicate fraudulent concealment.

🗺️ State-by-State Variations

Property record access and content varies by state. Understanding these variations helps you search more effectively across jurisdictions.

Online Access Availability

States and counties vary dramatically in online property record access. Large metropolitan counties typically offer robust free online search portals with comprehensive data. Small rural counties may have limited online presence, requiring phone calls, emails, or in-person visits to access records. Before assuming a county has online search, verify what’s actually available.

Information Disclosed

What property records contain varies by state. Some states record sales prices on deeds; others (like Texas and some other states) don’t require price disclosure, making it harder to determine what someone paid. Some states show more detail about property characteristics; others provide minimal information beyond ownership and assessed value.

Homestead Protections

State homestead exemptions affect how much property value creditors can reach. Florida and Texas have unlimited homestead exemptions—creditors generally can’t force sale of a primary residence regardless of value. Other states have dollar-amount limits. Understanding homestead laws in the state where property is located helps evaluate whether the property is a viable collection target. See what assets can be seized for more on exemptions.

Transfer Tax Records

Some states and counties impose transfer taxes when property sells, creating records that help establish sale prices even when deeds don’t state the price. Transfer tax records can help you determine what someone paid for property and track ownership changes.

⚠️ Common Search Challenges

Property searches can encounter various obstacles. Knowing common challenges helps you overcome them or recognize when professional help is needed.

Name Variations

Property may be recorded under different name variations than you’re searching. Someone named “Robert” might have property under “Bob,” “Robert,” “R.,” or with/without middle names. Try multiple variations. Maiden names, former married names, and legal name changes create additional complications requiring searches under multiple names.

Common Names

If you’re searching for someone with a common name like “John Smith,” you’ll find many properties belonging to different people with that name. Narrow results using middle names, addresses, or other identifying information to determine which properties actually belong to your subject versus other people with the same name.

Entity Ownership

Property held by LLCs, corporations, or trusts won’t appear when searching the individual’s name. You need to know entity names to find entity-owned property. Connecting individuals to their entities requires researching business records, following address connections, and investigative work beyond simple name searches.

Multi-County Ownership

Someone owning property in multiple counties requires searching each county separately unless you’re using a nationwide database service. Without knowing where to search, you might miss significant holdings in unexpected locations.

Recent Transactions

Property records take time to update after transactions close. A recent purchase or sale might not appear in records for days or weeks. If you need current information about recent transactions, contact the county recorder directly or check with title companies who have access to pending recordings.

🔄 Professional vs. DIY Searching

Deciding between doing your own property searches and hiring professionals depends on your situation, resources, and what’s at stake.

When DIY Works

DIY searching makes sense when: you know exactly which county to search, you only need to check one or two counties, the subject uses their own name (not entities), you have time for manual searching, and the stakes don’t justify professional fees. For simple, local searches, DIY is often sufficient.

When Professionals Are Worth It

Professional asset searches are worthwhile when: you need nationwide coverage, the subject may own property through entities, significant money is at stake, you need comprehensive results for legal proceedings, time constraints prevent thorough manual searching, or you’ve done DIY searches without finding expected property. Professional thoroughness often justifies the cost.

Cost Comparison

DIY county-by-county searching is free or low-cost but time-consuming and potentially incomplete. Professional asset searches typically cost $150-500 depending on scope and may find property you’d never discover on your own. Compare the cost of professional services against the value of potentially discovering additional assets and the time savings of not doing it yourself.

Combining Approaches

You can combine DIY and professional approaches—do basic local searches yourself, then hire professionals for comprehensive nationwide searching or when you need help finding entity-owned property. This hybrid approach balances cost and thoroughness.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions