Learn More About Property Records

To really understand how you can use property records, it’s a good idea to first understand what property records really tell you about a property and about the people who live there.

A Record of a Property’s History

When you look up property records, you’ll get information about the property’s past. That may include previous residents, previous owners and even potentially any involvement in crimes or other law enforcement activity. Plus, you can get an idea of how old the property is and how many different owners and residents it’s had.

The history of a property can be useful for a variety of reasons. You might just want to see information about previous residents. It might also be helpful if you want to make sure that no previous residents or owners committed crimes that may change your view of the property. That’s why you should definitely read over a property’s history in the property records.

Knowledge of the People Occupying the Property

Who’s living on the property right now? Especially if you’re looking up an address that’s not your own, it’s a good idea to check on the people who are currently using it. Plus, property records will provide information on past residents as well, meaning you can combine this information with historical information for an even better picture.

Once you know who’s living at a property, it’s a good idea to perform more research on those people. For example, you can perform a background check on the residents to see if they have any criminal background. A criminal background may significantly influence your view of a property or of certain property owners and residents, so it’s a good thing to pay attention to.

Tax Information

Most property records include tax information on the property. Generally, that includes information on the current tax valuation of the property as well as any past tax valuations and when the most recent valuation happened. If it’s been a substantial amount of time since the last valuation, it may be out of date, and you might need to look into other information about the property.

You can determine a little more about the neighborhood and homes you’re interested in by using tax information. Check to see the tax value of homes all around the neighborhood; what’s the average? If you’re checking because you’re interested in the home in question, does this home have a higher or lower tax value than the ones nearby? These are all excellent questions that you can answer with tax information.

What Can I Use Property Records For?

With all the public property records available, it’s definitely an intriguing concept to look some homes up. But what’s the best way for you to use these property records?

Differences Between Residents and Owners

Some property records allow you to see both the residents of a certain address and the owner of that address. If the two don’t match up, it’s likely that the residents are renting the home, which can result in a substantial difference in how the residents treat the property. Renters also tend to be less settled than owners, which means the community might feel different.

If you want to get more information on a neighborhood, you might want to check around and see how many residents are likely owners and how many are likely renters. This can give you a better idea of whether the community may be in a state of change or whether it’s likely to stay the same over the years.

Easier People Searches

A people search on PeopleFinders is very simple; you just have to input a person’s first name, last name and location to get immediate results. Although this process is very simple, you may have to sort through a variety of people with the same name and similar residencies in order to find the person for whom you’re searching. This is especially true if that person has a pretty common name.

But with an address lookup, it could actually be much quicker and easier. After all, properties retain a much narrower use than general census results and public records. All you have to do is perform the address lookup and look through the current and prior residents. It’s extremely unlikely that you’ll find two people with the same name occupying the same home; this makes a people search much easier.

Criminal Activity in an Area

An address lookup can instantly lead you to additional information about a whole neighborhood, not just the individual home. That’s another one of the reasons why these address lookups are so useful; it offers you access to neighborhood information that can be crucial if you’re trying to research potential homes. Criminal activity is one of those incredibly crucial pieces of information.

For example, if you’re planning to move to a new home, you should consider whether any felons or sex offenders live nearby. That can make an immense difference in your decision — sometimes even more so than price, which you can often find even more publicly. Instead, delving into property records may help with obtaining general and specific information on the neighborhood’s criminal record.

How Do I Find Public Property Records?

These are all amazing things to do with property records, and many people can utilize the benefits. But how do you actually get your hands on these public property records?

Going Through Public Resources

Public property records are technically just that: public. But some property information is much easier to find than other information. Similar to other public records, some property records can hide behind administrative fees and legal mandates that you might not want to work through. It can be annoying and time-consuming, and you might not even end up with the information you want.

Still, you might be able to get some basic information by surfing around the internet or visiting your local civil courthouse. Reviews from previous tenants, although not necessarily perfect, may be useful when you’re trying to determine whether to move. Just remember that, if you’re not able to get the exact property records, you’re probably going to miss out on some important information.

An Online Address Lookup

So, if you can’t get the information through courts and record offices, how can you get that information? One of the best ways to do it is with an online address lookup like the one at PeopleFinders. With these address lookups, it can be much easier for you to actually find the information you need. It’s also much less time-consuming because you can do everything from the comfort of your own home.

If you want to look into the public property records of a specific home or of an entire neighborhood, you should definitely look to PeopleFinders first. You can easily perform an address lookup with just a few clicks, and that information can change the way you see your property and neighborhood.

A Safer Neighborhood with PeopleFinders

At the end of the day, PeopleFinders is all about giving you the tools you need to stay safe. You deserve to live in a safe home and a safe neighborhood, and an address lookup will grant you the ability to safely learn about and live in whatever property you choose.

Once you have the property information you need from PeopleFinders, branch out from there. Perform a criminal records search on the people who live nearby and make sure they’re safe. Use the people search function to verify your neighbors’ identities. The possibilities are endless.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I find property records on peoplefinders.com?

To find property records at PeopleFinders, simply enter the address in question (street number and name, city and state) into our Address Lookup fields.

Can I find property records for free on peoplefinders.com?

To offset the costs we incur in gathering and organizing property records and other public records data, we need to charge a fee for access.

Are property taxes public record?

Yes, they are. Property taxes are part of the government record and, therefore, available to the public.

How do I search for property records?

You can search for property records by entering in the address for the property in the search fields above. Alternately, you can do an in-person search by requesting property records at the county clerk's office.

Are property records public information?

Yes, property records are public information.

How do I keep my property records private?

There is no real way to make your property records private, at least not legally. Property records are public so that interested parties can have access to the true property value, tax and ownership history.

How do I find property tax records?

Property tax records should be accessible as part of the overall property records; you should be able to find them using the same means.

What Are Property Records?