Does anyone know of any good FREE public records search site? We are trying to find out what a home's previous purchase price was before we make an offer on it... any help would be great. Most of the sites charge a fee although I do believe that they do have the information... I did check county assessor and recorder with no luck....Thanks for any help

I can't believe the county assessor doesn't have the info for you. I live in Iowa and I use that info for my job everyday and it's very easy here. What state are you in?

We are also in IA & I have the website for IA but thats it so maybe your state has its own you can start I think by going to the courthouse like above poster stated county assessor

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mom of 3 greats girls

Try Zillow - Real Estate Valuations, Homes for Sale, Free Real Estate Information. I wouldn't place any bets on its complete accuracy, but give it a shot They do list that information (plus property tax, last sale date, etc). Out of curiosity, I've checked some houses in my neighborhood and the info was accurate.

P

The information you are looking for is a matter of public record. You just have to know how to find it. In Alabama (at least in the counties I am familiar with), you can obtain the information in a couple of ways. The easiest way would probably be for you to go to the tax assessor and purchase a copy of the current tax assessment ($1.00 here). On the assessment there should be a reference such as Deed Book 1 Page 50 (may be called something else in your state such as Mortgage Book). In Alabama, the tax assessor's office does not keep mortgage records. Here, mortgage records are kept in the probate office (in your state it may be located somewhere else ). The tax assessor should be able to tell you where these records are kept. Take the tax record to the probate office and find the book and page number referenced on the tax assessment. This will be the deed. However, the mortgage usually follows the deed.

The other alternative is to go directly to the probate office and do a search. This will work if their system is computerized. However, you may not be able to search the records using the properties address. It depends on how their system is set up. You will most likely need to search by the owner's name. If his name is John Smith and you do not find what you are looking for, try J Smith, omit the middle initial, omit Jr., Sr., I, II, etc.

Also, a street address is not always mentioned in the mortgage. Oftentimes. it will be listed as Neighborhood Plat 1 Lot 1. The tax assessment will also have it listed as this. So compare the two and make sure they match.

If the records are not computerized, it may be difficult to search the records on your own. However, the employees should be able and willing to help you.

I'm a real estate appraiser and use this site all the time

PropertyShark - Real Estate Maps, Foreclosures, Property Reports and Comparables

You can get some info by just plugging in the property you're looking for. You can also join for free and get a little more information.

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Thank you for the zillow site.

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we are in J-ville and the clerk of the courts have a website for here. You can pretty much find anything, except court papers on a child(divorce and such), that will tell you when the last owner had a root canal!! Its pretty extensive. I would try that as well.

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

The Zillow site has like up close and personal pictures of the houses, although they look to be about a year old.

Propertyshark couldn't find my address.....says we don't exist.

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This space for rent

That's funny, Zillow found my street but said my address wasn't there.

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Try

Check Home Sale Prices - Find Your Home Value - Get House Values Online - Search Real Estate Listings | Domania

I finally figured out my problem at RealEstate.com apparently I am searching for information in a non-disclosure state. That really bites! Awesome site though if you are into being a little nosey.

Our county state records site DOES show court papers, even child support and court documents. Whats scary is they show addresses and social security numbers. And it's all legal.
Possible thieves have access to so much info now, it's so easy.

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GROW through life

Real eyes...realize...real lies.

Zillow found my address, but said my property was assessed at $60,000 and has the square footage wrong. Very weird as everything else in the cul-de-sac is listed $140,000 plus. It truly seems like they only have the first floor of my house in terms of square footage. Hmmmmmm........

M