Spokeo and other similar sites

[Tim Mensch]

Hello all,

I'm brand new to the world of real estate investing and can't say enough about the biggerpockets community. It has been key to my self education in real estate. I am looking in making my first deal after driving for dollars in my neighborhood. I have a potential property I am interested in but am a little unsure on my next step. Through talking with neighbors, I found out the owner moved halfway across the country. The owner's partial information comes up on google searches, which take you to sites like Spokeo that want you to pay for the rest of the information. Are these sites usually scams or is it worth investing a few dollars in them? Also, how do i get information on liens, unpaid taxes, and how much is owed on the house? Most posts say look on the county website but my county gives very little information. Are title searches expensive? Thanks in advance for any information and i look forward to learning and sharing any information in the future.