How do I tell if property has been sold?

Question

I was able to find some public records online dated October 2019 from the county courthouse announcing foreclosure on a number of properties. The verbiage used was "The names given being those of owners or occupants as the same appear on the assessment rolls for the levy year 2017". For what it's worth, the final date of redemption was listed as Feb. 2020.

However, after getting the looking up each home on Realtor/Zillow/Redfin, it appears none of them have been sold. Additionally, I cross checked these homes with the upcoming properties to be auctioned at the courthouse (auction was 6/5 but has been postponed indefinitely due to pandemic),and they were not being auctioned.

What should I assume is happening with these properties? Will they eventually be auctioned, and are delays COVID related, or am I misinterpreting info?

Would love to hear the perspective of someone with more experience on these issues!

Steve Morris · Answer

However the county assessor site does keep the recorded deed and page numbers for each property. Could I take these deed numbers and do the lookup on my own?

Well, here's the problem.  I think you can go to the county (assuming that's the entity) and ask about a specific property and for a fee get a print out of recordings.  So I'd go there first and see if they allow access and what kind.  It may be microfiche, which will be a PITA.  However, these records are supposed to be public info, they just see them as a profit center some places.

As far as title companies, they can do it, but it'll be an exception and costs them time.  Just like them generating a PTR.  It might be worth it (if you can get away with it since sellers pay for std title usually and want their company sometimes) to cultivate a relationship with the promise of multiple deals thru them.

Karah Collins · Answer

Thank you for your input @Steve Morris. I only use Realtor/Zillow/Redfin as a sort of double check to make sure the property has not sold based off the research I've done in the assessor databases. I'm still super new at this so don't quite trust myself at doing the detective work of assessing parcel info.

I have been putting on offers on homes for around a month or, but have been striking out. As this is my first property, I have an attorney who I will use once I get my first offer accepted, but don't have a working relationship with anyone from title.

However the county assessor site does keep the record deed and page numbers for each property. Could I take these deed numbers and do the lookup on my own?

Karah Collins · Answer

That tip was super helpful @Will Fraser. I got the tax ID and used the county parcel search. Turns out that it is owned by the county. Does this mean that the property was foreclosed upon for county tax delinquency? I also was able to pull up a sale date of March 2020. From my interpretation, this means that the county took possession of the property at this time and this is a matter of confirming the auction date with the assessor?

Steve Morris · Answer

However, after getting the looking up each home on Realtor/Zillow/Redfin, it appears none of them have been sold.

Ultimately, getting access to the database with warranty deeds recorded is the ultimate solution.  If you have a friend at title, they can look it up.

The issue with the public access WEBsites and the free title ones is there is a lag from recording to updating the record you access.  It usually is like 30 days in Portland (i.e. you may sell/record something on 1 May and the database may not show it until 1 June.)

I don't mind using Zillow et al, but they're free services and you get what you pay for.  So I'd use it for an initial screen, but wouldn't rely on it if I'm serious about a property.

As far as the values they publish, eh, not so much.  From what I get is they look at sales, get the ZIP and SqFt and price (maybe some other stuff) and then come up with an "average" $/SqFt.  Then every house gets the average of that.

No one house is "average".  Same SqFt can be in a great location in good shape vs. on a busy road, no view and rundown - Which Zillow/RF don't compensate for.

Will Fraser · Answer

Hi @Karah Collins!  The best way to check current ownership (usually accurate within a few weeks) is to check the County Assessor's office's database (either free or available for a small fee).  If the ownership hasn't changed, then the property is probably available for purchase using some strategy -- either buying it eventually at Sheriff's sale, offering it directly to the "seller", or another zany approach.