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Updated about 2 years ago,
Possible to keep my personal name off public ownership records?
I want to buy some residential investment properties in Atlanta, GA (probably single-family homes and/or 2-4 unit multifamily buildings).
For various privacy reasons, I'd highly prefer my personal name not to be on any public records showing I own the properties. Is this possible? For instance, if I buy them through an LLC, would my personal name not be on any public records showing I own the properties?
Furthermore, I would be buying the properties through mortgages. I’m not sure if buying them through mortgages (instead of through cash) would make it more difficult for public records to not show my personal name as the owner.
The two main privacy reasons I’d like to keep my personal name private are as follows:
1. I’m a relatively humble/modest person and therefore prefer friends, family, and the world in general not to be able to know exactly how much property I own.
2. I'd prefer my tenants don't know my personal name in case some sort of dispute comes up. I'd hate for them to be able to show up on my doorstep or write slanderous things about me on the internet if a dispute comes up. I figure it is fine if the tenants know the name of the management company I hire to manage the properties or the name of the LLC I own the properties through, but prefer them not knowing my personal name if possible.
Also, is the answer the same for virtually every state and city in the USA? Or does each city and state in the USA have a different policy regarding this?