All Forum Posts by: Zinna Eze

In WI, court records can be searched on CCAP (foreclosure action/judgements, etc) and assessor search by address shows any delinquent taxes (all useful if you want to try to get a feel for seller motivation of a specific property).

Depending on where you live, some counties have all their recorded documents online. I'm in Maricopa County, Arizona and they have recorded documents going back to 1990. I buy pre-foreclosures and at auctions in Wisconsin and the only way I've found to get this info is to get a title report (in WI they call it an owner's report). My title company charges me $25 per report. 

There really is no other way to know with 100% certainty what liens exist without paying for a title report. It's the cost of doing business. Let's say you have to pull 20 title reports at $50 each to close one deal that earns 20K in profit. You're still ahead 19K! And if it prevents you from making a mistake and buying a house with a lien you didn't know about, that's a HUGE benefit!

1. County records

2. Have the seller pay for title. I only open title when I have a property under contract. Waste of time opening title for every property you consider 

I can only speak to what Ohio does.  If a property is in Foreclosure, the party bringing the foreclosure does a title search and notifies all interested parties in regards to the foreclosure.  The title search is normally included in the foreclosure claim which I can usually access online or get a copy from the clerk of courts.  If it's not in foreclosure, then I would do searches on the county clerk of courts and recorders office to get an idea of what would come up on the title.  

@Zinna Eze based on your question I think you misunderstand the need to check liens. 

Why do you want to know wat liens are on a property

1) Prospecting for new deals by looking for defaulted liens?

2) Evaluating a deal based on the liens owed?

3) some other purpose?