The construction cost has been soaring in the last 3 years in the Bay area (I work in the corporate construction industry and our project management office is forecasting 10% fee escalation in all of the MEP trades in this year).

We are getting ready to open escrow and I will need to put everything in modern files.

Then you could sell the lot, or try to get that 1 lot rezoned into office (or commercial, but I doubt it will fly).House:  man, that thing is so full of ugly tile.  

The construction cost has been soaring in the last 3 years in the Bay area (I work in the corporate construction industry and our project management office is forecasting 10% escalation in all of the MEP trades in this year).

As Donnell said I would recommend you go to the free seminar the sherrif office holds every month.

Offer to take it to the recorder's office yourself!

We even discussed that if he doesn't have a chance to submit the taxes on time and ends up submitting an extension (he was supposed to be moving offices), he will have to run the numbers, and if numbers show we owed anything, we would send a check  to IRS before April 18, 2016, and then IRS would reimburse us (if there's balance left) once he gets a chance to complete the taxes and submit.

You have to find the local office and request lists when you want them.  

The agent will of course need to block out any personal or financial details about the buyers or sellers but the details of the sale are all public knowledge and available from the local county assessors office (usually online and for free). 

The support office is manned 24/7/365.