Unlock Property History: A Free Guide for Home Buyers

Researching property history can be done at home by simply using your computer with the assistance of a real estate title company or by making a trip to your county courthouse to look up the records. Property history can be a valuable tool when looking into buying a house. Property history details can include names of past owners, the most recent sale price of the house, or a record of any unpaid taxes on the property.

Step 1

Decide how you would like to research the history of a specific piece of property. The most common ways to research property history are through the county website, going to the county courthouse or contacting a title company. All of these methods are free. The easiest way to research property history for free is to look it up on the county website.

Step 2

Access the website for the county that the property is located in. On the website you will need to find the area that is specific to real estate. Look within the different departments listed on the website. Many counties have a link to a real estate or a property assessment department.

Step 3

Enter the information regarding the property search into the real estate website. You can either search by parcel number, if you know it, or simply by the address of the property. Once you have searched for the specific property click on the link that will open the information for the specific property you are looking for. Some counties may have several streets with the same name and house number. Make sure you are looking at the information for the desired property by double-checking the zip code.

Step 4

Look under the building information or previous owner's tabs on the website. The information located under these tabs will give you a complete history on the home. The information will include the dates that the property was sold, who it was sold to and how much was paid for it. Additionally, you can see information about the square footage of the property or tax situation.

Tip

Check with a local title company to see if it will offer free assistance on the history of a property. Go to the county courthouse and research the history of the property for more specific details.

Warning

Undesirable results may occur if information is entered incorrectly.