Accessing Property Ownership History: A Guide to County Records

If you're curious about the history of your house and would like to research the previous owners, you may be confused as to how to obtain this information. You'll be pleased to learn that property records are typically kept from the time the land was first surveyed, and a complete history of house owners can be found at the county offices in which the property is located. A quick trip to the county seat is all you'll need to find the information you're looking for.

Step 1

Visit the county offices where the house is located. If you're unsure which county the home is in, inquire at the local post office or library to determine the correct county.

Step 2

Locate the Recorder of Deeds office within the county building. This is the office that is responsible for maintaining property ownership records.

Step 3

Ask the clerk to do a search of the house address or current owner name. Note that while many counties have this information on computer, if your house is over 50 years old the information may not be computerized and they will have to do a search by hand.

Step 4

Examine the list of record descriptions that the clerk has found. Note that there will be a record of every legal document associated with the house; you will want to discard the ones that pertain to mortgages and research the ones that have the word "deed" in the description.

Step 5

Give the clerk your modified list and ask to see the records of the deed changes that have been recorded. The files or copies you receive will show the complete history of the owners of your house.

Tip

If you wish to find further information on an older home you can search for the owner’s name in census records up to 1930 (1940 records will be released in 2010). You will find the owner’s occupation and the names of all people living in the home at that time.