Guides for finding motivated sellers, the free method first
18 of 18 written. Each one gives the free manual method in working steps, shows where it stops, then prices the paid shortcut from the vendors’ own pages.
Where the free method sends you
Every step of the guides, by the place it takes you. Open a place to see its steps, and go straight to one.
County assessor 17 steps in 14 guides
- Skip trace a property freeStep 1Find the owner in the county record
- What is skip tracingStep 1Start from the county record
- Build a pre-foreclosure listStep 5Add the mailing address and drop what has resolved
- Probate real estate leadsStep 4Match the person who died to property
- Buy with delinquent taxesStep 3Research each parcel before you bid
- List stackingStep 1Pull lists that measure different things
- Skip tracing costStep 5Trace by hand while the list is short
- Find an owner's phone numberStep 1Start from the address at the county
- Find pre-foreclosure homesStep 4Write to the owner
- Leads with phone numbersStep 2Add the mailing address
- Pull leads from the countyStep 3Match the person who died to property
- Driving for dollarsStep 4Find the owner in the county record
- Find absentee ownersStep 1Compare the two addresses on the county record
- Find absentee ownersStep 2Check the homestead exemption
- Look up who owns a houseStep 1Search the assessor by address
- Look up who owns a houseStep 2No address? Use the GIS map
- Look up who owns a houseStep 5Confirm before you rely on it
County recorder 10 steps in 9 guides
- Build a pre-foreclosure listStep 2Search the county recorder for new notices
- Buy with delinquent taxesStep 3Research each parcel before you bid
- Find distressed propertiesStep 3Search the recorder for liens and foreclosure notices
- Find pre-foreclosure homesStep 2Confirm the notice at the county
- Leads with phone numbersStep 1Pull the notices
- Pull leads from the countyStep 4Check the recorder before you reach out
- Look up who owns a houseStep 3Read the deed at the recorder
- Look up who owns a houseStep 5Confirm before you rely on it
- Build a cash buyers listStep 1Pull recent sales from the recorder
- Find off-market propertiesStep 1Start from the public record
The courts 10 steps in 7 guides
- Build a pre-foreclosure listStep 3In a judicial state, check the court docket too
- Probate real estate leadsStep 1Find the court that handles estates
- Probate real estate leadsStep 2Search new estate cases by filing date
- Probate real estate leadsStep 3Read the file for the representative
- Find distressed propertiesStep 4Check the court for evictions
- Find pre-foreclosure homesStep 2Confirm the notice at the county
- Leads with phone numbersStep 1Pull the notices
- Pull leads from the countyStep 1Search new estate cases every week
- Pull leads from the countyStep 2Read each file for the representative
- Find off-market propertiesStep 1Start from the public record
Your spreadsheet 7 steps in 5 guides
- Find distressed propertiesStep 6Combine the lists and look up the owners
- List stackingStep 2Give every row the same key
- List stackingStep 3Put the lists in one sheet and tag the source
- List stackingStep 5Remove duplicates, then work from the top
- Pull leads from the countyStep 5Keep one sheet, and add to it every week
- Find absentee ownersStep 5Stack it with other signals
- Find off-market propertiesStep 6Stack the lists
County treasurer 6 steps in 4 guides
- Buy with delinquent taxesStep 1Find out whether your state sells liens or deeds
- Buy with delinquent taxesStep 2Get the county’s delinquent tax list
- Buy with delinquent taxesStep 4Register for the sale and learn its rules
- Find distressed propertiesStep 2Pull the delinquent tax list from the county
- List stackingStep 1Pull lists that measure different things
- Find off-market propertiesStep 1Start from the public record
State business registry 4 steps in 4 guides
Free people-search sites 4 steps in 4 guides
The street 4 steps in 3 guides
The calling rules 4 steps in 4 guides
Every guide, by topic
Finding deals
- How to find off-market properties: the records, the drive and the people that find owners before they list7 steps
- Driving for dollars: find distressed houses from the street, then the owner, then make contact5 steps
- How to find absentee owners and tired landlords: the county record, the homestead flag, and the lists that do it for you5 steps
- How to look up who owns a house for free: the assessor, the recorder and the business registry5 steps
Finding an owner’s phone number
- How to skip trace a property for free, and where the free method stops5 steps
- What skip tracing is in real estate, and what a trace can and cannot tell you5 steps
- Skip tracing cost: what a trace costs per owner, and when a plan costs less5 steps
- How to find a property owner’s phone number, from the address to a call you are allowed to make5 steps
Owners behind on the mortgage
- How to build a list of pre-foreclosures from county records, for free5 steps
- What pre-foreclosure means, how long it lasts, and what happens at each stage5 steps
- How to find pre-foreclosure homes to buy, and how to approach the owner5 steps
- Pre-foreclosure leads with phone numbers: build the list, trace the owners, and call within the rules5 steps
Houses in an estate
Distress and unpaid property tax
How these guides are made
- The free method in each guide uses public offices and sites anyone can reach: the county assessor, recorder, court and treasurer, and the state business registry.
- Where a rule differs from state to state, the guide says so and points to the office that decides it. Nothing here is legal advice.
- Tool prices come from the vendors’ own pages with the month they were read.