Real Estate Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2016 · 5 posts · 0 votes
I'm fairly new to RE and am quickly learning that relying on realtors to set up MLS deals is not the best way to go. A lot of people on the BP forum seem to suggest "driving for dollars." Sounds like a good idea...But this raises the question, how do you find the owner once I locate a potential investment opportunity? Thanks!
The owner information should be accessible through public records. Most municipalities have interactive online GIS maps and assessor records that you can search through. I would go to the county website first, then see if you can find links for assessor records or GIS/property maps. You can pull up the current owner, tax information, prior sale prices and dates, as well as information about the home such as the year built, square footage, room count, etc. in most areas. That should at least be a good start.