How to get info from probate files in Maricopa county?
Hey guys, I'm new to investing in the Phoenix area, and looking to get started with wholesaling. I want to market to probate properties, but I've been pretty overwhelmed with the process of finding the relevant information in these probate files.
I went to the county court's customer service center and was given a list of the most recent probate files and was able to use their computers to search each file's record individually. The problem is I was unable to find all of the information I was looking for - all of the research I've done online suggests I should be able to specifically ask for files that contain real estate, and can ask to see the inventories of these files to see specifically what property they contain. However, the lady working the counter told me I can't view the inventories because that's private information, which conflicts with basically everything I've read, but what could I say? She goes on to tell me that if I'm looking for property, I just have to peruse the will to see if there's any real estate specified, sometimes there will be, sometimes there won't. Of the files I got to view, not a single will had any details of specific real estate, the language was always, "devises and bequeaths any and all real and personal property" or something like that. Every now and then, I'd be able to find a death certificate, which would have the decedent's residence. This was only a fraction of the time though, and even then, I couldn't know for sure whether the decedent actually owned that property or if it was part of the file.
Does anyone have familiarity or any info on accessing the full contents of the probate records here in Maricopa county? I can't help but think that there is some way to get access to those inventories, but the clerk I spoke to didn't seem that interested in trying to help me. I want to be able to a) know for sure the lead I'm pursuing even has real estate attached to it and b) be able to reference the given property in the marketing material I send out. Do I need to contact a different location of the court? Are there alternate sources of getting this information? Would a real estate attorney be able to get me this info with easier access?
Any advice is welcome, if anyone has any insight or knowledge of how the court records work in the county.