For those who source off-market deals: what's your #1 data source that most beginners
Virtual Assistant · Toledo, OH · Member since 2026 · 84 posts · 36 votes
For those who source off-market deals: what's your #1 data source that most beginners
11 Replies
- Investor · VA · Member since 2015 · 21k+ posts · 19k+ votes4mo
Realtors and property managers are the #1 source.
7e investments53 Reviews- Virtual Assistant · Toledo, OH · Member since 2026 · 84 posts · 36 votes4mo
Quote from @Chris Seveney:
Realtors and property managers are the #1 source.
Chris, that's a fair point – realtors and property managers do have their finger on the pulse. I've seen that firsthand: a good agent often knows about a deal before it hits any public list.
Do you find that approach works better for off‑market deals specifically, or more for pocket listings that eventually go live? Curious how you filter for true off‑market opportunities through those channels.
- Member since 2026 · 119 posts · 45 votes4mo
Probate is the one that consistently gets underworked. Tax records are crowded because the list is easy to get. Probate filings are court-level records, harder to aggregate, so fewer people are working them at the same time. The motivated seller situation is also cleaner: estate needs to liquidate, timeline is real.
- Virtual Assistant · Toledo, OH · Member since 2026 · 84 posts · 36 votes4mo
Quote from @Carson Nordmann:
Probate is the one that consistently gets underworked. Tax records are crowded because the list is easy to get. Probate filings are court-level records, harder to aggregate, so fewer people are working them at the same time. The motivated seller situation is also cleaner: estate needs to liquidate, timeline is real.
Carson, thanks for bringing up probate – that's one I haven't explored much. The point about court‑level records being harder to aggregate makes sense; fewer people working them means less competition.
For probate leads, do you typically look for filings where the estate is specifically required to liquidate real estate, or do you work any probate case with a property attached?
- Member since 2026 · 119 posts · 45 votes4mo
@Okechukwu Treasure C i don't filter that hard on whether liquidation is required. The signal i care about more is whether there's real property attached and whether the estate is still open. Required liquidation is cleaner on paper, but a lot of estates with discretionary sales end up moving anyway because heirs just want the cash split done. The filing age matters more than the liquidation requirement, tbh.
- Virtual Assistant · Toledo, OH · Member since 2026 · 84 posts · 36 votes4moCarson, that's a really useful distinction – required liquidation vs. discretionary sale. I've been focusing on the liquidation requirement as a filter, but your point about heirs wanting to split cash makes sense. If the estate is open and there's real property, the motivation is often there either way.
Quote from @Carson Nordmann:
@Okechukwu Treasure C i don't filter that hard on whether liquidation is required. The signal i care about more is whether there's real property attached and whether the estate is still open. Required liquidation is cleaner on paper, but a lot of estates with discretionary sales end up moving anyway because heirs just want the cash split done. The filing age matters more than the liquidation requirement, tbh.
When you say "filing age matters more" – how old is too old for you? Is there a point where an open estate becomes a dead end, or do you still pursue older filings if the property value is right?
I'm refining my own screening process, so I appreciate the insight.
- Member since 2026 · 119 posts · 45 votes4mo
@Okechukwu Treasure C Older open estates don't scare me off. A long-open filing usually means friction, not a dead end, and friction is kind of the point. I'd skip it if the property is no longer in the estate's name or the case shows a final order already entered. Otherwise property value and how much life is left in the estate matters more than age alone.
- Virtual Assistant · Toledo, OH · Member since 2026 · 84 posts · 36 votes4moCarson, that's a really helpful perspective – "friction, not a dead end." I like that framing. It shifts the focus from avoiding complicated situations to understanding them and working through them.
Quote from @Carson Nordmann:
@Okechukwu Treasure C Older open estates don't scare me off. A long-open filing usually means friction, not a dead end, and friction is kind of the point. I'd skip it if the property is no longer in the estate's name or the case shows a final order already entered. Otherwise property value and how much life is left in the estate matters more than age alone.
When you say "how much life is left in the estate" – what specifically do you look for? Are there certain indicators that tell you the estate is still active enough to pursue, versus one that's essentially stalled or abandoned?
I'm trying to build a better filter for probate leads, so this is genuinely useful.
- Wholesaler · Charleston WV · Member since 2026 · 265 posts · 147 votes4mo
Honestly, I've found it's usually not the list, it's the follow up. Most of the common lists work if you're consistent. That said, I like looking at probates, code violations, tax delinquencies, aging landlords, and vacant properties. The bigger opportunity is often combining multiple distress indicators rather than chasing a magic list. Two investors can pull the same data and get completely different results based on how well they follow up
- Virtual Assistant · Toledo, OH · Member since 2026 · 84 posts · 36 votes4moTravis, that's a really valuable reminder – the list is just the start, follow‑up is what separates results from noise.
Quote from @Travis Goodwin:
Honestly, I've found it's usually not the list, it's the follow up. Most of the common lists work if you're consistent. That said, I like looking at probates, code violations, tax delinquencies, aging landlords, and vacant properties. The bigger opportunity is often combining multiple distress indicators rather than chasing a magic list. Two investors can pull the same data and get completely different results based on how well they follow up
When you say "combining multiple distress indicators," could you give an example? For instance, would you prioritise a tax‑delinquent property that also has code violations over one that only has one signal?
- Coral Springs, FL · Member since 2018 · 496 posts · 117 votes2mo
Okechukwu - you actually asked Travis the exact right question when you asked whether he'd prioritize a tax-delinquent property that also has code violations. Nobody answered that yet, so let me take a shot.
Yes, absolutely. A tax-delinquent property with code violations on top is a fundamentally different lead than tax delinquency alone. Here is why: tax delinquency tells you the owner is behind on payments. Code violations tell you the property is deteriorating. When both hit the same property, you have confirmed distress from two independent county sources. The owner cannot pay the taxes AND cannot maintain the property. That is not a maybe-motivated seller - that is a confirmed situation.
But you can go one level further, and this is where most people stop at one or two data sources when they should be stacking three:
Three county offices produce free public records that each independently signal distress:
1. Tax Collector - tax delinquent properties (owner name, amount owed, years behind)
2. Code Enforcement - violation notices with dollar-amount repair costs documented by county inspectors. These are not your guesses - they are actual numbers from inspectors who physically visited the property. A property with $15,000 in documented code violations tells you something no tax list alone can.
3. Clerk of Court / Register of Deeds - probate filings, lien recordings, pre-foreclosure notices. Like Carson said, probate is underworked because it is court-level and harder to aggregate. But that is exactly why it is valuable - fewer people are pulling those records.
When a property shows up on all three - tax delinquent AND code enforcement violations AND a probate or lien filing - that is what I call converged distress. Three independent county offices are all telling you the same thing: someone needs to sell this property.
Chris is right that realtors and property managers produce deals through relationships. But here is the thing: when you sit across from a property manager or a realtor, what do you bring to the table? If you can say "I have a list of 12 properties where the tax collector, code enforcement, and the clerk of court all independently confirm distress - and I have the inspector's documented repair costs" - that is a conversation starter that no listicle gives you. You are bringing data, not just asking for leads.
For your Toledo market specifically, you can pull all three for free: Lucas County Treasurer for tax delinquent, Toledo Code Enforcement for violations with repair costs, and Lucas County Clerk of Court for probate and liens. Cross-reference 50 names from each source in your target ZIP. The properties that appear on multiple lists are your highest-probability calls. $0 cost, three independent confirmations of distress.
Travis nailed it when he said two investors can pull the same data and get completely different results. The difference is not the list - it is whether you are pulling one list or stacking three that converge on the same property.
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