Skip Tracing Challenges — LLCs, Probate, and Hard-to-Find Owners

Huntsville, Alabama
Wholesaling
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Skip Tracing Challenges — LLCs, Probate, and Hard-to-Find Owners

Cameron Woodward
New to Real Estate · Huntsville AL · Member since 2023 · 16 posts · 24 votes

Just wanted to share a little progress and get some insight from those with more experience.

I've been learning about wholesaling and creative finance through the SubTo community and recently started putting more of what I've learned into action.

I've been researching properties around Huntsville and North Alabama and have narrowed my list down to 143 properties. I've also been working through skip tracing and verifying ownership information.

One thing I've realized is how much digging actually goes into this 😂. I've come across properties owned by LLCs, churches, and estates going through probate, along with owners who only have landlines. Some properties have required additional research just to figure out who actually owns them.

I also own a moving company, so I've had opportunities to meet people involved in real estate, but I'm still learning the investing side of things.

Still working toward my first wholesale deal, but it's been interesting seeing how much research goes into finding and evaluating potential opportunities.

For those who have experience wholesaling, how do you approach researching properties with complicated ownership situations? Do you spend time digging into those leads or prioritize properties with straightforward ownership information?

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  • James BennettPro Member
    Investor · Western North Carolina · Member since 2025 · 12 posts · 8 votes
    1w

    I use BatchData to help sort all of that out. Comes with a small price, but very helpful. Happy to jump on a quick call to discuss if it would be helpful. Best to you!

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  • Dan Worth
    Pittsburgh, Allegheny County · Member since 2026 · 62 posts · 20 votes
    6d

    @Cameron Woodward I'd split the 143 into two piles: individual owners you can skip trace normally, and the complicated ones. For LLCs, the Secretary of State business search usually lists the registered agent and organizer, which is often enough to reach the person who decides, and for churches a call to the office works fine. Probate filings are public at the county probate court, and the petition names the personal representative, who is the one who can actually sign. Those messy-ownership leads take more digging, but they're also the ones most wholesalers skip, so I'd work a small batch of them each week instead of choosing all or nothing.

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  • Mark Andales
    Technology · Member since 2026 · 42 posts · 5 votes
    6d

    Hey Cameron! Yeah, complicated ownership situations can turn what looks like a manageable list into quite a bit of research.

    One thing I'd pay attention to is the difference between finding someone to contact and confirming whether that person actually has the authority to sell the property.

    For example, an LLC's registered agent might be a useful starting point, but that doesn't automatically mean they're authorized to sell the property. And with probate cases, even if you've identified the personal representative, there could still be additional requirements before the real estate can be sold.

    I'd probably keep those two things separate when reviewing your leads: whether you've identified a potential contact and whether the selling authority still needs to be verified.

    That way, you can keep researching the more complicated properties without assuming that finding the right phone number means the ownership side is completely sorted out.

    Especially with 143 properties on your list, I think that distinction could save you quite a bit of time as you get closer to an actual transaction.

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