How to Find the History of a Property Online

Table of Contents:

How to find the owner of the property by address?

If there is a specific property that you have frequently been passing by and you’re interested in finding the owner, then the quickest and easiest way of finding their details is through your Local Assessor’s Office. Your local tax assessor will have all of the property tax records relating to the property in question. In addition, you’ll also see the homeowner’s details on the property tax records. As these are public records, getting access to these documents is entirely free, which is another benefit of going about it this way.

Apart from your local tax assessor, the county clerk’s office will also have the public records for the property in question on file. Depending on your county, they may have even digitalized their database, which means you’d be able to search on the clerk’s office website with the address and find the property owner’s details.

How to find the history of a house?

Whether you want to know more about your home or know more about homes in your area of historical interest, you should be able to find historical information on properties by performing an offline or online search. You can contact several different places to see historical data on properties.

1. The National Registry of Historic Places

Depending on how old the property you are interested in is, you may be able to find information about its history at The National Registry of Historic Places. This particular service works to provide information on historic properties based on their age, significance, or architectural design.

2. Perform a search through census records

Census records may not be the best option for finding direct information about a property’s history. However, they should be able to help you find which families inhabited the property and the periods they lived there. This information can then be used to contact those families and get more information about the property.

3. Local Libraries and foundations

In many cities, there will be both a local library and a historical society or foundation that holds records about the different old properties in the area. Your local library will have old newspaper articles, photos, and other documents relating to the city’s urban planning.

4. Search through the County Clerk’s Office records

The County Clerk’s office or tax assessor’s office will have property records on file. From those deeds and property records, you’ll be able to discern previous work and improvements undertaken in the house and who the previous owners were. By coming in contact with the previous owners, you may find even more information about the property’s history.

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How do I find old land records?

Most USA land entry files can be found in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. This archive includes house land records from the 30 Federal public land states. To access these records, you’ll be required to register for an account. After registering, you can log in, search and download documents.

How do I find the previous owners of my house?

The easiest way to find the previous owners of a house you own is by visiting your local county tax assessor’s office or website. They’ll have the property tax records on file for your specific property. Using your property address, you can search through their database to locate all property tax records. The property records will also note the previous owners’ contact details.

How to find the history of a property online?

There are many different ways of finding historical information on a property offline. However, if you prefer to learn more about the property without ever leaving your home, you can try the following methods:

1. Google Search

It sounds basic, but you’d be surprised at the volume of information you can find relating to your property online. For example, previous owners might be listed, the time of sale, and even newspaper articles that mention the property you’re looking for. All of these can be a great starting point.

2. Public Records Database

Your local assessor’s office or county clerk’s office may have digital property records, depending on where you’re located. If digital records exist in your area, you can search through their archive using your address or property address you’re trying to find. Most public records will relate either to sales and purchases, permits for improvements and renovations, or property tax records. By putting all of these in order, you may be able to create a timeline of your property through the years.

3. Contact past owners

Previous property owners will probably have more information to provide you about it than the public records will. Through a little bit of patience and search, you might find the previous owners online and ask them directly for any information, stories, or photos relating to the property. This is an excellent way of getting some less trivial and well-known facts about your home.

How to find the past value of a house?

There are a few different ways of assessing a property. The easiest one is to contact the local tax assessor’s office. As part of the property taxes filed each year, there will probably also be a valuation of the property completed by the assessors. One of the problems with this value is that it’s not necessarily a determinant of how much the property would have sold for at any given time, but it’s a good indication of what it might have been valued.

Apart from property tax records, you may also access the deed records through the local county’s office. The deed records will note every time the property was sold, and the price it was sold for can be determined by the tax-transfer stamp. This is an effective way of learning how much the previous owners sold the property for. Still, it’s not necessarily a good way of assessing the market value of a property since the owners may have undersold or oversold the property.

Finally, you can always search online for the property in question. Many online property websites, such as Zillow and Trulia, will keep records of the properties sold and the amount they were sold for. Therefore, you can determine exactly when the property was sold by accessing that data.

How to find old pictures of your house online?

If you’re looking for information about your house, you may also be interested in finding old photos of your property. The good thing is that those same places you can find information are also where pictures of your property may be found. Your local library, newspaper archives, and local historical society are the most likely candidates for having older pictures of your property. Alternatively, you may want to contact the property’s previous owners and see if they’ve any older photos they’re willing to share. Finally, search online. There are many forums and groups interested in specific areas and historical buildings. You might find someone with photos of your particular property by contacting them directly.

How do I find a property owner for free?

Finding the property’s previous owners can be relatively easy if you contact the right people and offices. Your best bet for finding the previous owners is always the local assessor’s office. This is because they always keep the property tax records on file. Property tax records always contain the name of the property owner, and as such, they’re an easy way of locating the previous owner for free.

If your local assessor does not have all of the property tax records on file, you may wish to contact the County Clerk’s office. They’ll typically have previous permits and deeds of the property in question. All of these will note the name of the property owner.

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How old is my house by address?

There are no specific ways of determining exactly how old your property is; however, there are many things you can try that could help find the age of your home.

1. Contact your local Tax assessor

Your local tax assessor will have all of the property taxes for your home on file. They’ll be able to check and see how far back those files go. As part of the valuation of the property, they may even have on file the date of construction as it’s commonly used when looking at the depreciation of a specific property.

2. County Clerk’s Office

The County Clerk’s office will be where you can find the property permits. Permits are a requirement for all building construction. As a result, you’ll likely find the original permits; these will have a date on them. While that date relates to when the permit was issued, it can be used as a guiding point in determining when construction for a building has begun and finished.

3. Local Library

Your local library may also have records on building buildings in your town or city. These records may also note your home is constructed. Old newspaper real estate listings can also be found in your local library and can be used to determine the property’s age.

4. Materials and Style

Specific materials and architectural designs dominated different periods. Therefore, if your home fits into any one specific period, then it will be safe to assume it was constructed during it. A property inspector may also assist you with this as they can inform you about the different materials used in your home and the period they most likely originate from. If you’re lucky, you may even find a manufacturer’s date stamp on some of the older parts of your home, such as the bricks or toilet tank cover.

5. Town maps

Many towns have maps going back decades. By locating your property on those maps, you can see how far it appears as part of the town. This will generally let you determine a ballpark figure of when your property was constructed.

Summary

If you’re interested in the historical background of a specific property, then there are many places you can direct your attention to fulfill find more details and information about your property’s construction. The local library and tax assessor’s office are typically the safest bets as they always hold records and information about the city’s development.