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How do I find out the history of a property?

How do I find out the history of a property? How can I search a property's public records?
Asked By Violet | Charlotte, NC | 1377 views | Tips Advice | Updated 2 years ago
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Pro
123 Answers
Chris Yochum

Dickson Realty

(24)

Some resources to find out more about the property are the county assessors, county recorders, google search, a title company can pull a property profile or do a title search, talking with a great local agent that is familiar with the neighborhood and talking with neighbors is a great resource.
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Pro
91 Answers
Lisa and Greg Harris

eXp Realty, LLC

(42)

If you are referring to the buy and sale history of a home, that can be found in a few places, such as the county tax records for the property or a real estate agent and have them look at the Multiple Listing Service and see the history there. If you are referencing a Historic Home.... That can be in the historic registry fo the area. and I always encourage my clients to google the address. One of my investors found out the a home was a known drug activity house previously by seeing the google activity that come up with the police calls to that address.... You never know what you can find...

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Semi-Pro
47 Answers
Lynne Pruell

Realty 100 LLC

(16)

You can search the country records and find a history of the property information
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Rising Star
15 Answers
Bob Fall

Century 21 Lee-Mac Realty

This can be a very fun and interesting challenge. I recently listed a house in a very historic area and found the public library very useful when it came to the specific history of that town and area where the house was located. I would start there.
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Novice
5 Answers
David Woods

Fathom Realty IN LLC

You can obtain sales and ownership history from your county assessor or property value administrator. Many times they have this information online.
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Novice
3 Answers
Martina Erdmeier

Real Broker, LLC, 5960 Fairview Road, Suite 400, charlotte, NC 28210

(96)

In NC, the cleanest way to learn a property’s “paper trail” is to pull county public records and match them with MLS history.
Start with the County Register of Deeds (ROD): Search by owner name or address to see the deed chain, sale dates/prices (sometimes), and recorded docs like deeds of trust (mortgages), liens, easements, plats, and HOA declarations. Most counties have an online ROD search.
Check the County GIS/Tax Assessor site: This shows tax value, lot size, zoning, tax bills, prior sales (often), sketch/measurements, and sometimes permit links.
Look up permits/inspections: Use the county/city Building Inspections/Permitting portal (or call) to see permits pulled, finals, COs, and major upgrades—great for verifying renovations.
Court records (if needed): For foreclosures, probate, or lawsuits, use the NC court system’s public records/search.
Quick tip: Addresses can be messy (road name changes, unit numbers, rural routes). If the address search is thin, search by PIN/Parcel ID from GIS or by the current owner name from tax records.

More Information

  • How do I find out the history of a house? 


    When investigating the history of a house, a lot depends on the age of the home.  

    Historical Homes

    If the home is listed as a historical house, you will likely be able to find the history of the home by looking into the public records. 

    New Builds

    On the opposite end of the spectrum, newer builds have easily accessible information due to the online presence of most homes.  In addition, you can discover who the builder was and contact them with any questions regarding the house. 

    Search Engines

    Gone are the days of encyclopedias.  With online search engines, you can discover if your home was in the news, who lived there, and past sales history.  

    Local Municipality

    Contact the local municipality to ask specific questions regarding the home.  They may be willing to tell you if permits were given for renovations.  Depending on the size of the town, you may get someone that personally knows the history of the property.

    Neighbors

    If you want to know the history of the area or home, the neighbors are a great resource.  The information may be gossip or hearsay, so be careful with what you believe.  However, neighbors can also be a valid source of what happened in the house. 

    Was there a big storm 3 years ago and the roof needed to be repaired?  Neighbors will remember that and may be willing to share the work that was done on the house.  

    For further reading, check out: How to find out the history of a property

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