Would you like to know how to research the history of a property online and offline? You’ll be shaking your head in the affirmative right now if you’re smart.
Whether you want the history of your house or one you’re looking to buy, it’s essential information.
When you are ready to buy a home, you might have questions about the property’s history.
Whether you have heard rumors about the home or want a more in-depth understanding of the house you’re investing in, it is possible to find a lot about the history of properties online.
Buying a house is the most significant investment most people will ever make, so doing as much research as possible makes sense. When searching for a property, you aren’t given much information about its history.
There could be many hidden details that you would rather know about before closing on the home. It could pay dividends if you put a little effort into researching the property.
There are potentially a lot of resources available to you to help in your property history search if you know where to look.
We’ll cover the online and offline resources you can use to search the history of houses to find information otherwise hidden. From experience as a Realtor, due diligence is vital.
After reading, you’ll understand how to do a property history search. We will reveal the best ways to search by property address.
Interesting Facts
1. Every property has a unique history that can provide insights into its past owners, construction, and usage.
2. Historical records, such as title deeds, tax assessments, and archival documents, can help uncover the history of a property.
3. Historical research may uncover interesting details about previous occupants, architectural styles, or significant events associated with a house.
4. Local libraries, historical societies, and online databases are valuable resources for researching a home’s history.
5. Understanding a house’s history can add value and interest to its current owners and contribute to preserving its heritage.
How to Research The Sale History of a House
Proper due diligence is a fundamental exercise when buying a home. When you search property history, you can uncover things that might make you second-guess your purchase decision.
The Multiple listing service is the first place you will want to start a basic property history search.
The multiple listing service, or MLS, will give you details of how much the house sold for previously and when. This sales history could go back to the 1990s, showing you how the home price has gradually increased, or not, in that time.
Researching the MLS for a property’s history is an essential task any good buyer’s agent can handle. It’s part of their job. Research is one of the many tasks a buyer’s agent does for you.
Home sale history is easy to look at when you can access MLS. The sales records for a property are as easy as typing in an address. Real estate agents routinely access the information on a property when looking at public home sales records.
The primary history of properties should always start with a visit to MLS when starting a search.
Research The Price History
When researching a specific property you’re interested in purchasing, having the price history could be valuable. The MLS is also an excellent resource for a home’s pricing history. You can also find the prices of houses sold at Zillow and Realtor.com.
If you need assistance, ask your buyer’s agent to help you research the sales history.
Searching For The Address Online
One of the best ways to find the history of a house online is through online research. You’ll often see the history of ownership of a home.
You might find some fascinating information by doing an online search on Google for the address of the home you are looking to buy. You might be able to see previous listings that reveal things you didn’t know about the house.
Simply Googling the address could reveal unexpected results. Perhaps the property has been in the news for some reason, or maybe it was used as a business address. Or perhaps you’ll find nothing.
Whatever you find will only take a moment to check, so you shouldn’t overlook it. It is one of the easy ways to check free house history.
Look at The City or Towns Field Data Card For Property History
When doing a house history search, the top of the list should be visiting the local town hall. By doing so, you can search property history by address.
A visit to the County Assessor’s office can provide information regarding past ownership and property transactions.
One critical thing a field data card will tell you is whether proper building permits were filed for work done at the property. Work without permits can be a significant issue that should be rectified.
The upgrades made over the years and a record of their corresponding permits should be detailed. For example, these items should be listed if a new heating system or solar panels were installed.
The field card will also have other details on the history of properties, such as assessed value over the years, the square footage, room count, the year built, the current owner’s name, property characteristics, and much more.
Gathering information on a property is another excellent means of doing so.
Not too long ago, I was doing a detailed search for a client in Milford, Massachusetts. From experience, this is one of the better ways of finding the history of houses.
Visit The Local Building Department For Property Work
Knowing how to search property records will include a trip to your local building department. Here, you can confirm whether proper building permits were pulled on work completed at the house.
If the home is not that old, you may also be able to examine the original architectural plans. Doing so will be an excellent way to obtain additional information you might not otherwise have access to.
You may learn about a house’s history, such as its additions. Most people don’t realize they can get this information, but it is part of the public property records.
Stopping by and speaking with the county clerk might also help you glean additional property history search info.
Utilizing Historic Maps and Architectural Surveys
Another excellent way to discover a property’s history is through Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and architectural surveys. These resources provide a detailed physical snapshot of the property, highlighting its construction materials, layout, and historical modifications.
For properties with architectural significance or those located in historically rich areas, these maps and surveys can reveal the evolution of the property’s structure and its role within the community.
Engaging with these resources helps understand the property and aids preservation efforts for those who own historic properties. Accessing these maps through the Library of Congress or local historical societies can add depth to your property’s story.
Check The Properties Title
When you search for a home’s history, you shouldn’t miss out on the title. Much important information about the property can be found in the title documentation. Experts refer to this as the chain of titles.
The chain of title is a legal document showing the sequence of historical title transfers to a property. It documents past owners, including who owns it now, back to the original owner.
Searching for a property’s title should be left to the experts. If you are working with a real estate attorney, they will do the title search for you as part of their representation of the lender.
In some states, a title company will perform the title search. In either case, the title search is vital to a housing history search.
The title search will reveal information about mortgages, municipal assessments such as city sewer, property taxes, levies, and other things that could disturb a real estate transaction.
Exploring Federal and State Land Records
Examining federal and state land records can be incredibly revealing for those with properties that might have historical significance or were once under federal control. Land entry case files can reveal the original transfer of land from government to private ownership, shedding light on the property’s earliest days.
The Bureau of Land Management and the National Archives hold many documents that trace the lineage of land ownership back to its origins. These records, including land entry case files and public land laws, show the property’s past and transformation over the centuries.
I recommend looking at the General Land Office records for insights into federal land conveyance and the history of land distribution in the United States.
Title Searches Also Reveal Liens
Understanding how to research the history of a house becomes especially crucial regarding potential financial or legal issues.
The title search will also show if there are any outstanding liens on the property. Liens on the title could be from the builder or contractor of the home and could lead to a legal battle to have them cleared.
There might also be tax liens on the property. To avoid expensive legal bills when hiring a real estate attorney, you’ll want to ensure no liens on the title. Liens can prevent a home sale from taking place.
Lastly, this house history search could uncover encroachment issues on the part of the neighbor.
Problems with violations of neighboring lot lines are not uncommon. This is one reason I always recommend title insurance.
Searching The Property Records
A property history search of the publicly available records can help you find out about the following in the home’s history:
- Property tax records and history
- Changes in the size of the home
- Records of previous sales
- A list of previous owners
You can access this information online if your county provides this service. You can check if your records are online and access them free by going to the Public Records online directory.
Examples of records that can be accessed include property deeds, mortgages, assessment data, tax details, parcel numbers, and parcel maps.
Finding the details for the property you want to buy on this site is very simple. Click on the state and then select the proper county. This will show you what is available and link you to the information the county has uploaded online.
Launched initially as a portal for environmental records, Nationwide Environmental Title Research, commonly known as NETROnline, offers a wide range of information sourced from its databases and partner information companies. The site also provides convenient access to local assessor offices across the United States.
NETROnline.com’s property data has become a trusted resource for numerous financial institutions. NETROnline.com and Historic Aerials simplify the research process for property information, making it more convenient to obtain necessary documents without visiting the local courthouse.
While property data reports can be purchased for more comprehensive information, NETROnline.com grants free access to environmental records and links to county assessor offices that offer online records.
Part of the NETROnline.com network, Historic Aerials is home to the most extensive U.S. historic aerial imagery collection. By accessing an aerial image of your home from 50 years ago or longer, you can gain valuable insights into your property’s history or discover what structures existed in the exact location of your house.
As the site mentions, it is like riding in a time machine to see the history of your house.
Viewing these images online is complimentary, while downloads begin at $3. Print photos start at $60, including delivery.
Go To The County Court House
When you would instead not research the history of a house online, you can do it the old-fashioned way.
Some people search for property history aggressively and head to the local county courthouse. They speak with the county recorder and ask to look at any quitclaim deeds for the specific property.
The register of deeds details property ownership and personal information, such as the property’s sale price.
Viewing Geographic Information Systems Data is Useful
Another type of online property history search is through GIS.
Your county might provide Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on its website. This is an online database that allows you to find the house you’re interested in on an interactive map. You can click on the house for more details.
The site will tell you several things, including:
- The year constructed
- Class of property
- Current owner
- Lot size
- Basement construction
- Architectural type
There could also be drawings of the lot, which will show you the property’s original design and highlight additions. For example, it should indicate whether the home has decking with a roof.
Reverse Address Searches Can Help
A few online services allow you to check who currently lives in a home, their phone numbers, and previous residents. Such searches can also provide information on home values, sales transactions, and neighborhood safety.
These searchers can better help you assess whether the neighborhood is the sort of place you want to live. They’ll also inform you about the area’s foreclosures and mortgage and loan statistics.
However, these services aren’t free, with a service like Been Verified costing about $17 monthly.
A Real Estate investor will sometimes use sites like these to find people to contact for off-market properties to buy. Investment opportunities are more scarce when there is a limited housing inventory.
Is Your Home Historic?
If you are looking for a historic home, you should be able to find it in the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service operates this and is a record of historically significant properties nationwide.
Their website offers several ways to see if the property is listed with them.
There are more than 95,000 properties registered, and they offer a few different ways for you to find the home you are interested in:
- Search by state
- Name Search
- Reference number search
- Geographic Information Systems map
You can complete these searches by downloading their spreadsheet or searching the table on their website.
The home could still be historic if you don’t find the property you are looking for through these searches. Not all the files in the National Register have been posted online; you can request a copy from them if this is the case.
There is another option to locate historic properties, known as the State Historic Preservation Office. It is often the case that states run their lists of historic homes, and sometimes, these haven’t been passed on to the National Register of Historic Places. This situation could be if the state considers the property necessary locally and needs preservation.
Suppose you are confident that the home is historic, even if it isn’t listed in the national register. In that case, you can check with the National Trust for Historic Preservation for more information about your state’s historic preservation office.
Go to The Local Library For Information
Believe it or not, the public library is one of the best ways to check the history of properties when they have historical significance.
The history of your house is usually on display when it is considered meaningful. Local history books or old newspapers may also contain additional information.
It will be the best place to check when you have time. Historic maps could show information you didn’t know about. You might also consider checking with the local historical society.
Looking Up Details of a House in Previous Census Records
If you’d like to learn more about the previous occupants of the home you’re interested in, you can check the census records. These documents can let you confirm your beliefs and uncover new information.
Census data can offer you intriguing and revealing information about previous residents and can include things like:
- Names
- Birth years
- Marital status and the relationship between residents
- Where they were born
However, the further back you go in these records, the less detail they tend to offer. You might find some gaps in the documents further back down the road.
Uncovering Property Ownership With Land Entry Records
Information about previous owners can be interesting if you want to explore property history further. The land entry record for the property will show information about who purchased the property and when.
They will reveal the title transfer history for the property and should show when the lot was transferred from the government into private ownership. These documents are known as land entry case files.
As with the census records, the further back in history you go, the less information you will likely find. But even then, you should be able to find information not found elsewhere.
Information in the land entry records could include details about the owner, including:
- Name and title
- Place of birth
- Age
- Land use issues
The records might also include the owner’s citizenship, military service status, and more surprising things like their literacy level and economic standing.
Checking these records isn’t as easy as other options, as they can’t be searched online directly.
You can request access and order copies of land entry files through the national archives, though the exact method of getting these files will depend on the circumstances of the information you are looking for.
Research Official Federal Land Records
You can visit the Bureau of Land Management to explore the property’s history. Their general land office records give you access to federal land conveyance records issued since 1788.
They offer images of more than 5 million federal land title records, land status records, control document index records, transaction listings, survey plats, and field notes.
If you find a land survey for the property, you should get a drawing of the boundaries and an official record of the size of the lot. Field notes are the surveyor’s description of the area, which includes details of the instruments and the process used to assess the land.
You might also uncover patents showing when the land was first transferred from the government to a citizen. These land patents are divided between cash entries, homestead, and military warrant patents.
These patents can allow you to link a specific person or their descendants to the purchase of land on an exact date.
Land status records are historical documents detailing federal and private land ownership, rights, and usage. They will typically include master title plats, a combination of all the national surveys conducted for the township.
Control document index records cover anything that could have affected land use. This could have been anything that limited or restricted usage, like public laws or proclamations.
Information on a property such as this can be crucial when buying land and getting a loan for land.
A Look Into The Properties Past History
The website What Was There matches historic photos with imaging data from Google Maps, allowing you to see what the house and the street looked like in years past.
The website relies on people uploading photographs so that most areas will be lacking. But you might get lucky and find an old picture or two of the home you are interested in. It is worth a shot.
How to Find Out if Someone Died in The Home?
If you’re worried about the property being stigmatized or just concerned that previous activity in the home could affect how easy it will be for you to sell, you can use DiedInHouse.com.
Perhaps you’ve heard a rumor about the property or know that the house has a horrific past or has paranormal activity. Knowing the death history could explain what happens if ghosts or other strange things are present.
A service like Died in House can help you determine if that affects the house you want to purchase.
They will create a report on any home with a valid United States address so that you can remove some fears about the property.
Since death is not considered a material fact that requires disclosure when the home is sold in most states, you can use this service to find information that would be very difficult to uncover otherwise.
Without using a service like this, you will be reliant on information from the seller, their agent, neighbors, or any details you can find by searching online. Doing so could take a lot of time and still not result in revealing information about any deaths in the home.
The site charges under $12 for research on one property, but the report contains more information than you might initially expect. As well as telling you about a death in the home, they also give you details about:
- The cause of death, if known
- Information on the deceased
- Fires in the property
- Any reported meth activity
- Registered sex offenders living in the property previously or currently nearby
- Local cemeteries
- Property history information
Discovering Paranormal Activity
This should help ensure that the property you are looking to buy doesn’t have a dark past you may only learn about when you’ve lived there for a while. HelpingIt is helping purchase a property that turns out to be a macabre tourist attraction.
The report should help put your mind at ease over negative energy in the home or ghostly activity if that’s something that worries you.
While this service is often used by paranormal investigators, house appraisers, and real estate agents researching a home before listing it, buyers can also profit from it.
You could also use the information in a report like this to gain a better deal on a home. After all, it could impact the property value. Finding damaging information about a property could put you in a position to negotiate a better deal with the seller.
Whether you want to live in the home or purchase as an investor, there is an opportunity for a discount. You could get a bargain if you don’t mind buying a property with what some people would see as an adverse history.
Look Through Insurance Records
Did you know you can check a property’s historical insurance records for your housing history search? You can check a loss history report on any insurance losses with a home.
Claims history information is sent to a database known as the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (C.L.U.E). The reports show a record of the type of loss on the home when it occurred and the amount of the claim. The information provided goes back five years.
Doing an insurance search could reveal if there was a previous fire or flooding in the home. Insurance companies use this information to underwrite their policies.
You can do a free search for this information. One report is allowed per year.
How to Look For Property Owners With Financial Distress
Did you know you can search online to see if a homeowner is experiencing financial distress? Realty Trac provides a database of foreclosures, bank-owned properties, auctions, and short sales.
They partnered with Zillow and will display property owners who have missed mortgage payments on their website. I’ve written about how these Zillow listings can be deceiving because they are not for sale.
Their website will purposely make it look like these homeowners who have missed payments are actively selling their homes. They are not!
Most of the time, these homes will never be listed for sale as the owner will get caught up on their mortgage. Realty Trac, however, can help see distressed properties.
Don’t Overlook More Old Fashioned Research Methods
While running searches online is an easy way to uncover information on a home you want to purchase quickly, don’t forget about books. Books listing the property or details about the street or area could have been published.
If you want to do a deep dive into the background of a home, you can search for books online using the ZIP code or other location information, such as street names and house numbers.
Some websites offer a way to search for references to properties like arcadiapublishing.com/zip-search. Even if you are just a history buff, you’ll be able to get some interesting historical information about the town you’re interested in.
Ask an Experienced Real Estate Agent Can Help
When interested in the history of properties you want, remember local Realtors. A real estate agent who has been operating in the area for a long time will have a wealth of knowledge about the area and possibly the property you want to own.
They might offer you some clues about the property so that you can narrow down your research, and they could be an excellent place to start. For example, I have lived in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, my entire life.
Some may not know it is the start of the world-famous Boston Marathon. Others may not know Hopkinton has been rated as one of the safest places to live in America or has some of the state’s best schools.
Final Thoughts
If you wanted to do in-depth research into a property’s history, you’d have to travel to county facilities to search through archives. But these days, for the most part, things are much more accessible.
A few simple and relatively quick searches online can reveal much property history without stepping outside your front door or picking up a phone to call someone. But there are also some more traditional ways to find out what has happened in the past to a property you are interested in buying.
If you want to learn the complete history of a property, many options require a little time and effort to uncover the information.
Hopefully, you have found this guide on how to find the history of a property online and off to be helpful.
About the Author: The above Real Estate information on finding the history of a property was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill has expertise in mortgages, financing, moving, home improvement, and general real estate.
Learn more about Bill Gassett and the publications in which he has been featured. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of Metrowest towns for the last 38+ years.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I am passionate about real estate and love sharing my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge Massachusetts.
Most people can rely on their Realtor to do a good job of researching a property’s history.
Very true Gabe. Some agents will do a great job finding the history of a house while others not so much.