A public real estate record can be a realtor’s and a buyer’s best friend. The public real estate record can give the seller and future homeowner information on the house that they may not get otherwise just by looking at it.
Problems – A public real estate record should tell you about certain problems that the house has had such as electrical failure, flooding, or cracking foundation. These are all important and sometimes life threatening problems that every seller and buyer should know about well in advance of buying the home. After all, to the seller, it’s just real estate. To the buyer, it’s a home.
History – When was the house built? What is the history of the land it sits on? How many previous owners have there been? Is there a history of a crime that was committed in the home? Some people may not feel comfortable living a home where someone was murdered or where someone hid out during a crime spree. Some people may not even feel comfortable living in the same neighborhood as a “famous crime house.” These are all very important things that every prospective homeowner should take into account when looking to purchase a home.
Quality – When was the last time the house got painted? Are those the same bricks that were there when the house was built originally? How old are those shingles on the roof? If the quality of the home is not up to par, there is no reason to buy it. Unless of course, you want to buy a fixer upper, this even then could end up as a money pit.
Other – A public real estate record can also show you things like how many mortgages a house has had, tax history, sellers name, property type, location, etc. These are all very important things to take into consideration when looking through a public real estate record.
Remember that not all public real estate records are created equally, as different states may have different requirements for what they each require. Some states, for example, do not have to tell you if there was flood damage at the house or not. Their buyers beware in those states. Do you live in one of those? You had better hope not for you and your family’s safety and security.