The best real estate deals never make it to the MLS. They get picked up by investors who spotted the motivation signal weeks or months before the homeowner ever called a real estate agent.
Where do those signals come from? Public records.
Every county courthouse, tax assessor's office, and probate court maintains records that reveal financial distress, legal transitions, and ownership changes long before a "For Sale" sign appears. The investors who pull these records consistently are the ones building deal flow that competitors cannot replicate.
This guide covers six public record sources that reveal motivated sellers, how to access them in major Texas, North Carolina, and Oklahoma markets, and how to turn raw data into actual deals.
Why Public Records Work for Finding Off-Market Deals
Public records work because they capture life events that create selling motivation. Nobody files for divorce, misses property taxes, or enters probate because things are going well. These records are legal signals of transition, and transition creates opportunity.
Unlike buying leads from a marketing list, public records are:
- Free or low-cost to access
- Time-stamped, so you know when the event happened
- Verifiable, because they are filed with government agencies
- Early indicators, often appearing 3 to 12 months before the owner decides to sell
According to the National Association of Realtors, only about 11 percent of home sales are classified as distressed (foreclosure or short sale), but distressed situations extend far beyond those categories. Tax delinquency, code violations, probate, and divorce all create motivated sellers who never appear in NAR statistics.
Source 1: Lis Pendens (Pre-Foreclosure Filings)
A lis pendens is a legal notice filed with the county recorder indicating that a lawsuit has been filed against a property. In real estate, the most common use is when a lender files a foreclosure action.
For investors, a lis pendens is the earliest public signal that a homeowner is in financial trouble. It appears months before the property goes to auction and often years before the owner would consider listing.
How to Find Lis Pendens Records
In Texas, foreclosures are non-judicial, meaning the lender does not file with the court. Instead, look for Notice of Default and Notice of Trustee Sale postings at the county clerk's office or on ATTOM Data Solutions for aggregated data.
In North Carolina, foreclosures are judicial and lis pendens filings appear in the county clerk's office. Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) maintains online court records you can search by case type.
In Oklahoma, check the county clerk's records in Oklahoma County or Tulsa County for lis pendens filings.
What to Do With This Data
Contact the homeowner by mail within 2 weeks of the filing. The earlier you reach out, the more options they have and the more likely they are to engage. Your message should be direct: you can help them avoid foreclosure by buying the property directly. No pressure, no gimmicks, just a straightforward option.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau outlines foreclosure assistance options that homeowners should be aware of. Reference these resources in your outreach to build trust rather than exploiting fear.
Source 2: Probate Filings
When a property owner dies, the estate typically goes through probate. Probate records identify properties that will likely need to be sold to settle the estate, distribute inheritances, or eliminate ongoing holding costs.
Probate leads are among the highest-converting in real estate because:
- Heirs often live out of state and do not want to manage the property
- The property frequently needs repairs that heirs cannot or will not fund
- There is often urgency to settle the estate quickly
- Multiple heirs create disagreements that a quick sale can resolve
How to Find Probate Records
Most counties publish probate case filings through their clerk's office. In Bexar County (San Antonio), search the county clerk's probate records online. In Dallas County, the probate court records are available through the county website.
In Texas specifically, look for cases filed as "Independent Administration" or "Muniment of Title," which often move faster and indicate a cleaner path to sale.
For North Carolina, check the Clerk of Superior Court in each county. Wake County (Raleigh) and Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) have searchable online databases.
Building Relationships With Probate Attorneys
The fastest way to access probate leads is through relationships with local attorneys who handle estate cases. Most probate attorneys have clients who need to sell inherited property but do not know how to handle it quickly.
Reach out to 5 to 10 probate attorneys in your target market. Explain that you buy inherited properties in as-is condition, handle the closing logistics, and can close quickly. One good attorney relationship can generate 3 to 5 deals per year.
According to Nolo's guide on probate real estate, selling property during probate requires court approval in many states, but Texas has streamlined options like muniment of title that allow transfers with minimal court involvement.
Source 3: Tax Delinquency Rolls
Property owners who fail to pay property taxes are signaling financial distress. Tax delinquency rolls are public records maintained by the county tax assessor.
What makes tax delinquent properties attractive to investors:
- The owner is clearly unable or unwilling to maintain financial obligations on the property
- Tax delinquency compounds with penalties and interest, increasing motivation over time
- Properties with 2 or more years of delinquent taxes have a high probability of being abandoned or neglected
- In many states, the county can eventually foreclose for unpaid taxes, creating additional urgency
How to Access Tax Delinquency Data
In Texas, each county appraisal district maintains tax delinquency records. The Bexar County Tax Office publishes delinquent tax rolls. Dallas County, Harris County, and Tarrant County all have similar online databases.
In Oklahoma, the county treasurer's office maintains tax sale lists. Oklahoma County publishes these annually.
In North Carolina, tax foreclosure lists are maintained by the county tax collector. Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) posts certified tax lien auction lists on their website.
Working Tax Delinquent Leads
Focus on properties with 1 to 3 years of delinquent taxes. Properties with less than 1 year may be a temporary cash flow issue. Properties with more than 3 years are more likely to have title complications or be completely abandoned.
Send a direct mail piece offering to buy the property and handle the back taxes as part of the purchase. Many owners are relieved to walk away from a tax obligation they cannot manage.
Source 4: Divorce Filings
Divorce creates forced property transitions. When two people separate, the marital home almost always needs to be refinanced, bought out by one spouse, or sold. The urgency increases when both parties want to move on quickly.
How to Find Divorce Records
Divorce filings are public records in every state. In Texas, search the district clerk's records by case type (divorce/dissolution). In Dallas County, Harris County, and Bexar County, these are searchable online.
In North Carolina, check the county clerk of superior court for divorce filings. In Oklahoma, district court records contain divorce cases.
Working Divorce Leads Ethically
Divorce is sensitive. Your outreach should be professional and empathetic. The message is simple: if you need to sell the family home quickly during divorce proceedings, we can make a cash offer and close on your timeline.
Many divorcing couples prefer a cash sale because:
- It eliminates showings and open houses during an already stressful time
- It provides a clean, definitive sale price both parties can agree to
- It closes faster than a traditional listing, allowing both parties to move forward
Do not reference the divorce directly in your outreach. Simply offer a solution for homeowners who need to sell quickly.
Source 5: Code Violation Records
Cities issue code violations for overgrown yards, structural deficiencies, unpermitted work, unsafe conditions, and nuisance properties. Code violations indicate an owner who is unable or unwilling to maintain the property, and they often face mounting fines that increase motivation to sell.
How to Find Code Violation Records
Most cities maintain code violation databases. In San Antonio, the Development Services Department tracks violations. In Dallas, the Code Compliance Department maintains an active case list.
Charlotte's Code Enforcement Division publishes complaint and case data. Oklahoma City's Planning Department handles code violations.
Some cities publish open violations on their websites. Others require a records request. Either way, the data is public.
Why Code Violation Properties Are Investor Gold
Cash buyers do not care about code violations. They buy properties in as-is condition and handle repairs after closing. But traditional buyers walk away from code violation properties because lenders will not finance them until violations are cleared.
That creates a significant price gap between what the property is worth to a cash investor (who can fix it) and what the owner can sell it for on the open market (almost nothing, until violations are resolved). That gap is your profit margin.
Source 6: Vacant Property Registries
Many cities require owners of vacant properties to register them and pay an annual fee. Vacant property owners face holding costs with zero income, making them increasingly motivated over time.
How to Find Vacant Properties
Check your city's vacant property registry if one exists. Houston, Dallas, and Charlotte all have some form of vacant property tracking.
You can also identify vacant properties by:
- Cross-referencing tax mailing addresses that differ from the property address (absentee owners)
- Driving neighborhoods and noting properties with overgrown yards, boarded windows, or stacked mail
- Checking utility connection records (properties with disconnected utilities are likely vacant)
The U.S. Census Bureau's Housing Vacancy Survey provides national and regional vacancy data that helps you understand local conditions.
Putting It All Together: A Weekly Public Records Workflow
The most effective investors treat public records research as a weekly discipline, not a one-time effort.
Monday: Pull new lis pendens and foreclosure notices for your primary market
Tuesday: Check new probate filings for the past 2 weeks
Wednesday: Review tax delinquency roll updates
Thursday: Pull new divorce filings for the past month
Friday: Check code violation and vacant property data
Spend 2 to 3 hours per week on this. Over 3 months, you will build a pipeline of 50 to 100 potential motivated sellers that no one else is contacting because they are not doing this work.
Skip Tracing: Connecting Records to People
Public records give you properties. Skip tracing gives you phone numbers and current addresses for the owners.
Use services like BatchSkipTracing, PropStream, or REI Skip to convert property addresses into owner contact information. The typical cost is $0.10 to $0.15 per record.
Once you have contact information, reach out through a combination of direct mail, cold calling, and text messaging. Multi-channel outreach consistently outperforms single-channel approaches.
Common Mistakes When Working Public Records
Waiting too long to reach out. The investor who contacts a lis pendens lead within 2 weeks has a 3x higher response rate than one who waits 2 months. Speed matters.
Using aggressive or predatory language. Public records reveal people in difficult situations. Your outreach should offer genuine help, not exploit fear. According to the Federal Trade Commission, deceptive marketing practices in real estate can carry significant penalties.
Only working one record type. The power of public records comes from combining multiple sources. An owner who has tax delinquency AND a code violation AND is going through divorce is far more motivated than someone with just one issue.
Not verifying data. Public records can contain errors. Always verify property ownership, outstanding liens, and current tax status before making an offer.
How Home Pros Sources Off-Market Deals
Home Pros uses a combination of public records research, direct outreach, and probate attorney relationships to source off-market properties across 48 markets. We do not wait for properties to appear on the MLS.
When we identify a motivated seller, we make a fair cash offer, close quickly, and list the property on our investor marketplace for qualified buyers.
Want access to deals sourced from public records and off-market channels? Join the Home Pros Marketplace to see properties before they hit the open market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What public records can real estate investors use to find motivated sellers?
The six most productive record types are lis pendens (pre-foreclosure filings), probate filings, tax delinquency rolls, divorce filings, code violation records, and vacant property registries. Each reveals a different type of financial distress or life transition that creates selling motivation.
How do you find pre-foreclosure leads using county records?
In judicial foreclosure states, search the county clerk for lis pendens filings. In non-judicial states like Texas, look for Notices of Default and Notices of Trustee Sale at the county recorder or through data aggregators like ATTOM Data.
What is a lis pendens and how do investors use it to find deals?
A lis pendens is a legal notice filed against a property indicating pending litigation, most often a foreclosure action. Investors use lis pendens filings to identify homeowners in financial distress 3 to 12 months before the property goes to auction, giving them time to make a direct offer.
Can you find probate leads through public records searches?
Yes. Probate cases are filed with the county clerk or clerk of superior court and are public record. Search by case type to find recent filings. Alternatively, build relationships with local probate attorneys who regularly handle estate cases involving real property.
How often should investors pull public records to stay ahead of the market?
Weekly is the standard for active investors. Set up a consistent schedule where you pull one record type per day. Over 30 days, you will have fresh data from all six sources and a growing pipeline of potential sellers that passive investors never discover.
Home Pros connects motivated sellers with qualified investors across 48 markets. Our sourcing team uses public records, attorney relationships, and direct outreach to find off-market opportunities. This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult a licensed attorney regarding real estate transactions.