Guides
Property records guides
Plain-English answers about ownership, liens, parcels and title.
What is an O&E (Ownership & Encumbrance) report?
What a current owner report shows, what it isn't, and when to use one.
Title report vs. title insurance
How an informational report differs from a title commitment, policy and abstract.
What is chain of title?
The recorded history of who has owned a property, and how ownership passed from one owner to the next.
How to find a property's APN (parcel number)
The APN is the most precise way to identify a property — here's where to look.
How to find out who owns a property
Public records will tell you — but the assessor's owner and the owner of record are not always the same.
How to check for liens on a property
What kinds of liens exist, where they're recorded, and the gaps every lien search has.
What does “vesting” mean in real estate?
Vesting is how title is held — and it decides who has to sign to sell.