How Can I Find Out Who Lived in My House Before Me?
To learn who the previous residents of a house are, one can search public records, speak to a real estate agent or neighbors or check census records. There are online searches available for people to check the property records for a house. It may also be possible to search census records online.
Every house or property has a deed that records the purchase of the property. The deed has to be filed with the city, county or state government as a part of the sale process. These records are available for search by the general public. To search these records, one must place a request with the governing agency to have the search conducted and may have to pay a fee to obtain a copy of the records. There are online property search sites that may give census information or property sale information that lists the names of the former tenants or owners. Property owners are also encouraged to look around the house for any unique identifying factors that can be traced or used to identify historical status, things that would give information on the history of the property. Owners can also seek out neighbors or real estate agents involved in the sale of the property to learn the names of the people who previously owned the property.
