An absentee owner is someone who owns a property but does not live in it. They are usually landlords, heirs or people who moved and kept the house. They are often more open to selling because the property is a job for them, not a home.
01How we find absentee owners
- We compare the owner's mailing address (where the tax bill goes) with the property address.
- If they are on a different street or in a different town, the owner is absentee.
- Owners with the owner-occupancy tax credit are treated as living there, even if their bill goes elsewhere.
- Out-of-state means the mailing address is in another state, so the owner cannot easily drive by.
02Signs of a tired landlord
- Owns several rentals in the county, often 5 or more.
- Has owned them for 10 or 15+ years.
- Recent eviction filings, city code cases or rising unpaid tax.
- Mailing address far away, or in a retirement area.
03What to offer
Landlords think in numbers. Show them a clean offer, a quick close, and that you can buy with tenants in place. Some will sell one property; some will sell the whole portfolio.
04A note on tenants
LeadCounty keeps the property and the landlord from court records, never the names of tenants. Contact owners, not the people living in their rentals.
