Most "motivated seller" lists are built from the same few public records. The difference between a good list and a stale one is how fresh those records are and how many signals you combine. Here are the twelve signals we track for every property, what each one means, and how strong it usually is.
01Money trouble
- Tax delinquent: the owner has not paid at least one property-tax bill. One missed half is often an oversight; several years is a real signal.
- Delinquent 3+ years: unpaid tax that keeps growing. These owners often cannot or will not keep the property.
- Certified delinquent: the county has formally listed the unpaid tax, the step before a tax lien sale or tax foreclosure in Ohio.
- Tax lien and foreclosure filings: a lender or the county has started legal action. Time matters here, so freshness is everything.
02Life changes
- Inheritance deed: the property moved to heirs or an estate after a death. Many heirs live far away and do not want a house to manage.
- Estate or heirs owner: the owner name itself shows an estate, a trust after a death, or "heirs of".
- $0 or family transfer: a deed with no sale price, often between relatives or into a trust. It can mean divorce, a gift, or estate planning.
03Property and owner patterns
- Absentee owner: the tax bill goes to a different address than the property. The owner does not live there.
- Out-of-state owner: an absentee owner who also lives in another state, so the house is hard to look after.
- Tired landlord: an owner of rentals who has held them for many years, sometimes with eviction filings or code cases.
- Long ownership and high equity: owners who bought 15+ years ago often have little or no mortgage left, so they can sell at a fair price and still walk away with cash.
- Code violations and vacancy: a city inspector found a real problem, or the building looks empty. Repairs the owner cannot afford push a sale.
04One signal is a hint, three is a lead
No single record tells you an owner wants to sell. A tax bill can be paid next week. But an out-of-state heir who inherited a house with three years of unpaid tax and an open code case has many reasons to talk to you. That is why LeadCounty lets you stack lists: every list you tick adds points, and owners on several lists rise to the top.
05Check before you call
Public records can be late or wrong. Before you make an offer, open the property, look at the photos and the map, and check the county's own website for the newest status. Be kind: many of these owners are going through a hard time.
