Driving for dollars vs county records: which finds better leads?
Driving for dollars finds houses that look neglected. County records find owners with a reason to sell, such as unpaid tax or an inheritance. They answer different questions. Most investors use county records to choose where to drive and drive to confirm what the records suggest.
What driving for dollars does well
You see the house: roof, yard, boarded windows, mail piled up. Some neglect never shows in a record. Apps like DealMachine are built for this. It costs time and fuel, and the same streets are driven by everyone else.
What county records do well
Records tell you who owns the house, how long they have owned it, whether tax is unpaid, whether a death-related deed was recorded and whether the owner lives somewhere else. They cover a whole county in one pass, and they do not depend on how a house looks from the street.
Side by side
- Cost: driving costs your time and fuel; records are free at the county but spread over many offices, or one subscription with a tool.
- Coverage: driving covers the streets you reach; records cover every parcel the county lists.
- Signal: driving shows condition; records show the owner's situation.
- Freshness: driving is as fresh as your last trip; weekly records show new owners as they appear.
Using both
Pull the list of tax delinquent and absentee-owned houses in a ZIP code, then drive that ZIP and note which ones look vacant or run-down. A house that is both delinquent and neglected is a better lead than either alone.
Questions
Is driving for dollars still worth it?
Yes, as a way to confirm what the records suggest. As the only method it is slow and crowded.
Can LeadCounty replace driving for dollars?
It replaces the search for owners. It does not look at the house itself. The Drive page in the app lets you take a list and drive it.
How we make these guides
Written by the LeadCounty editorial and data team from official county, court and state sources and our own weekly counts. We name the office behind every number, say what we cannot see, and fix mistakes when you tell us. See our editorial standards and methodology. General information, not legal or financial advice. Refreshed weekly.
Find the owners behind these records.
Official county records, scored with reasons, refreshed weekly. 7-day free trial.
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