How to use LeadCounty and Zillow together to find the best property
Find motivated owners in LeadCounty, open the property file, check the home and nearby prices on public websites such as Zillow, Redfin and Google Street View, work out your offer with a calculator, contact the owner and track the reply. LeadCounty covers 99 counties; it is not affiliated with Zillow.
Step 1: find motivated owners in LeadCounty
Choose a county. Open a list such as tax delinquent, then stack it with absentee owner or owned 15 or more years. Sort by the likely-to-sell score. Each property shows the reasons behind its score.
Step 2: open the property file
The property file shows the owner of record, mailing address, tax history, sales, value and the signals that put it on your list. Note the address and the years of tax owed.
Step 3: look at the home and the street
Search the address on public websites. Zillow and Redfin show photos and nearby listings and sales; Google Street View shows the outside. Use them to judge condition and price level. Do not copy another site's estimate into your offer without checking it. LeadCounty can also read a pasted link and open the matching property file; see the feature page.
Step 4: estimate value and your offer
Use recent sales of similar houses to set the after-repair value, estimate repairs, then use the maximum-offer calculator or the 70% rule calculator. If the number does not work, move on.
Step 5: contact the owner
Write to the mailing address of record. Be honest about who you are. Follow your state's contact rules.
Step 6: track the lead
Save the property to your leads in LeadCounty, note the date you wrote, and mark the reply. Repeat the letter a few weeks later. Compare lists by replies per hundred letters.
Names and independence
Zillow and Redfin are public websites run by other companies. LeadCounty is independent, is not partnered with or endorsed by them, and shows none of their data.
Official sources and further reading
Outside sites are run by their owners. General information, not legal or financial advice.
Questions
Can I use Zillow with LeadCounty?
Yes. Use LeadCounty to find owners, and public websites to look at the home and nearby prices.
Does LeadCounty use Zillow data?
No. LeadCounty uses official county, court and city records only.
Is there a Zillow link in LeadCounty?
You can paste a Zillow link into LeadCounty to open the matching property file. LeadCounty reads only the address in the link.
Which calculator should I use for the offer?
The wholesale maximum-offer calculator or the 70% rule calculator, with your own value and repair numbers.
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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