With the right tools, it is easy to find out who owns a property? Just use your local assessor's website to look up a property by map or address. For investors trying to find an owner, this information is invaluable. Another way to scout properties is to search bankruptcies, liens, and death records. The following tools are all useful to help the investor to research possible real estate investments.

In addition, we've provided links to important real estate laws and law resources.

Public Records Search

CourthouseDirect.com Download digital copies of documents such as Deeds, Mortgages, Liens, Abstracts of Judgment, Releases and other county courthouse documents KnowX Provides property records & other public info including bankruptcies, liens, death records, and more. Public Records Online Directory Locate your local county assessor's info online. Find property reports, parcel maps, comps, deed access, and more.

People Search Track Absentee Landlords, Tenants, etc.

SearchBug People and company search ZabbaSearch Search engine to help you locate people and public records

Municipal Code Locator

Municode.com Library of municipal codes from around the U.S. Municipal Codes Web Library From LexisNexis - municipal codes from around the U.S.

Real Estate Laws

Consumer Credit Protection Fair Housing Interstate Land Sales Community Reinvestment Act Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act Pending Real Estate Related Legislation The Real Estate Roundtable is a non-partisan political action committee that serves to educate legislators on the real estate industry. Find links to key bills in congress that can affect the real estate industry here.

Real Estate Disability Law

DisAbility.Gov Great resource for finding information related to housing and the Americans with Disabilities Act. FairHousingLaw.org Preventing housing discrimination for renters and home buyers