Start with the address, not the phone number
When you spot a vacant house on a drive-by, the only piece of data you have with certainty is the address. That address is enough to pull the property's tax record, which typically contains the owner's legal name, the assessed value, tax payment status, and — critically — the owner's mailing address. If the mailing address differs from the property address, the owner lives elsewhere, which is your first real signal about motivation.
County assessor portals are free and searchable by address in most jurisdictions. Pull up the county's online portal or use a property lookup tool while still parked at the curb. Confirm the parcel number and owner of record. This step takes under 90 seconds and tells you whether you're dealing with an individual, an LLC, a trust, or an estate — each of which changes how you approach outreach.
- Owner name and entity type (individual vs. LLC vs. trust)
- Owner mailing address vs. property address
- Tax payment status — current, delinquent, or liened
- Last sale date and recorded sale price
- Assessed value as a rough equity proxy
Start every vacant-property lookup with the address, not a phone number — the address is the one data point you always have at the curb.
