You can find off-market real estate deals through county tax records, code-enforcement cases, foreclosure filings, expired listings and relationships with people who work around property. Start in one area you understand, check the records yourself, and find out whether the owner wants to sell.
That last part deserves your attention. A house with overgrown grass might belong to someone who loves living there. A late tax bill might already be paid. An owner whose listing expired might still want full retail price.
You need enough information to have a useful conversation, then enough evidence to decide whether you should buy. This guide shows you where to look, what to verify and how to keep a promising address from turning into an expensive mistake.
What Counts as an Off-Market Property?
For this guide, an off-market property means a property without an active MLS listing. Some owners have never offered their homes for sale. Others advertise directly, talk privately with buyers or have stopped marketing after a listing ended. Off-market does not mean nobody else knows about it.
Owners also have different reasons for considering a sale. Someone may want to stop managing a rental. Another owner may prefer selling before doing repairs. An estate may need to decide what to do with a house.
Avoid assuming homeowners have “given up on the real estate system.” You cannot learn that from a public record. Ask what the owner hoped to accomplish and what has made that difficult. Sometimes a conventional listing remains their best option.
Where to Find Off-Market Deals for Free
Use this as a starting directory. Public online searches may be free; bulk files, copies, subscriptions and your outreach can still cost money. Availability varies by jurisdiction.
| Source | Where to start | What you still need to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Tax-delinquent properties | County tax collector or treasurer; delinquent real estate tax notices | Current balance, tax year, certificate or tax-sale status |
| Code violations | City or county code-enforcement search, GIS map or records office | Open versus closed case, violation details and unresolved costs |
| Pre-foreclosure | Court clerk, recorder or trustee notices, depending on the state | Latest filing, case status, ownership and any scheduled sale |
| Expired or canceled listings | Local agent with MLS access | Current status, representation and whether the owner still wants to sell |
| Properties you notice locally | A planned driving or walking route, then the assessor's records | Owner, condition and occupancy; appearance alone proves little |
| Absentee-owner properties | Assessor or property-appraiser records | Mailing-address mismatch and whether the owner has any interest in selling |
| Estate-related opportunities | Probate court resources and relationships with estate professionals | Who has authority to sell and what approvals are required |
| Referrals | Agents, property managers, contractors and wholesalers | Permission to connect, transaction details and any compensation arrangements |
Pick one public-record source and one relationship source first. That gives you a manageable way to learn the area without buying several tools before you have spoken with a seller.
1. Find Tax-Delinquency Lists Through the County
Search for “[county and state] delinquent real estate tax list.” Also try the county name with “tax collector,” “treasurer” or “property tax search.” Use the official agency website to confirm you are looking at property taxes, rather than a business-tax list.
For a concrete example, the Hillsborough County Tax Collector's delinquent-property-tax page explains that the office advertises delinquent property taxes in the newspaper or online during May. Its records search directory links to property-tax and tax-certificate searches.
An annual advertisement gives you a dated starting list. Check each parcel's current account before deciding that the owner still owes the advertised amount. Save the date of your check next to the amount.
Ask for an existing file if you cannot find a list
You can adapt this request:
Please direct me to your current public list of delinquent real estate property taxes. If an existing electronic file is available, I would like the parcel number, property address, owner name, owner mailing address, delinquent tax year, outstanding balance and status, to the extent those fields are public and maintained. Please identify the file's effective date and let me know about any fees before processing. I am requesting an existing record, not a custom analysis.
The office may provide a search portal, a publication or instructions for a records request. A downloadable spreadsheet is not available everywhere. Hillsborough's public-records guidance says fees can depend on the size, scope and staff time involved.
Separate a tax lead from a tax-certificate investment
Contacting an owner about buying their property and buying a tax certificate are different transactions. In Florida, a tax certificate represents a lien. Holding one does not give you ownership or permission to enter the property. The Hillsborough Tax Collector explains that distinction.
For a negotiated purchase, ask the closing professional to establish what must be paid and released. Do not assume the old tax-list amount is the final payoff. Other states use different tax-sale and redemption procedures, so research the jurisdiction before bidding on anything.
An overdue bill is a reason to check the situation. It does not tell you what price the owner will accept.
2. Search Code-Violation Records
Look for “[city] code enforcement case search,” “[county] open code violations” or “[city] code violation map.” Check which agency covers the property's location; a county portal may not include municipal cases.
The Hillsborough code-violation search describes searches by address, parcel, name or case number. Available information includes the violation description, status and open or close dates.
The City of Tempe's Live Violation Map is another example. The city says it shows case status, violations, inspector and case number, with colors distinguishing cases. That is a useful way to investigate an area visually.
Read the case before contacting the owner. An old notice about weeds presents a different question from an unresolved building-safety issue. Record the case number so you can return to the source instead of relying on a screenshot.
Ask the department about unresolved requirements and obtain a repair assessment before pricing an offer. A case marked closed is not a substitute for a title or lien search. If the property appears on both a code list and a tax list, check each record separately; neither establishes the seller's intentions.
3. Research Pre-Foreclosure Records
The right source depends on how foreclosures proceed in that state. A court-record search can help in a judicial-foreclosure jurisdiction. Elsewhere, recorded notices or trustee-sale notices may be more relevant. Ask the clerk or recorder which public records it maintains.
In Hillsborough County, HOVER's case search offers a date-range, court-type and case-type search. Use the relevant mortgage-foreclosure category and read the current docket. A filing describes a stage in a case; it does not prove the property remains available to buy.
Record the property address, case number, filing date and most recent event. Before making commitments, have the appropriate professional confirm the current deadline and whether a negotiated sale can proceed. Court access also has limits: HOVER describes restrictions for certain records in its user-access summary.
Treat the owner as someone making a consequential decision. Explain that you are a prospective buyer. Do not present yourself as the court, the lender or a foreclosure-rescue service, and do not promise that you can stop a sale. If the owner wants to keep the property, respect that answer.
4. Get Expired and Canceled Opportunities Through Agents
Ask an investor-friendly agent about properties that failed to sell and fit your buying criteria. These are listing statuses, so a county tax search will not give you a reliable expired-listing list.
A useful request is specific:
I'm looking for three-bedroom houses in these two ZIP codes that need manageable repairs. If you have an expired or canceled opportunity where the owner still wants to sell, would you be open to discussing it? Please confirm the current status and how we should handle contact and representation.
The agent can explain what their MLS permits them to share. Do not assume you can receive or redistribute a complete export. Agree on the working relationship before expecting ongoing research.
Also check whether the property has been relisted. “Withdrawn” can have a different meaning from “expired”; removing a listing from marketing does not necessarily end the underlying agreement. NAR's withdrawn-listing policy allows withdrawal before expiration, and its listing-agreement guide explains different representation arrangements.
Ask the owner what prevented the previous sale. You may discover a repair issue, a timing problem or a price expectation you cannot meet. A long listing history alone does not make your offer attractive.
Watch: Expired-listing opportunities
This episode on Pace Morby's channel discusses expired and canceled listings and agent relationships. It includes multiple speakers and historical examples; use it to explore the approach, rather than as a forecast of your results.
Watch on YouTube: Why You Should Call Expired Listings, January 30, 2024.
5. Drive for Dollars With a Small, Defined Route
Choose an area where you can evaluate prices and repairs. From public streets, note addresses with visible maintenance issues worth investigating. Stay off private property unless you have permission, and respect signs and local solicitation rules.
Write what you observed: “boarded window facing street” is more useful than “desperate seller.” You do not yet know whether anyone lives there, why the window is boarded or whether the owner wants an offer.
Next, look up the parcel through the assessor or property appraiser. The Hillsborough Property Appraiser's search-help page is one example of an official starting point. Confirm the address and owner record before doing contact research.
Watch: Making contact after driving for dollars
This short video on Pace Morby's channel discusses door knocking and contact research after identifying a property. It is a 2021 teaching discussion, not a current outreach-compliance guide.
Watch on YouTube: After Driving For Dollars, Should I Cold Call or Door Knock?, April 8, 2021.
6. Look for Absentee Owners Without Guessing Their Motivation
Compare a property's site address with the owner's mailing address in the public record. A mismatch can give you a starting point for absentee-owner research, but it does not establish vacancy or dissatisfaction.
An owner who lives elsewhere may have a successful rental and a good manager. Ask whether they are considering selling before discussing an offer. If they are interested, find out about occupancy, leases, deposits, repairs and access for inspection.
Property managers can also be useful relationships. Tell them what you buy and ask for an introduction if a client expresses an interest in selling. Let them obtain the owner's permission rather than asking for private client information.
7. Build Relationships Around Estate Sales and Other Referrals
Estate-related property can require several people and approvals. Court resources and relationships with estate attorneys may help you learn about opportunities, but access to probate information varies. Start with the local court's public-access instructions.
Before negotiating, establish who has authority to sell. A family member who answers the phone may not be authorized to sign. Have the estate's professional and your closing team resolve that question.
You can also explain your buying criteria to contractors, agents and wholesalers. Ask for introductions when owners have expressed interest. Discuss any proposed referral payment with the appropriate broker or attorney before offering it; compensation rules depend on the activity and location.
For a wholesaler's opportunity, ask who controls the contract, what interest they are offering and what the complete acquisition cost includes. Review the documents and inspect the property. You still need your own numbers.
Find the Owner, Then Verify the Contact Information
Begin with the parcel record and, when needed, the recorded deed. An assessor's display is useful for initial research; your title professional still needs to confirm ownership for the transaction.
TruePeopleSearch is one contact-research tool discussed in the video below. Treat any matching name or phone number as unverified until you establish that it belongs to the right person. Similar names, old addresses and reassigned numbers can send you to someone unrelated to the property. Tool access and available records can change.
Keep the contact research private. Do not publish an owner's phone number or their financial circumstances, and do not mention a tax or foreclosure issue to a stranger while trying to locate them.
Before launching calls or texts, check the rules that apply to your location, purpose and method. A public phone number does not establish consent. Have a process for applicable do-not-call checks and opt-outs; automated and prerecorded outreach requires particular care. The FTC's telemarketing guidance is a starting resource, not a determination that every property-purchase call falls under the same rule. Get campaign-specific guidance before scaling outreach.
Watch: Finding leads and researching contacts
This video on Pace Morby's channel discusses the work between finding a lead and communicating with a seller, including county records and TruePeopleSearch. The manual-research discussion is useful if you are deciding where to spend time before buying software.
Watch on YouTube: My Exact 3-Step Blueprint For Finding Deals, May 15, 2026.
Have a Conversation Before Trying to Structure a Deal
For a permitted contact, a straightforward introduction might sound like this:
Hi, I'm [name]. I'm interested in buying a property in [area] and wanted to ask whether you'd consider selling [address]. If you're not interested, I'll respect that.
This is an example to adapt, not a compliance-approved script. Do not claim to have cash, a buyer or a closing date unless you can support it.
If the owner wants to talk, ask what they would like to accomplish, what timing would help and what they know about the property's condition. Let them explain before suggesting terms. Ask whether anyone else needs to participate in the decision and whether an agent represents them.
An owner might want time to move more than a faster closing. Another might need sale proceeds in full and have no interest in receiving payments. Creative terms can only help if the parties understand and accept the obligations. Have qualified professionals review the proposed structure before anyone signs.
Run the Numbers Before Calling It a Great Deal
Suppose you find a house on a tax-delinquency list. The seller is willing to talk, and you estimate a repaired resale value of $300,000. These are hypothetical figures for a resale project, not an appraisal or lending quote:
| Item | Assumed amount |
|---|---|
| Resale proceeds before selling costs | $300,000 |
| Purchase price | $190,000 |
| Repairs | $45,000 |
| Buying and selling costs | $20,000 |
| Financing and holding costs | $15,000 |
| Repair contingency allowance | $10,000 |
| Remaining amount before income taxes, if these assumptions hold | $20,000 |
The calculation is $300,000 minus $280,000 in assumed costs and allowances. There is no separate tax-payoff addition in this example: assume the closing team pays the seller's existing obligations from the agreed purchase price. If you agree to pay an obligation on top of that price, add it to your costs instead of counting it twice or overlooking it.
Now change only the resale price. At $280,000, the entire $20,000 margin disappears. You have not changed the repairs or allowed for a delay.
Use current comparable sales, an inspection and documented estimates to replace your assumptions. If you plan to keep the property, evaluate rent, vacancy, operating expenses, reserves and debt payments instead. Our gross rental yield and cash-flow guide walks through that distinction.
Also check when you need the cash. A potential resale profit does not pay today's deposit or tomorrow's contractor. Review cash to close on a fix-and-flip before making commitments.
Keep One Research Sheet and a Realistic Follow-Up Plan
Track the parcel, property address, source link, record date and date checked. Add the apparent owner, verified contact status, property questions, listing or case status, owner response and next agreed step. Record opt-outs clearly so they do not get lost when you combine lists.
For a first research session, choose ten parcels within your buying area. Verify them before adding more. Ten is a manageable practice batch, not a promised conversion rate.
You may finish with paid tax accounts, resolved violations and owners who want to keep their homes. That information saves you from chasing the wrong properties. Continue with owners who are open to a conversation, and follow up at the time and through the channel they agree to.
Common Questions About Off-Market Deals
Can I start without paid lead software?
Yes. The public searches linked here let you begin researching without a lead subscription. You still spend time verifying records, and may pay for records requests, travel, mail or professional help. Pay for a tool when you understand which part of the work it will improve.
Does a tax-delinquency list tell me who wants to sell?
No. It identifies a tax issue as of the record's date. Verify the account, then find out whether the owner has any interest in a sale. Buying a tax certificate is a separate investment and does not itself give you ownership of the house.
Where do I get expired listings?
Start with a local agent who can research the relevant MLS statuses and explain permitted sharing and contact. Check for a new listing and any continuing representation before proceeding.
Which list should I start with?
Choose a source with accessible records in an area you can evaluate. Code cases and tax records are useful starting points where the local portals work well. Your ability to verify the lead and evaluate the property matters more than collecting the largest list.
Can The Deal Funder help once I find a property?
Tell us about the property, purchase price, timing, proposed exit and the part that needs funding. Explore our real estate funding services or send us your deal. We review the transaction and funding request before discussing available options.
Prepared by The Deal Funder. Public-source research checked September 15, 2026. The videos are third-party educational material; their inclusion does not imply endorsement or affiliation. Local records, outreach requirements and transaction procedures vary.