{"id":616,"date":"2019-10-28T15:22:43","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T15:22:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/?p=616"},"modified":"2026-03-17T19:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T23:41:16","slug":"try-and-do-your-own-free-property-lien-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/try-and-do-your-own-free-property-lien-search\/","title":{"rendered":"Try And Do Your Own Free Property Lien Search"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"background-color:#f4f4f4; border-left:4px solid #aaaaaa; border-radius:4px; padding:8px 14px; margin:0 0 24px 0; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:13px; color:#666666;\"><strong>Updated:<\/strong> March 16, 2026<\/div>\n\n<p>Plowing through the auction lists (even with the magnificent tool that is PropertyOnion.com) pulls up more properties than any one person can handle in terms of research. Even though we offer an inexpensive $45 Title Search Report, you can cut down on the number of reports you order by eliminating the properties that don\u2019t meet your own personal criteria of title encumbrances. <\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In this Article:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/try-and-do-your-own-free-property-lien-search\/#How_to_Do_a_Free_Property_Lien_Search_Before_You_Bid_at_Auction\" >How to Do a Free Property Lien Search Before You Bid at Auction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/try-and-do-your-own-free-property-lien-search\/#How_Its_Done\" >How It\u2019s Done<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/try-and-do-your-own-free-property-lien-search\/#How_to_Use_Your_Property_Lien_Search\" >How to Use Your Property Lien Search<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/try-and-do-your-own-free-property-lien-search\/#Youll_Be_Doing_Your_Own_Property_Lien_Searches_in_No_Time\" >You\u2019ll Be Doing Your Own Property Lien Searches in No Time<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Do_a_Free_Property_Lien_Search_Before_You_Bid_at_Auction\"><\/span>How to Do a Free Property Lien Search Before You Bid at Auction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><small>Updated 11-04-2023<\/small><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A title encumbrance is anything that is legally attached to the title of the property like mortgages, other liens, and judgments. Learning how to do your own free property lien search will save you money in the future.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, everybody\u2019s criteria are different. Some thrive on heavily lien-laden properties because they know how to remedy some if not all, of them after the auction for pennies on the dollar. Others seek a simple life and want to work with just mortgage or HOA foreclosures with few encumbrances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> If you\u2019re like me and easily get confused with a jumble of out-of-sequence information and don\u2019t want to spend $45 on every property that takes your fancy, you need to get organized with your research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Its_Done\"><\/span>How It\u2019s Done <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, I have developed a step-by-step method. With a little effort, patience, and practice, you\u2019ll&nbsp;learn to quickly figure out how entrenched in encumbrances, liens, and judgments a property is. This same method is employed in one form or another by professional abstractors and companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background has-text-align-center has-small-font-size has-very-light-gray-background-color\"><small><strong>Member&#8217;s Only: Download &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/memberAccount\/membersEducationBlogTutorials?show=e_book&amp;a_aid=5c39e3d45aaf5&amp;a_bid=4ce08813&amp;reference_member_id=EDU616&amp;ref2=EDU616\" target=\"_blank\">Free Property Lien Search Made Easy E-Book<\/a>&#8221;  for detailed steps!<\/strong><\/small><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll need a computer setup with preferably a minimum of two monitors. Yes, one-monitor setups will work, but it will take longer and be more difficult. With monitors costing less than a bag of French fries these days, why wouldn\u2019t you get another?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Access to the internet is obviously required so you can log on to PropertyOnion.com and the county public records search. Finally, you will need the wondrous program Microsoft Excel or a similar spreadsheet program like Google Sheets or Apple Numbers. Pick your favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To start, grab all of the important auction information fields and values from the PropertyOnion.com <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/property_search\/properties\/24-Horicon-Ct-royal-Palm-Beach-FL-33411\/128950?a_aid=5c39e3d45aaf5&amp;a_bid=4ce08813&amp;reference_member_id=EDU616&amp;ref2=EDU616\" target=\"_blank\">property detail page<\/a>, such as auction defendants, auction plaintiffs, final judgment amount, case number, and property legal description. Place the information into your spreadsheet in one column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"480\" height=\"299\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/copy-defendants.gif\" alt=\"Copy data to spreadsheet\" class=\"wp-image-648\" \/><figcaption>Copy important fields from our property detail page to your Spreadsheet.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to search for encumbrances in your county\u2019s official records search. This is where all legal documents are recorded, indexed, and made available for everyone to search and view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most county official records searches allow you to search back into the 90s or beyond, so limit the searches to the date the defendant bought the property and after. The date the property was purchased by the defendant is listed on PropertyOnion.com\u2019s property detail page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the date filter is set, enter the defendant\u2019s name and press search. You should now see all of the liens that are shown against them, which are not necessarily for the property you are interested in. You must filter out entries that are not the ones being auctioned. Make sure you do this for each of the defendants (you might want to try some name spelling variations as well).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From here, copy and paste the search information from the county public records website into the spreadsheet in a list format. Let the spreadsheet program help you do the rest; it can sort and group all of the liens and mortgages in order of date and separately all the satisfactions and releases of past mortgages and liens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the recorded documents are separated by date and type of record, take a few minutes to search each of the mortgages and other liens together with the satisfaction or released documents on the public records website. Place the book and page numbers against each recorded document in the spreadsheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"480\" height=\"234\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/past_litigation-pasted.gif\" alt=\"Copy paste County records to spreadsheet\" class=\"wp-image-666\" \/><figcaption>Copy all the liens and judgments from official records to your spreadsheet.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>All you have to do now is simply match the book and page numbers from each mortgage or other encumbrance with a satisfaction or released recorded document. What\u2019s left unpaired are the open encumbrances on the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You now have a clear picture of what you are dealing with. Since they are in date order, you can easily see which mortgages and other liens take precedence over the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Use_Your_Property_Lien_Search\"><\/span>How to Use Your Property Lien Search<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This practice of pairing has helped me figure out what is going on with the title of a particular property numerous times. The best part is that I did not have to waste $50 on a title search to find out that a property does not meet my encumbrance criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is surprising, though, is that an auction property with numerous liens against it that looks extremely daunting and risky suddenly becomes attractive once you organize and check off or pair the matching liens. I have called this method \u201cpairing.\u201d It\u2019s simple to learn, and I love it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background has-text-align-center has-small-font-size has-very-light-gray-background-color\"><small><strong>Member&#8217;s Video: <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-do-your-own-title-search\/?a_aid=5c39e3d45aaf5&amp;a_bid=4ce08813&amp;reference_member_id=EDU616\" target=\"_blank\">\u25b6\ufe0f <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-do-your-own-title-search\/?a_aid=5c39e3d45aaf5&amp;a_bid=4ce08813&amp;reference_member_id=EDU616&amp;ref2=EDU616\" target=\"_blank\">Watch the detailed video version of this article here!<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-do-your-own-title-search\/?a_aid=5c39e3d45aaf5&amp;a_bid=4ce08813&amp;reference_member_id=EDU616\" target=\"_blank\"> \u25b6\ufe0f<\/a> <\/strong><\/small><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>If I decide to bid on a particular property at the county foreclosure auction after I am done pairing my list, I always buy a <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/titlecheck\/about_title_check?a_aid=5c39e3d45aaf5&amp;a_bid=4ce08813&amp;reference_member_id=EDU616&amp;ref2=EDU616\" target=\"_blank\">title search<\/a> report to check that I have not missed anything. I am not a professional abstractor and can easily overlook something or not paste information correctly. It\u2019s better to spend $45 or $50 to have a professional double-check my work with a <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/titlecheck\/about_title_check?a_aid=5c39e3d45aaf5&amp;a_bid=4ce08813&amp;reference_member_id=EDU616&amp;ref2=EDU616\" target=\"_blank\">title search<\/a> than spend hundreds of thousands on a property with a mortgage that doesn\u2019t go away after I win the bidding!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My method of pairing is not a replacement for a professional title search; it\u2019s simply a way to whittle down a long list of properties you are interested in bidding on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I am in the swing of things, I can knock out my own title search report in less than 15 minutes for a complex property and less than 10 minutes for a simpler case. If I come across something that doesn\u2019t make sense, I will call our real estate attorney for an explanation in a quick consultation session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good real estate attorney like mine will explain the rationale of a certain \u201cImpossible, this can\u2019t be right\u201d situation that comes up now and then. That empowers me with knowledge that I can employ time and time again with either the same or a similar type of title problem in the future. That\u2019s how I have gained a large amount of knowledge on the interaction of encumbrances and title with regard to the county auction game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Youll_Be_Doing_Your_Own_Property_Lien_Searches_in_No_Time\"><\/span>You\u2019ll Be Doing Your Own Property Lien Searches in No Time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no reason why you shouldn\u2019t be able to quickly pick up the same skills I have when researching properties for the county auctions. When I first started in the Florida <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/why-are-some-foreclosure-auction-sales-so-cheap\/\" title=\"Why are Some Foreclosure Auction Sales so Cheap?\" target=\"_blank\">foreclosure auction<\/a> market in 2012, I would look at these public records and think, \u201cOh my gosh.\u201d Now, I can read them like a simple information sheet, all thanks to my pairing method. If I can do it, so can you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This month, I decided to share how to create a free property lien search system FOR FREE with our PropertyOnion.com premium members. I felt selfish keeping it all to myself and a few other colleagues here in the office, so<a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/memberAccount\/membersEducationBlogTutorials?show=e_book&amp;a_aid=5c39e3d45aaf5&amp;a_bid=4ce08813&amp;reference_member_id=EDU616&amp;ref2=EDU616\" target=\"_blank\"> I wrote an e-book here<\/a> and made a <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-do-your-own-title-search\/?a_aid=5c39e3d45aaf5&amp;a_bid=4ce08813&amp;reference_member_id=EDU616&amp;ref2=EDU616\" target=\"_blank\">hands-on video here<\/a> showing exactly how to perform this simple pairing method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those of you who iron clothes (and I am one of them), looking at a pile of laundry is a lot like looking at a property with lots of liens. Once you start the process, it becomes quite cathartic, and when you finish, you look around for more. Happy pairing!<\/p>\n\n<p>A free property lien search using Florida county public records gives you a strong foundation for evaluating any auction property. While a professional title search is always recommended before closing, a free property lien search lets you quickly screen out properties with obvious title problems before you invest significant research time.<\/p>\n<p>After completing your free property lien search, review our guide on common <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/common-title-search-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">title search mistakes<\/a> to make sure you have not missed any critical categories of encumbrances in your research.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding the difference between a free property lien search and a full professional report is important. Our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/full-30-year-title-search-vs-o-e-report-whats-the-difference\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full title search vs OE report<\/a> explains when each is appropriate for your investment strategy.<\/p>\n<p>For buyers at <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/understanding-foreclosure-auctions-in-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">florida foreclosure auctions<\/a>, doing your own free property lien search first and then ordering a professional report on your top candidates is an efficient way to manage research costs across multiple properties.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color:#eef6fd; border-left:5px solid #1a73b8; border-radius:6px; padding:24px 28px; margin:32px 0; font-family:Georgia, serif;\">\n<p style=\"font-size:20px; font-weight:bold; color:#1a3a5c; margin:0 0 10px 0;\">Ready to Invest Smarter in Florida Foreclosures?<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:15px; color:#2c4a6e; margin:0 0 14px 0;\">Gain a real competitive edge at Florida foreclosure and tax deed auctions with <strong>PropertyOnion.com<\/strong>. Get full auction coverage, proven research tools, and step-by-step eBook guides that experienced investors use to find, evaluate, and win profitable deals.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/?&#038;reference_member_id=wpposts45&#038;ref2=wpposts45\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"display:inline-block; background-color:#1a73b8; color:#ffffff; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:bold; padding:12px 24px; border-radius:4px; text-decoration:none;\">Get My Free eBook Guide<\/a>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated: March 16, 2026 Plowing through the auction lists (even with the magnificent tool that is PropertyOnion.com) pulls up more properties than any one person can handle in terms of research. Even though we offer&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":5660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[164,163],"class_list":["post-616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-articles","tag-lien-search","tag-title-search"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=616"}],"version-history":[{"count":40,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13088,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions\/13088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}