What does it take to carry out a reverse address lookup? Figuring out who lives at any given location has become easier. But you want to avoid intrusive, questionable, and illegal solutions to verify the residents in that address. That’s why we’ve put together the most effective and legal techniques.
Is It Legal to Reverse Lookup an Address?
Reverse address lookup is generally legal. But, the ethical and legal boundaries for doing so depend on your purpose. For instance, you can carry out a reverse address search to determine the legal owner of a property for legal issues like property disputes, liens, or neighbor issues. You can also do so if you’ve moved to a new neighborhood and want to introduce yourself or find out who lives around you for safety and social reasons. You could also verify an address or property boundaries for due diligence in business or real estate transactions. That said, succeeding depends on how accurate and reliable your resources are. That’s why you need to choose reputable, and legal tools and strategies to find the information you need while respecting privacy and legal guidelines.
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How to Find Out Who Lives at An Address
There are many different ways to carry out a reverse address search ranging from using online lookup tools to physical in-person appointments. Let’s talk about each of them.
Use Reverse Address Search Websites
Reverse Address Search websites are the most direct way to find out who lives at an address. These tools often aggregate public records and other data sources helping you find everything you need about that address. However, these tools are not created equally.
Whitepages
Whitepages boasts a comprehensive database of over 210 million records. So, it’s a perfect tool for your reverse address lookup with guaranteed results.
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📌What It Can Find:
Checking any address on Whitepages can yield the following information:
- Owner or resident’s full name
- Owners estimated age.
- Map of the neighborhood.
- Cell phone numbers
- Landline numbers
- Criminal records
- Business details
- Public information about the property’s features.
💡Tips:
When using Whitepages, pay attention to the following hacks:
- Start with the free basic search and if you want more, consider the premium reports.
- If you don’t have the correct address, start by searching using their name if you have this information.
- Make sure you have the correct street address, city, state, and zip code.
- Consider using Google Maps, first to ensure your address is correct.
FastPeopleSearch
FastPeopleSearch is also a fabulous reverse address search that provides immense historical data at your fingertips. It’s designed to uncover a property’s tenancy history going as far back as 40 years.
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📌What It Can Find:
On FastPeopleSearch, you can look forward to the following information:
- Owner or resident’s full name
- Owners estimated age.
- Property records
- Tax records
- Tenant history
- Owner’s past and present contact information
- Additional addresses
- Phone numbers
- Public information about the property’s features.
💡Tips:
These tips will also help you make the best of FastPeopleSearch:
- Consider confirming the precise address on Google Maps before using FastPeopleSearch.
- Write the address as correctly as possible to increase the accuracy of the results.
- Start with the basic search and if you want more, consider accessing the premium reports.
Background Checks.org
BackgroundChecks also has a dedicated reverse address directory lookup page. Here you can search for anyone using their zip code, or precise address coordinates.
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📌What It Can Find:
BackgroundChecks.org often yields the following information:
- First and last name of the resident
- Phone numbers
- Owners estimated age.
- Relatives
- Owner’s previous addresses
- Criminal records
- Owner’s social media accounts
- Property features and descriptions.
💡Tips:
To make the best of your research, here are some important details to pay attention to:
- Confirm you have the actual address by searching on Google first.
- If you have their name, you can start with a people search to confirm their location first.
- Always stick to a basic search to match the right person before paying for the complete report.
TruePeopleSearch
TruePeopleSearch also boasts an amazing reverse address lookup tool. Specifically, this website can compile all you need to know about the current and previous owners of any address.
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📌What It Can Find:
Checking any address on TruePeopleSearch can yield the following information:
- First and last names of residents
- Phone numbers of residents
- Property information.
- Ownership history.
- Criminal records.
💡Tips:
These hacks will streamline your search:
- If you have their last name and address, consider using Truepeoplesearch’s general last name lookup tool first to validate that address.
- Always check the address on Google first, to avoid spending time on the wrong address.
Check Property Records (Public Databases)
Online reverse address lookup tools simplify your search because they combine hundreds of records into one comprehensive report. However, if you have the time, you can also check out the primary data sources using the following techniques.
County Assessor’s Office
One of the most reliable ways to search is to find a county by address. Then using that information, you can check out their local County Assessor’s office. The local county assessor’s office is a recognized and valuable resource for home ownership history and legal records. Here’s how to check county by address to gather all the data you need:
- First start by searching for the county’s website on Google (e.g. Escambia County assessor’s office).
- Assessor’s offices may require an in-person visit to access property records for free. Others have archives online that you can access for a fee. Choose your preferred approach.
- Browse through the records and you’ll find details like current property owners, assessed value for tax purposes, and land and structure values. You’ll also find deeds concerning the sale of the property, the property’s legal descriptions, and more.
- Note that local assessor offices charge an additional fee to make copies of the records.
Local Government Websites
Besides the local county website, there are other local government resources you can try. For instance, you can use county planning or building department records where you’ll find documents about building permits issued for that location. Alternatively, you can check the “Register of Deeds” sections of government websites for indexes about property records.
Real Estate Websites
Real estate websites are also decent places to carry out a reverse address directory lookup. Popular examples are Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, and Realtor.com. Bear in mind this method won’t provide details like the current owner’s personal details or other personal information about occupants. For instance, here’s how you can search on Zillow using these steps:
- Use the search bars to search using the full (and accurate) property address
- Find the correct property listing with details about the property. You’ll also find details about property value and price history. Often these may also include the street view or bird’s eye view of the property.
Check Neighborhood Directories or HOA Listings
Another way to carry out a zip code search by address is by using Neighborhood directories or HOA listings. These are usually created by neighborhood associations, resident groups, and community leagues. Mostly, they provide interaction between communities. So, you’ll need to be a member of that community or neighborhood to access them. If you can access them, they are great places to find resident names, addresses, family member names, phone numbers, and email addresses. You’ll find these directories either as password-protected websites or invite-only social media platforms and forums.
Search on Google
Google is one of the most straightforward ways to carry out a reverse address lookup. However, it can be the most painstaking approach due to hundreds of records, and pages you need to go through. Here’s a technique that can help:
- Start by entering the actual address into Google.
- If Google Maps recognizes it, you can check out the visual of that address.
- Next, if it’s a business address, you’ll see listings from business directories, Google My Business, Yelp, or even the company’s website.
- You may also find results from real estate websites as well.
- Pay attention to local news pages that pop up on your search. These might contain information about weddings, fairs, and other events that may yield details about the owner’s name.
- You may also find connections to forums or social media posts about individuals at that location.
Search on Social Media Platforms
You can also search directly on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. However, this may only work in a limited manner. You may only be able to find posts tagged at that location. But if the address is used by a business or public individual, your search results might be much better.
FAQ
Can I see who used to live at my address?
You can check out who used to live at your address using tools like Whitepages, TruePeopleSearch, and more. These websites allow you to carry out a reverse address lookup and access details about previous owners, and any criminal records associated with that address, amongst other crucial information.
How to find county by address?
You can find county by address using Google search and the keyword “name of county” + website. Alternatively, you can enter the full address into Google to uncover details about the county. Using this, check the county’s website where you may find information about property details and ownership information.
How to find zip code by address?
Enter the zip code into Google search to find counties or cities associated with that zipcode. Alternatively, use the USPS zip code by address finder to see the accurate cities covered. Using this information, you can match a proper street address to refine your reverse address lookup using tools like Whitepages, and Truepeoplesearch.
How do I find someone’s address?
MLocator is a fantastic real-time tool that can streamline your reverse address lookup. Using its phone number lookup solution, you can quickly uncover the actual address behind that phone number. That way, you know precisely where they are before verifying ownership, background data, and criminal records associated with their address.
Wrap Up
All through this article, we’ve provided tips and pointers on how you can carry out a reverse address lookup in no time. From websites like Whitepages to targeted tools like MLocator, you have an arsenal of unique ways to find any valuable information you need about any street or house address.