That's where a public records search comes in handy — by poring over thousands of public documents, including mortgages, attachments, and liens, and permitting information.

If you own property, your name, address, purchase price and mortgage status are all on public record, and by law anyone can see them. In fact, it’s all online, so you don’t even need to be in ...

Ever wonder what was going on behind the construction fence that cropped up around the vacant lot near your house? Here's how to find out what it is.