--68.63.xxx.xxx

--70.44.xxx.xx

If you want a low budget way to do the searches there is LANDEX --24.154.xx.x

Ray, do land trust not hide this information? --73.120.xx.xxx

--68.63.xxx.xxx

Roy, I have my properties in my own name. However, I carry a lot of liability insurance on the rentals and also on my home and autos. There are advantages and disadvantages to doing it other ways, but this is the method I prefer for myself. --149.19.xx.xx

Are you an attorney? Just wondering. --68.63.xxx.xxx

I use several LLCs and sometimes trusts etc.In my small rural counties many years i am one of the bigger buyers of property volume wise and that can attract attention so i use a few different LLCs and sometimes different po box addresses etc.Everyone knows my main LLC that i use to advertise i buy houses letters etc but not many know the various names etc. When i research a house that i am considering buying we call for back taxes,i look up online to see if there are mortgages or judgments etc so i know what is going on before i start asking questions of the seller.Tax records are online for both our convenience and so the tax office doesnt get any more calls than necessary since it is time consuming to have someone answering calls all day. 6x6 a land trust can hide the info if done properly but if you use your name and address as trustee then it is right there for all to see --72.231.xxx.xxx

When you get multi-million dollar insurance policies, your insurance companies will hire the best attorneys because they don't want to pay out millions of dollars unless they have to. --99.165.xx.xxx

My insurance agent told me most insurance companies use the 'pit bull' type of lawyers. Most small claims are settled out of court but with the bigger cases, the $250.00/hour 'pit bulls' are called in. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Be a good landlord and carry a lot of liability insurance. --50.82.xxx.xxx

Speaking of public records, someone just hacked FB I read on twitter and got 350 mill peoples' data on address, personal info. --108.24.xx.xx

Does it bother you in the least that your name, address and all of the properties you own are listed online (county property tax database) for anyone to see? If someone wanted to estimate your net worth, based on the number of properties you own, they could easily do that with online property tax records. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Ally, what in the world are you doing on twitter? --70.44.xxx.xx

Roy,yes it bothers me that anyone could easily find everything i have so i make it more difficult but estimating your net worth wont happen from tax rolls,that doesnt give any idea if you have a mortgage or judgments.Anyone can look up at the county clerks office and determine the houses you own,mortgages against them,judgments against you,mortgages that others owe you etc. --72.231.xxx.xxx

If you don't want people to see your name and every property you own so they estimate your net worth, you can set up LLCs as it was noted already. Your name will not appear in anything but the Articles of Organization for the LLCs if you set it up correctly. Ask an attorney for help to set them up. Most will act as your registered agent which keeps your name out of mailings. It's smart to put your properties into separate LLCs with PO BOXES. If you have many, you might put 2-3+ together in an LLC. Is this a lot of work. Yes. Work to set it up, work to administer it, work to close it down when you sell your properties some day. Is is worth it? Yes, if you don't want to see your name and mailing address on the County website for the general public to see. Also, beneficial in that it limits your exposure in the event you are sued. If set up and managed correctly, you can usually limit your exposure to just the assets in the LLC. Good luck. --98.156.xxx.xxx

I agree with what you are saying, however, my attorney who specializes in real estate, told me all LLC's only offer a very thin veil of security. In other words, any competent attorney can pierce them and find out quickly who the owner names and addresses are. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Roy,this is correct but if a tenant gets hurt at #1 llc owned house and they do a search and only find 1 or 2 other houses owned by #1 llc and dont know that you have 3 or 4 other llc each holding 3 free and clear houses they wont find them and may make a decision to sue or not based on less than full knowledge.Also keep in mind attorneys get paid to defend you so many will give incomplete info so you have a need to come running back to them when you get sued instead of actually helping you not get sued to begin with.Also many are just not very good to start with --72.231.xxx.xxx

--199.192.xxx.xxx

When deciding to sue, I'd say an attorney is first and foremost concerned with the insurance policy. Other assets come in down the line and guess what? They aren't relying solely on public records. When you get deposed, you are going to tell (or should be telling since you'll be under oath) each and EVERY llc, partnership, corporation, etc., you are connected to, even if it's a thread tying you to any of them. --72.70.xxx.xx

Nicole,I received a letter from an attorney who i know from the auctions i attend.He did not know the LLC was me,it is owned by a partner and myself with my partners address.He was representing a tenant who moved out for a slip and fall and wanted our insurance info.We did not have insurance on that house at that time so we simply did not respond.It has been a year and nothing has happened in that timeframe.It is in a LLC with only that house and we are in the process of selling the house and then we will not use that LLC again.He is a public defender and a second rate attorney but if the house was in my personal name or even my LLC name that i use for advertising he may well have decided i had the money to make it worthwhile to go after rather than just drop it. --72.231.xxx.xxx

The reason attorneys (smart or stupid) will continue to exist on this planet is because most people (especially LL's) are absolutely terrified at the mere thought of a tenant suing them for something they did or did not do. I know many local M & P LL's who can't even handle a simple eviction only because they are so paranoid of being counter-sued by their tenant(s) that needed to evicted 4 months ago! They allow their deadbeat tenants to live rent free hoping they will move out someday. --68.63.xxx.xxx

The only way to even the playing field was to publicly disclose the taxes imposed on each landowner. --184.57.xxx.xx