How to Access Property Records in Delaware

Delaware property records are essential to the real estate market and local government. They keep track of property transfers and owners and are created by attorneys, title companies, realtors, appraisers, tax officials, local government offices, and private companies.

Modern technology makes searching for property records easier. Property records come in handy in many situations. You have some options available when searching for Delaware property records. Try these methods below to see what works for you.

Government Sources

Unfortunately, property records are not stored in one easy-to-find location. They are spread across many agencies, offices, companies, and entities.

If you want to file a new deed after buying a house in Delaware, you will contact the local county recorder of deeds in the county where the property is located. If you moved to New Castle, you would contact their recorder of deeds office. You can read more about that on their website.

The billing division in each county issues property tax bills to homeowners and collects payments. Sussex County has more information on who to contact with tax issues. The Delaware Division of Revenue oversees all local tax officials and approves county tax assessments. They also administrate overdue taxes and property tax liens.

If you want to renovate your home, build a new one, or demolish something, you must first obtain a building permit. To apply, you can do so in Delaware by contacting the building inspector's office at the county level or the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation.

When public records become too massive, states like Delaware move older ones to an archive area to accommodate new records. The Delaware Public Archives maintains all the state's older records, which you can access through this organization.

Online

Many Delaware property records reside online on government websites like county recorder's offices and county websites. Visit each site to see if they have a search portal where you can find records and download copies. You may have to pay a fee for downloading.

In Person

Part of the responsibility of the recorder of deeds in Delaware is to provide public access to property records. During regular business hours, guests can request records. If you need copies, they will charge you a small fee. Some counties also store their records online, so you can search for them there. Here are all of Delaware's county websites to get you started.

• Kent County
• New Castle County
• Sussex County

Due to its small size, Delaware has only three counties. You can narrow your records search by visiting any of the three county websites or recorder of deeds offices.

Property records are official legal documents that provide information about real property and its owners. Much of the information overlaps, but some contain specific details not found anywhere else. It's best to collect them all if you want to know the entire story behind the property.

Delaware views property records and land records as the same thing. Instead of a dedicated website, you must visit the local county recorder of deeds, tax, building offices, or other locations to request records and perform searches.

When searching, you will find many different types of property records for Delaware homes. Some overlap with the information, but viewing them all is essential to get what you need. Some of the most common types of property records in Delaware are as follows:

Owning a piece of the Diamond State is pure heaven, but it comes with some responsibilities. You must maintain the property to keep its value up and pay your mortgage, interest, and taxes on time. When you purchase property, your name is listed on public property records.

There are many situations where you might need to find the owner of a particular property. You can look up for homeowners online or contact the local county recorder of deeds in the county where the property resides and asking for a copy of the most recent deed. That will tell you who owns it and when they bought it.

Sometimes, you just want to know when a house was built. You can find out easily by contacting the county's recorder of the deeds office or building inspector and asking to see the first-ever building permit. That will show you when it was built and who bought it.

Ownership History Records

Properties do not just change hands through sales. Often, someone inherits property after a family member dies. Sometimes, people gift property to others while they are still alive. In rare cases, a person may sign over the deed to their property to pay off a debt or avoid foreclosure.

What is a Chain of Title?

The chain of title is a list of all owners since the beginning. This list is documented through deeds with each county's Delaware recorder's office. These records are public and accessible by anyone at any time.

Real estate transactions are when property records really shine. They provide a solid foundation for the sale. Before the purchase, buyers, realtors, title companies, and attorneys consult property records to gather information about the property. During the sale, more records are created to replace older ones.

Before buying property in Delaware, you should learn as much as possible about it. Property records can provide information about a specific property, such as its value, taxes, insurance, and other details, that can help you make an informed decision.

When selling property in Delaware, you must disclose any material defects about the house that you are aware of. For example, if the roof is falling apart or the leach field is failing, you must tell any potential buyers. You can use property records to fill in any blanks for things you don't know about.

If you borrow money from a bank to buy the house, they will require that you purchase title insurance to protect them and you from any legal claims on the property after the sale. Your title company or attorney will perform a property title search to look for any issues before closing.

Why Property Values Are Important in Real Estate Transactions

Property values can tell you a lot about the property, the local real estate market, and whether you can afford to buy it. These values can change rapidly with dips in the real estate market, a spike in interest rates, or other economic factors. Property values appear readily in property records. Most often, you will see the fair market value (FMV). The median home price in Delaware is $388,199.

Local tax officials use tax assessments to determine the value of a property and set tax rates. Each homeowner must pay their fair share. These assessments do not necessarily match the fair market value, and tax assessors use county-approved calculations to derive the value.

Appraisers use various methods of forming an opinion about a property. They strive to achieve fair market value. These values are used for mortgages, estate planning, and court valuations.

What Factors Determine Property Values in Delaware

The factors that determine property values in Delaware include:

Each county has a system for recording documents, filing them, and maintaining archives. The one thing they all have in common is that when a new document comes in, they stamp it with the date, time, and code for filing so they can find it easily later.

It's your responsibility to keep your property records updated and correct. No one will do it for you. The agency that holds your records won't be alerted to any life changes or update them without your request.

Some property records contain errors. If you notice that yours isn't correct, contact the county recorder of deeds or another office and ask them to fix it. You will have to supply documentation proving the error before they will correct it.

You should also update property records when someone dies. Bring the person's death certificate, will, and any court documents about their estate to the county recorder of deeds office and ask them to draft a new will in the new owner's name. The will must be notarized and witnessed.

If you get married or divorced, you will also want to change your name in property records. You can bring your marriage certificate or divorce decree to the local recorder of deeds office and ask them to update it. You may have to pay a nominal fee to change it.

Each county recorder of deeds holds a vital role in the community. They are fully responsible for all land transaction records, corporate filings, and financing statements. Some of the items they record and store are:

• Deeds and deed restrictions
• Easements
• Federal tax liens
• Mortgages, partial releases of mortgages, satisfaction of mortgages, and assignments
• Plot plans

There is no privacy when it comes to public records. If you purchase property, you cannot keep it a secret. Your name and address, plus other information, will appear in public property records.

The internet has made accessing public property records easier. Anyone can conduct a property history search to learn much about a property. They can also visit county recorders of deeds, building inspectors, or tax offices to obtain copies of records.

Property records are public for two crucial reasons. First, they protect and preserve the public chain of title, detailing every owner since the first one. Second, it prevents any one government office from becoming too powerful and having too much control over the people.

You can't remove all your information from public property records. However, you can minimize your exposure to fraud and identity theft by contacting the agencies with your records and asking them to remove anything beyond your name and address.