This video demonstrates how to find tax record information using the Public Record search in Matrix.
Transcript
Hello everyone. This tutorial is about how to use the public record search in Matrix. This function allows you to find property information based on property tax records. This type of search can be useful if you’re interested in farming an area, researching comps, or if you need details about a specific property. This video will familiarize you with the steps you’ll take to find the information you need.
From the Matrix Home page, hover over the Tax Search option. When the menu drops down click Public Record. The following page will display the criteria for searching the tax record, and they will be divided into 6 categories.
All results will be based on the most recent tax records available to us, so be sure to verify property information with the relevant county or city.
You can search based on ownership [spotlight ownership section]. This section lets you enter an owner’s name or determine if your results will be owner occupied. There is also a checkbox to search for property that is actively in foreclosure.
The location section lets you lay out where your search will cover. You can fill in any of these location fields to narrow your search. When searching for a specific address, try to remember that different parts of the address must be separated to fit the address fields. For example, 600 North 30th Street would have to be input like this. If you’d like to add another address, click ‘more.’
The county, subdivision, and school district fields are based on a list of options pulled from county records. To search the full list of options, click the dictionary lookup icon here. You can search this list to find how to properly enter the information you want to search. You can see that there is a lot of variation in how counties label subdivisions. You can expand your search by keyword searching a subdivision name as shown here.
The location section also includes a link to the map search tab which will allow you to fine tune the location of your search using the map tools. This is the best way to search for properties in a subdivision or planned community.
The Transaction Activity section allows you to select ranges for the last sale date, sale price, and the seller’s name in the latest transaction recorded by the jurisdiction.
The date field has a calendar to help you specify your dates.
The last sale field has a checkbox that determines how you’ll enter the price. When the box is checked you use the first three digits of the amount you want to search. When unchecked, you will have to enter the entire dollar amount with no commas.
Use the valuation section to search based on the RealAVM Estimate or the Assessed Value of a property.
Fields in the characteristics section search based on the tax record values for information like room counts or square footage.
The listing activity section allows you to search for tax records based on CVR MLS listing activity. You can search by MLS statuses as you would on the listing search forms. For example, you can click on Sold and then enter a date range that will search for listings that closed within a certain time. Just remember that using any fields in the listing activity section will only pull properties that have been listed in CVR MLS.
If you’d like to search based on something other than the default fields, you can use the additional fields section to include more criteria to your search. Click Add to pull up the full list of fields. Add the fields you want to include to the selected fields box then click back. You’ll see that your chosen fields now show up on the bottom of the page.
Once you’ve entered your search criteria click results to view the list of properties that match what you’re looking for. You will have 2 options in the display list by default: Tax Grid and 360 Property View. Tax grid will list the results in a view similar to a spreadsheet.
360 property view shows the full layout of the tax record. This view also includes links to quickly view comparable properties, to view the Realist tax record, and to see a Data currency report which lists how recently the information available has been updated to match the county record.
After you have selected the results you like, you can use the Actions bar at the bottom of the screen.
You can email your results. You can print your results. This is where you can print mailing labels directly based on your selection. You can generate directions. You can also export results. This is a great way of exporting owner information into a .csv file for mailing services. Additionally, you can save your criteria as a saved search for yourself or as a new speed bar shortcut. This is a good way to save time on entering criteria repeatedly. Saved searches will appear in your saved searches. Once saved, you can type your saved search shortcut into the speed bar for fast access.
