Identify and locate property owners in the field

RogerRamjet

New Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2018
Messages
16
Location
Kennewick, WA
I use an app called OnX that is very useful. It costs about $20 for your state for the first year but you can test-drive it for 7 days free! No, I don’t have any affiliation, nor do I benefit if you try it. I’m just passing along a tip.

The OnX app provides google-earth type aerial images with overlays and uses mobile phone GPS to show your precise location. The maps show property lines and legal property ownership information from the county auditors’ databases. Click on a piece of property and it brings up a page with the property owners information. Once you have the owners name, tracking them down is simplified.

I can drive down a street and instantly see who owns an interesting piece of property. It also shows all forms of state, federal, and other public land ownership. Best of all, it’s all on my smartphone.

I’ll attach a screenshot of a random neighborhood in Spokane. In areas where there is no cell coverage, I can save the map for the area I’m going to and it works great because cell phone GPS works even in areas with no cell service.
 

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I second this! (Third year user :-)
One caveat with this app is that they update their records once a year in May so always double check with the county, as a recent sale or transfer may not have registered. However, should you encounter an inconsistency, you can report it to them and they will update it after they can verify the correct taxpayer information.

Oldest coin dug- 1927 wheatie.
 
I third this. I’m a second year subscriber and find the app to be absolutely indispensable for use in the field - in fact, I liked it well enough that I upgraded to have access to several states, which is helpful since I travel a lot for work. I use the app constantly - when I drive somewhere for any reason, it’s an extreme rarity not to fire up the app to investigate an interesting property.

Not only is onX Hunt useful to quickly determine owners of private land, the app can also be used to easily identify properties that are public/city owned, verify public right-of-ways (curb stripping), etc. Well worth the price, imo.
 
I third this. I’m a second year subscriber and find the app to be absolutely indispensable for use in the field - in fact, I liked it well enough that I upgraded to have access to several states, which is helpful since I travel a lot for work. I use the app constantly - when I drive somewhere for any reason, it’s an extreme rarity not to fire up the app to investigate an interesting property.

Not only is onX Hunt useful to quickly determine owners of private land, the app can also be used to easily identify properties that are public/city owned, verify public right-of-ways (curb stripping), etc. Well worth the price, imo.

Exactly ;-)

Oldest coin dug- 1927 wheatie.
 
This looks really awesome.

Do they have every state?

Being in Rhode Island I can't drive any more than 20 miles in any direction without ending up in Mass or CT!
 
This app is pretty awesome and definitely saves some time on the research end. I'm currently using the free trial and will probably pop for the year subscription. BUT... does anyone have any tips for getting current contact info? That seems to be where I run into a wall. Once I have the name and address an internet search will often turn up a number. Unfortunately so far those numbers get me nowhere... they're usually disconnected or outdated.

Of course if the place is a residence then sure I'll knock. But when dealing with large plots of farm land I see they're often owned by a trust or a company of some type or another and I'm not having any luck making contact. Any tips?
 
Thats Cool! It would be VERY handy to know who the Property owner is! Then, a guy can follow them on Facebook, get to know everything about them! Find out when they will be out of town on vacation or off at work or out to dinner on their anniversary, or off at a wedding, or at Church etc...Even get to know the dogs name! Everything! This way, ya see, a guy can make a plan to efficiently hunt their place without the trouble of asking! I love it! Site Research is the Key to success in our Sport, and this amazing site you mentioned is Awesome!!

Why bother people asking for permission if you dont have to? Its just not polite...We dont want to give the Sport a bad name by bothering folks about digging up their yard!..plus, a guy can get the backdoor key from under the garden gnome by the hydrengas, Toss Bruiser a nice little treat with a Benadryl center....Go into the house and have a nice peaceful sitdown in the master bedroom water closet that was just completely upgraded, and maybe try a slice of Aunt Mags blueberry pie sitting there on the counter? Then, flip the whole pie pan on the floor for Bruiser to get blamed for it!...Hell, go ahead and wipe a booger on the brand new lampshade in the living room..let that damned Percy get the whooping he deserves!! Then, go back out and hunt for a little more, or go on down the road to the next one! Or crash the McManus' Kids Wedding reception a few blocks over for free drinks and grub! "I'm Uncle Neds Kid"! You just cant wing it anymore! You really gotta know and do the Research!!.

Looking at the Satellite picture you posted....I'd deff stay away from 'Gary Gunnings' place!..Fake Name! Plus satellite imagery evidence of a Big damn dog tearing up the yard on a 1/2" 30foot chain!! Open shooting lane, and outback trailers to keep you in as a hostage if captured! I think that ones a trap!:laughing:

I'd not hunt Gary Gunnings place for no damned free blueberry pie! Unless of course I came in through Suzanne J Savalls...Thats intriguing to me......She may be a rich Young Widow who is attracted to old Fat married guys! I dont know, havnt checked her FB page yet, but if she does, and likes walks on the beach and footrubs etc, Freaking Paydirt! :laughing::laughing:
 
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Out here we have "Athena", which gives you the same sort of information. If you have something similar available, you can save the money....if not, then it seems to be well worth it
 
.... Find out when they will be out of town on vacation or off at work or out to dinner on their anniversary, or off at a wedding, or at Church etc...Even get to know the dogs name! ....

I would love to have your creative writing wit :roll:
 
It would be a good thing to easily find all the foreclosed and vacant/abandoned properties.....No permission to ask for at all! Especially for people that travel and have to stay at an expensive Hotel....A guy could just move right in and squat! Sorta like a Air BnB, only Free! Oh the rampant Possibilities this OnX app affords!!

Its sorta creepy to see those names and properties identified...A fellow bent on iniquity could use this info for all sorts of unlimited nefariousness...
 
It's telling me 30$/yr but this is pretty amazing. Usually I do the same thing by looking up the GIS maps for whatever county I'm looking at going nearby but there are some that don't have the GIS data public on their websites yet. This seems to have them all. Thanks, pretty great app.
 
It would be a good thing to easily find all the foreclosed and vacant/abandoned properties.....No permission to ask for at all! Especially for people that travel and have to stay at an expensive Hotel....A guy could just move right in and squat! Sorta like a Air BnB, only Free! Oh the rampant Possibilities this OnX app affords!!

Its sorta creepy to see those names and properties identified...A fellow bent on iniquity could use this info for all sorts of unlimited nefariousness...

Amazing, huh. Have you seen this internet thing everybody is talking about? All kinds of crazy stuff going on there.
 
Thanks for sharing info about OnX. I installed the trial version and will be upgrading right away. Love it :)
 
Thanks for sharing info about OnX. I installed the trial version and will be upgrading right away. Love it :)

Actually you may want to wait until the trial expires. Mine just expired today and I got an automatic e-mail when it expired for 20% off to upgrade to premium. Good deal.
 
Actually you may want to wait until the trial expires. Mine just expired today and I got an automatic e-mail when it expired for 20% off to upgrade to premium. Good deal.

Darn, I went ahead and updated yesterday. But thanks for sharing, hopefully others will be able to take advantage of the discount.
 
I paid full price but it's worth every penny. So many small towns around here have a bunch of vacant lots. Now it's just so easy to see if they're still private property or owned by the city. Opens up a lot of new areas to hunt.
 
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