eSolutions Foreclosure Search Best Practices Guide
updated January 2010 for AZ users
Frequently Asked Questions
Search Tips
Sub-Division Searches
Q: Why do I get “no results” found?
A: Check the following conditions: Widen the City Search by using Regions (if available). Widen the City Search by including all spelling variations (i.e. CHADLER, CHANDLE, CHANDLER, etc.). Widen the Default and Loan Amounts. Widen the Record Type Date Range.
Q: Why do the Recording Dates vary from county to county?
A: County Recorders update their records with varying frequency from one county to the next. Our records reflect the most up to date information available from each county covered.
Q: Can I search by both City and Zip Code?
A: Yes, so long as the Zip Codes and Cities you select correspond with each other. For example, if you select Tempe, AZ, the zip codes should any combination of 85280, 85281, 85282, 85283, 85284, 85285, 85287, or 85289.
Q: How can I Track a Change in Record Type for a specific property?
A: Locate and Click the “track” link under E-Mail Update in search results. This option allows users to receive automatic e-mail notifications when a property changes from a status of NOT to REO.
To get started, users simply click on the "track" link under the E-mail Update column of their search results and that property is then added to their tracking list. From there, e-mails are automatically sent to the user when the status of that property changes.
Q: How can I sort my results?
A: Click a Column Headings to sort ascending or descending. For example, to sort by Recording Date, click the column heading once to sort from the newest to oldest record. Click the column heading again to sort from oldest to newest.
Q: How come I can’t find records for a specific address?
A: Try reducing the amount of information in your query. For example, use just the numeric portion of the address (i.e. 1245, instead of 1245 Maple St.), and don’t include city or zip code information. Widen the record search to include all record types as well as expand the age of the records.
Q: How do I download my results into Microsoft Excel for filtering and sorting?
A: Select Excel from the Run Report dropdown list. Click Run Report. Select Save from the file Download dialogue. Provide a file location (i.e. Desktop, etc.). Rename file if necessary. Click Save. Open Microsoft Excel, click the File dropdown menu, select Open…, change File Type to “All Files,” locate and select your saved file, and click Open.
Q: How come my Excel report is limited to 250 records per day?
A: Our system has been configured to limit the output of “Excel,” “Excel (for Mail Merges),” “TopProducer,” “The Wise Agent,” and “IMPACT2000” to a maximum of 250 records per day. This was done to provide more consistent system availability to all users and prevent “data hording.”
Q: What report types are NOT affected by the 250 record-per-day limitation?
A: Word, PDF, and Mailing Labels (Avery 5160).
Q: How can I work around the 250 record-per-day limitation?
A: Try further refinement of your search criteria to produce 250 or fewer records. This can include, but is not limited to, selecting specific cities and zip codes, selecting specific property types, selecting specific record types, and tightening the record date range.
Q: How do I download my results into PDF format?
A: Select PDF from the Run Report dropdown list. Click Run Report. Select Save from the File Download dialogue. Provide a file location (i.e. Desktop, etc.) Rename file if necessary. Click Save. The PDF file format is the easiest method to share your search results by email.
Q: How do I download my results into Avery 5160 mailing labels?
A: Select “Mailing Labels (Avery 5160)” from the Run Report dropdown list. Click Run Report. Select Save from the File Download dialogue. Provide a file location (i.e. Desktop, etc.) Rename file if necessary. Click Save. Using Avery 5160 compatible label sheets, you can generate mailing labels directly through your printer.
Q: How do I download my results into other mailing labels?
A: Select “Excel (for Mail Merges)” from the Run Report dropdown list. Click Run Report. Select Save from the File Download dialogue. Provide a file location (i.e. Desktop, etc.). Rename file if necessary. Click Save. Using the Mail Merge function in Microsoft Word, pull the newly saved “Excel (for Mail Merges)” file into the merge operation as the data source file. For more information, refer to the Mail Merge operation later in this guide.
Q: How do I download my results into an Impact2000 compatible file?
A: Select IMPACT2000 from the Run Report dropdown list. Click Run Report. Select Save from the File Download dialogue. Provide a file location (i.e. Desktop, etc.) Rename file if necessary. Click Save.
Q: How do I download my results into a TopProducer compatible file?
A: Select TopProducer from the Run Report dropdown list. Click Run Report. Select Save from the File Download dialogue. Provide a file location (i.e. Desktop, etc.) Rename file if necessary. Click Save.
Q: What is an NOT?
A: Notice of Trustee: A written document that sets forth the day, date and time of the trustee's sale, describes the property to be sold and gives an estimate of the unpaid debt as of the first publication debt.
Q: What is an REO?
A: Real Estate Owned: Property that is in the possession of a lender as a result of foreclosure or forfeiture.
Q: How is the Opening Bid amount determined in an NOT record?
A: The Opening Bid amount is entered into the Notice of Trustee sales record and includes Outstanding Loan Amount plus Default Amount plus Trustee and Legal Fees.
Q: How is the LTV Field Determined?
A: For the Current LTV, an AVM (automated valuation model) is run on every property every 3 months (last update was in May). Then the 1st and the 2nd is calculated against the current AVM value in order to get a Current LTV. The Original LTV is calculated at the time of purchase. It takes the purchase value and calculated it against the 1st Trust Deed only, however we are looking to change that logic to calculate it with the 1st and the 2nd if a second is taken out on the purchase date.
Q: When including Cities in my Foreclosure search, sometimes several spellings for the same city appear. Why is this?
A: The Cities list is populated from original County Recorder listing information and can contain misspellings generated by county staff. In order to capture all available listings under a particular city, be sure to select the misspelled cities in addition to those spelled correctly.
Q: How can I be sure a trustee sale will proceed according to the schedule indicated in my NOT search results?
A: Trustees may reschedule an auction from time to time. It is best to contact the Trustee directly using the contact information including in the NOT records.
Q: Can I search for Trustee Sales scheduled for tomorrow or next week?
A: Yes! Use the Auction Date calendar to indicate the range of scheduled auctions recorded in the NOT records. For example, if you’re looking to attend auctions next week, set the Auction Date range by clicking the first calendar icon and select the first date in your range Next, click the second calendar icon and select the last date in your range.
NOTES:
Using the date range function as described here works best for NOT Record Types as defined later in the search parameters.
Since NOT recording requirements stipulate a 90 day public notice period, the date range will only go out that far and no further.
Partial Information Searches Used to compensate for errors in county records.
Address Field
a. Numerical Search (i.e. “123” instead of “123 Main St.”)
b. Street Name Search (i.e. “Main” instead of “Main St.”)
c. Partial Word Search (i.e. “Brad” instead of “Bradford”)
Name Field
a. Partial Word Search (i.e. “Brad” instead of “Bradley”)
Lender Field
a. Partial Word Search (i.e. “China” instead of “Chinabank”)
APN Field
a. Requires specific record number with correct dashes and spaces
(i.e. “070-0180-002” instead of “070 0180 002” or “0700180002”)
Notice of Trustee Sale (NOT) – 60 day default date range
a. Extend Start Date beyond 60 days to expand search results
Real Estate Owned (REO) – 30 day default date range
a. Extend Start Date beyond 30 days to expand search results
Recording Dates – indicate the newest records contained in the database
The record type “thru” date indicates the latest records obtained from the county recorder’s office for the selected county.
For example, if the “thru” date is 10/01/2008 and your search date is 10/06/2008, the local county has not yet released records for 10/02/2008 through 10/06/2008.
Records are updated daily and represent what counties have prepared and made available online.
Modified Search – used to make adjustments to a search already performed
Select “Modify Search” in order to make subtle changes to your search until you obtained the data you want.
- Begin a new or saved foreclosure search.
- Select the County to search within.
- Select the City and/or ZipCode.
- Select a specific sub-division (or multiple sub-divisions) from the SubDivision dropdown list.
NOTE: Available sub-divisions are not indexed to specific Cities or ZipCodes. To effectively use this feature, you'll need to be familiar with the sub-division you're searching within. For example, if you locate a specific property of interest, simply check the "SubDivision" field under Property Information. Then use that SubDivision name in a new or modified search.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Lawyers Title eSolutions Support Center.