Modern Artifacts for Home Decor

How to Find Out About the History of Your Home

Your home holds many memories, and not all of them may be yours. Or you may question whether your house could be haunted or contain hidden treasure. If you're wondering about checking the history of your house, get ready to learn how to uncover your home's past.

Taxpayer Assessor Online Databases

Search online for your town's taxpayer information. Once there, if your town offers an online database including every property, you might find out a lot about your home.

One tax assessor company, Vision Government Solutions, maintains online databases for states on the East Coast. Click on the state and you'll see a list of your state's towns. Some of the towns have accessible databases, and others don't. Follow prompts to take you to your property's information, including previous owners.

Hidden on Trulia's website is a list of U.S. assessor records for every state. Search for Trulia's property sitemap, and once on the page, you'll see your state listing. You'll be taken to a page with your state's counties. Keep clicking to pinpoint your search.

Some towns host online assessor databases. Once on it, type in the property address or parcel number to visit a page of information about your home.

Realtor Websites With Home Information

Finding your home's property listing, even when your home is not for sale, also offers some history. In addition to dipping into the websites of the major real estate agencies in your area to find your property, try the following sites:

• Redfin
• Zillow
• Realtor.com

Also try the Multiple Listing Service site directly. Head to MLS.com and you'll see a map of the United States. You might find the history of your neighborhood or a home next door that may be for sale or in foreclosure, which could give you some hints about your own home.

Finding Out About Your Home's Hauntings

Head to DiedInHouse.com, a website that keeps a database of people who have died in properties. The site may be able to tell you if someone actually died in your home. There's a nominal fee to see the information.

Dig Up Land Records and Historical Maps

If you're a genealogy enthusiast, you know the value of historical maps and land records. If you're new to this type of search, start at the National Archives (archives.gov) to initiate a search into your property. You'll find land transactions and even what the average cost was to build your house.

You can search for, download and enlarge historical maps of your town or neighborhood. Or go to your town hall and local library for copies.

Find Your Local Historians

Do some footwork to find the history of your home, neighborhood and town. Try the following:

• Historical societies: Your town's local historical society can target your home's history. Head to PreservationDirectory.com to find a database of local historic organizations.
• Real estate agents: Try calling a real estate agency to help you locate information on your home's history.
• Neighbors: Pick the brain of a long-time neighbor. You may be surprised with juicy details.
• Physical evidence: Consult with an architectural historian, according to ThisOldHouse.com. Researching layers of paint or wallpaper helps identify what year your house was built.

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Modern Artifacts for Home Decor

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