Court-Record Real Estate Lead Types: The Complete Catalog

1. Pre-Foreclosure (Foreclosure Complaint / Lis Pendens)

What it is: One of the earliest public-record signals that a lender has begun foreclosure on a property. In judicial states like IN/PA/NJ/FL it is a complaint in mortgage foreclosure filed in court; where foreclosure happens outside court, the first public document differs by state (for example a recorded notice of default, or a notice of hearing or of sale). The time before a sale has no fixed length; it depends on the state's process and the case.

Why the owner may sell: The lender is forcing a clock. The homeowner is motivated by avoiding foreclosure on their credit. An investor's cash offer to buy before sheriff sale benefits both sides.

Watch out for: A bankruptcy filing under any chapter brings an automatic stay that pauses the foreclosure (11 USC § 362); confirm with an attorney. Properties owned by a company (an LLC, or a lender holding it after foreclosure) aren't workable retail leads.

2. Probate (Estate Opening)

What it is: Court filing that opens a deceased person's estate. In most states, the estate's personal representative (executor with will, administrator without) is the one who can sell estate property, sometimes only with court approval; in some states the heirs hold title and sign the deed during the probate period, which has no fixed length (state law sets steps such as the creditor-claim period, not a total).

Why the owner may sell: Heirs who live elsewhere, face carrying costs or disagree among themselves may prefer to sell. A direct offer during administration is one alternative to listing the house.

Watch out for: Estates with no real property are not investor-relevant. Joint-with-right-of-survivorship property passes outside probate.

3. Pre-Probate (Obituary-Sourced)

What it is: The window between date-of-death and the filing of probate court paperwork. It has no fixed length, and some estates never open a probate case.

Why the owner may sell: It comes before any probate court filing, so the family may not yet have decided what to do with the house.

Watch out for: Sensitivity matters most here. Outreach that looks like profiting from a death tends to backfire; many investors keep it informational and patient.

4. Divorce / Dissolution of Marriage

What it is: Case filed by either spouse to dissolve the marriage. When the couple owns property jointly, the property division is settled by agreement or decided by the court, sometimes through a sale and a split of the proceeds. The time between filing and the final decree has no fixed length; some states set a waiting period before a divorce can be final, and contested cases take longer.

Why the owner may sell: When the house has to be divided, a sale is one of the outcomes the spouses may agree to or the court may order; some sellers prefer a direct offer.

Watch out for: The deed alone does not settle it: in many states a home bought during the marriage is shared even when only one spouse is on the deed. Cases with minor children + primary residence often produce a settlement that keeps one spouse in the home.

5. Partition Action

What it is: The legal procedure by which a co-owner of real property forces a sale or physical division when the co-owners cannot agree what to do with the property. Many partition cases end in a buyout of one owner's share or a court-ordered sale.

Why the owner may sell: The plaintiff already wants out, and the other co-owners face a buyout or a court-ordered sale. A negotiated sale or buyout is one way for the co-owners to avoid a court-ordered sale.

Watch out for: Often inherited multi-heir situations.

6. Tax Sale (Pre-Sale or Post-Sale Redemption)

What it is: Property whose owner is delinquent on property taxes has been listed for tax sale (auction) or has gone through tax sale and is now in the redemption window. State-specific: IN tax sale, NJ tax-sale certificate, PA upset sale, NC tax foreclosure.

Why the owner may sell: An owner behind on property tax faces a deadline set by the state's tax sale process; some of these homes are inherited or vacant.

Watch out for: Tax sale schedules, notices and redemption rights differ by state.

7. Guardianship / Conservatorship

What it is: Court appointment of a guardian for an incapacitated adult (dementia, mental illness) or estate of a minor. When the ward owns real property, the guardian may need to sell it, for example to pay for care.

Why the owner may sell: A guardian may need to sell the ward's home to pay for care. Most states require the court to approve the sale and find that it serves the ward's interests.

Watch out for: Court approval requirement extends the timeline. Some guardianship records are confidential or restricted, depending on the state.

8. Inherited Property

What it is: A house passing to heirs through an estate. Keystone shows these with probate leads, starting from the estate filing; the heirs or the personal representative decide whether to keep, rent or sell.

Why the owner may sell: An heir may live elsewhere and have no plan to move into the property.

Watch out for: Some heirs decide to keep and rent. Out-of-state mailing addresses are one clue.

9. Eviction

What it is: A landlord's court case to remove a tenant. Keystone has eviction leads in some counties only; ask us whether a county you want is one of them.

Tired landlord: An owner who files several eviction cases may be dealing with chronic tenant problems and thinking about selling. Investors read this pattern from eviction leads; not every eviction filer is selling.

Stalled Project

What it is: A renovation or construction project the owner started and could not finish, often visible through permits without a certificate of occupancy and mechanic's lien filings.