The 6 public record triggers that find motivated sellers before anyone else calls them
After pulling data across hundreds of thousands of county records, the sellers who actually close fastest aren't the ones responding to "We Buy Houses" mailers.
They're the ones showing up in these 6 specific filings:
1. Appointment of Substitute Trustee — This is the one most wholesalers miss. Filed in county court when foreclosure is actively moving forward (common in Texas). By the time it hits this stage the seller is running out of time and knows it.
2. Pre-Foreclosure / Lis Pendens — Everyone knows this one but most are working it too late. The window is the 30-60 days after filing before the attorneys take over.
3. Affidavit of Heirship — Heirs who inherited a property but didn't go through full probate. They want to split cash and move on. No emotional attachment to the house.
4. Probate — Slower timeline but very little competition. Most investors skip it because of the process. That's exactly why you shouldn't.
5. Sheriff's Tax Sale pending — The county has already scheduled the auction. These sellers are past motivated — they're desperate.
6. Combining signals — A property showing up in 3+ of these categories at once? That's your highest-probability lead. One phone call.
All of this is public record. County clerk, tax collector, court filings — most of it free or cheap to pull.
What triggers are you guys working that most wholesalers sleep on?