Frequently Asked Questions

Record Information Services, Inc. has provided a wide variety of public and marketing-oriented data for the Chicago land area for over 25 years. Our mission is to offer the most current public record and marketing information available, including databases of new homeowners, new businesses, new and previously recorded mortgages, bankruptcies and foreclosures plus much more.

When a buyer purchases real estate from a seller, and a deed (a legal document) is executed or transferred, this document becomes a permanent part of the public record.

The information found in the real estate transactions that you read in the newspaper or online is generated from the deed document. The purchase price is calculated strictly from the deed document and the transfer fee, not from the purchase price recorded by agents. The fee is generally a set amount per $1,000 transferred and varies by community. The transfer fee on the deed generally reflects the accurate purchase price of the property.

There are many exemptions and conditions that may increase or reduce the fee charged when the document is recorded. For example, if someone executes a quitclaim deed or trust, the fee for that transaction could be less than the fee for a normal transaction.

Absolutely not. Most newspapers run real estate transactions for reader interest. There is no binding or legal requirement to publish real estate transactions for reader interest. If there is a price difference that you are aware of, do not worry. It will have no effect on your property taxes or any aspect of your property.

Real estate transactions, like many other categories of information, fall into the public record that has existed since the birth of our nation. Bankruptcies, foreclosures, and many other forms of legal filings are all part of the public record.

Public records are picked up by thousands of companies across the country and abroad. Many newspapers publish complete lists of real estate transactions. Sometimes space is limited and not all transactions can be published. Regardless of your transaction being published or not, it will still be part of the public record.

Many people set up trusts in an effort to maintain privacy on certain information about a transaction. A trust designates another representative, such as a bank or trust company, that is the name recorder on the deed for all pertinent documents. If you feel this is an option for you, please contact your attorney.

Presenting public records requires keypunching data, so there's always the possibility that the information may be typed incorrectly. Mistakes may originate on the county level or with companies working from print records.

The best option is first to verify the information with the county recorder's office in which the property was sold. They may ask you to come in to accomplish this. It is always a good idea to double check this information. Just as it is good to look at your credit report periodically, it is a good idea to check your public records for mistakes.

Here is a list of all the county recorder offices and their contact information for your convenience:

Transaction information is provided by Record Information Services, Inc., providers of public record and marketing data throughout Chicago. Record Information Service's lists include real estate transactions, mortgages, businesses, newly filed bankruptcies, foreclosures, judgments and lis pendens, building permits, state and federal tax liens, divorces, mechanic liens, felonies, criminal misdemeanors, felonies, DUIs, suspended & revoked licenses, and forcible detainers.

To learn how to access downloadable lists of public records, please call 630-557-1000, visit Record Information Services' Web site at public-record.com or send e-mail to .

DISCLAIMER:

Record Information Services is a for-profit company, and not a government agency. The information provided is gathered from Illinois counties, the State of Illinois, and federal government public record sources. The information is considered reliable, but is only as good as the public record. The accuracy and completeness of the information contained in the company's databases or reports will not be guaranteed by Record Information Services. Record Information Services is not responsible for incomplete or inaccurate information. No part of this online service or any other reports produced by Record Information Services may be reproduced, resold, or transmitted in any form without the express written consent of Record Information Services.