Deed-transfer activity by ZIP

Deed of trust

3-party security instrument (borrower, lender, trustee) used in lieu of mortgages in 30+ US states.

Easement

Recorded right of one party to use another's land for a specific purpose — utility, access, conservation, etc.

Encumbrance

Any claim or restriction on a property's title that may diminish its value — liens, easements, deed restrictions, encroachments.

Lien

Legal claim against property to secure debt — mortgage liens, mechanic's liens, tax liens, judgment liens.

FHFA conforming loan limit

Annual maximum mortgage-loan amount eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac — varies by county.

1031 exchange (like-kind exchange)

IRS provision allowing deferral of capital-gains tax when investment property is exchanged for another investment property within 180 days.

Section 121 (capital gains exclusion)

IRS exclusion: $250k single / $500k married of capital gains on sale of primary residence if owned + occupied 2 of last 5 years.

FHFA House Price Index (HPI)

Federal Housing Finance Agency's quarterly + monthly index of US single-family home prices, calculated from millions of repeat sales + refinance transactions of mortgages backed by Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.

FBI UCR and NIBRS — what crime statistics actually show (and don't)

The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and its successor NIBRS aggregate crime data from local agencies. Plain-English guide to what gets reported, what doesn't, and how to read the numbers.

Property tax millage — what 'mill' means and how your bill is computed

Plain-English guide to property tax millage rates, assessment ratios, and homestead exemptions. How county assessors compute your annual property tax bill.

How to Find Your School District by Address (and Confirm the Boundary)

Find which school district any address belongs to, confirm the exact boundary, and see why one street can split between two districts. A plain how-to.

Deed records — what they show and what they don't

Plain-English guide to county deed records: what gets filed, how to look up a property's history, and why zipradar aggregates only counts (never owner names).

Zoning codes — what R-1, C-2, M-1, MU mean and why your house is one

Plain-English guide to common US zoning codes: R-1 / R-2 / C-1 / C-2 / M-1 / MU. Why zoning matters for your home, your neighbors, and what you can build.

Homestead exemption — state-by-state property tax savings

Every US state offers a homestead exemption that reduces property tax for owner-occupied homes. State-by-state amounts and how to file.

Reading FBI UCR national crime trends — what 2020–2025 actually shows

Plain-English guide to recent US crime data: the 2020 spike, the 2021–2024 normalization, and how the UCR-to-NIBRS transition complicates year-over-year reads.

County assessor data — how millage rates and assessments actually combine

Property tax = assessment × millage rate, but the math has caveats. Here's how zipradar pulls + normalizes county assessor data across the top 50 metros.

Deed activity by ZIP — what aggregated transfers tell you about market trends

County recorders log every deed transfer. Aggregated to ZIP-level counts, the data reveals turnover, foreclosure pressure, and market temperature — without exposing PII.

County recorder vs. county assessor — they sound the same, they're not

The recorder publishes deeds and mortgages. The assessor publishes valuations and tax bills. Different offices, different data, different mistakes — here's how to read both.

Title insurance — what it actually covers, why it's a one-time premium, and why you can't skip it

Title insurance protects against ownership claims that surface after closing. One-time premium ($1,000-3,000). Lender's vs owner's policy. Here's the reality.

Closing day — what actually happens + the documents you'll sign

First-time buyer closing-day reality. The 30+ documents, the wire-fraud risk, the final walk-through, and what to bring. 1-3 hours typical.

Abandoned property + tax sales — buying via county auction

How county tax-lien and tax-deed sales work, redemption rights, due-diligence pitfalls, and the differences between tax-lien states and tax-deed states.

Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment — when you need one, what it costs, what it finds

A Phase 1 ESA is the standard environmental due-diligence for commercial real estate + some residential. Plain-English guide to when one is required, what it covers, and the $1,500-5,000 cost.

Property tax appeal — how to win one, when it's worth your time, and what assessors won't tell you

60-70% of property-tax appeals succeed when properly documented. Plain-English guide to the appeal process, evidence that wins, and when the $1-2k consultant fee pays off.

Buying a foreclosure or short sale — what's different, what's risky, and what you need to verify

Foreclosures + short sales can save 5-30% but bring inspection access limits, title defects, deferred maintenance, and 3-9 month closing delays. Plain-English buyer guide.

Easements + rights of way — how the legal markings on your survey actually affect what you can build

Utility easements, drainage easements, ingress/egress, and conservation easements each restrict different building rights on your parcel. Plain-English buyer guide with survey-reading tips.