There is a myriad of reasons buyers don’t want their names associated with their home address. Certainly, celebrities or professional athletes aren’t eager to give up their home info, nor are public officials, police officers, or survivors of domestic abuse. In fact, the same applies to any homeowner who finds it unnerving that anyone with Google access can find their home address.
Whether it’s a matter of privacy or personal safety and security, keeping exactly where you live away from prying eyes is possible! It is also possible to hide a real estate purchase that is available to anyone, regardless of socioeconomic status. If you don’t want your name to pop up when someone searches real estate records, here’s how to hide your home purchase.
Ask Around in Your Network
It’s likely someone in your personal, or professional circle, has faced privacy issues when buying a home, so don’t hesitate to ask your various contacts for recommendations for real estate professionals. When you meet with those agents, ask them about their experience in keeping purchases private. Buyers who are looking for confidentiality should work with agents that show that they are taking steps to safeguard their clients and clients’ information from the very beginning.
Agents have fiduciary obligations that require them to ensure, among other things, confidentiality, obedience, care, and loyalty to the client. That’s just the legal and ethical side of it. If they are speaking about other clients freely to you in detail, that’s a red flag that they are likely doing the same about you to other clients. Do not trust that agent! So, chat with real estate professionals in your area, and discuss your privacy concerns. Be sure you feel comfortable and confident in their ability to guide you through the buying process, because having the wrong person can skew your entire purchase.
Erase Your Home’s Internet History
Most multiple listing services (MLS) require homes to be pulled off online sites within 24 hours of a closing. So, confirm with the listing agent of the home you want to buy that this duty will indeed be performed in a timely manner. Removing the listing will purge the home’s information from online systems. Then there would be only one way someone (who’s not a real estate agent with access to the MLS) could find out whether you own a property; they would have to visit your local town hall and look up real estate transactions.
Hide a Real Estate Purchase Using a Trust
People form trusts as part of estate planning. Trusts specify how assets—such as a house, money, or heirlooms—are distributed to loved ones after death without the hassle and costs of probate court. Yet trusts can also be used to hide real estate purchases. Your trust will own the home and be listed in the public records as the owner. If you have children, you should have a trust anyway. You can call the trust anything you want. Most people use their last name, however you don’t have to if you don’t want people to associate the trust’s property with your real name.
Hide a Real Estate Purchase with an LLC
Another way to maintain your privacy and keep your address out of sight is by forming a limited liability company, or an LLC. The IRS states an LLC is for a business structure, but you don’t have to own a business to form an LLC to hide your real estate purchase. Regulations vary by state, yet most states don’t restrict LLC ownership. This means an LLC can be designated to a single individual, several members, corporations, other LLCs, or even foreign entities. You can learn more about setting up an LLC by visiting the Secretary of State website. Like a trust, your LLC will be listed as the owner of your property, which means you can keep your name off the official records—and keep your privacy intact.
Contact an Attorney
In most states, you can set up a single-member LLC, but keep in mind that you might miss a few important details forming a company on your own. It is always in your best interest to speak with an attorney about how to set up a trust or an LLC correctly.
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