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1. How can I trace the ownership of my property?

Ownership of a property can be traced by looking at the Recital or "Being Clause" which is found after the legal description in a deed.

2. What is the Recital or "Being Clause"?

The Recital or "Being Clause" will list the name of the persons who sold the property to the persons that sold the property to the current owner, as well as the deed book and page number or instrument number where the transaction can be found. You can continue the process, deed book to deed book, back to the original owners.

3. What is the age of my house?

It is difficult to determine the age of the house, or any buildings on a property strictly by looking at a deed. A deed is for land, not the buildings on the land, and may simply state, "and the buildings thereon," or it may state nothing about buildings at all. Looking up the architectural style may help you determine the time period it was built.

4. Can genealogy searches be done in the Recorder of Deeds office?

Genealogy searches can be done by checking past deeds and mortgages. By checking the index books to see if their name appears in either the deed or mortgage books back over the years, you can determine if relatives lived in Bucks County years ago.