A property bought with cash last year has no mortgage, but its owner isn't a long-time holder. Lists that don't separate them waste mail.
Free list · Free and clear owners
Free and clear property list: owners with no mortgage.
Spur finds every property in your zip with no open mortgage on record, shows its value and how long it's been owned, and adds the owner's phone and email. These owners can sell, carry a note, or borrow on their own terms.
Free forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
See what’s in the list ↓Zip 32808 · Orlando, FL1,964 free and clear properties
Live searchNo mortgageAbsenteeOwned 15+ yrs
- Ernest B.5311 Satel DrOwned 26 yrs
- Lourdes M.4418 Silver Star RdOwned 19 yrs
- Willis Trust3126 Pembrook DrOwned 31 yrs
Phone + email found for 3 of 3Export CSV
Lourdes M. scanned your postcard · 7 min ago
Free to pull · Owner contact in 1 click
No open loanon record, so the owner holds 100%
Terms-readyseller financing and creative deals
Owned 15+ yrsmost free and clear owners held a long time
The problem
Free and clear owners are valuable, and easy to get wrong.
Some lists miss lines of credit. If a recorded loan exists, it's not free and clear.
Owners with no mortgage don't need a quick cash offer. They want terms, income, or a fair price.
What's in the list
What's on a free and clear list in Spur.
A property is free and clear when no open mortgage or lien is recorded against it. Spur adds the context you need to separate long-time owners from recent cash buyers.
1,964free and clear properties in one zip
1,201owned 15 years or more
432owned 15+ years and absentee
Fields on every record
- Mortgage status
- No open first or second loan on record.
- Estimated value
- The full value is the owner's equity.
- Years owned
- Separates long-time owners from recent cash buyers.
- Purchase type
- Whether the last purchase was financed or cash.
- Occupancy
- Owner-occupied or absentee.
- Owner type
- Individual, trust, estate, or company.
- Property details
- Type, units, size, and year built.
- Owner contact
- Phone and email through enrichment.
Example counts from one Orlando zip. Free and clear rates are highest in older neighborhoods.
Sample list
A sample free and clear list
Absentee-owned rentals with no mortgage, owned 15 years or more.
Zip 32808No mortgageAbsenteeOwned 15+ yrs
| Owner | Property | Est. value | Owner lives in | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willis Trust | 3126 Pembrook Dr | $298,000 | Winter Park, FL | 31 yrs |
| Ernest B. | 5311 Satel Dr | $276,000 | Ocala, FL | 26 yrs |
| Lourdes M. | 4418 Silver Star Rd | $315,000 | Miami, FL | 19 yrs |
| Howard & Jean C. | 2809 Balboa Dr | $264,000 | Asheville, NC | 23 yrs |
| Albert N. | 6024 Westgate Dr | $341,000 | Savannah, GA | 17 yrs |
| Shirley O. | 4730 Lake Orlando Pkwy | $289,000 | Tampa, FL | 21 yrs |
Sample data for illustration. Names are partly masked; your results depend on your market and filters.
How it works
From zip code to mailbox in one workflow.
Five steps from paid-off property to a terms conversation.
app.usespur.com
How to work this list
How to work a free and clear list.
Owners with no mortgage have the most options. These plays show how to offer the right one.
- 1Offer seller financing
Owners who'd rather have monthly income than a lump sum are ideal for carry-back deals.
Seller finance leads play → - 2Reach paid-off landlords
Absentee, free and clear rentals are often owned by landlords nearing retirement.
Free and clear owners play → - 3Talk to tired landlords
Long-held, paid-off rentals and tired owners go together.
Tired landlord play →
Guide
What free and clear means, and why these owners matter
A free and clear property has no mortgage or other voluntary lien against it. The owner holds 100% of the equity. According to Census Bureau survey data, roughly four in ten owner-occupied homes in the US have no mortgage, and the share is higher among long-time owners and older homeowners.
A free and clear list is built from county records by finding properties with no open loan recorded. The details matter. A good list counts second mortgages and home equity lines as well as first mortgages, and separates owners who paid off a loan over decades from investors who bought with cash recently. Both are technically free and clear, but they're very different conversations.
Long-time free and clear owners are some of the best prospects for creative deals. With no lender to pay off, they can sell on seller-financed terms: you make a down payment and pay them monthly, often with interest that beats what they'd earn elsewhere. For a retiring landlord, that turns a rental with tenant headaches into steady income. Investors buy without bank financing; owners spread out capital gains.
Free and clear owners aren't usually in a hurry. They don't face foreclosure or payment pressure, so lowball cash offers rarely work. Letters that respect what they've built, explain terms options, and leave the door open for later get better responses. Expect to follow up over several months.
Agents and lenders use the same list differently: agents for downsizing and retirement conversations, lenders for cash-out loans to owners who want to fund a project or another purchase.
The reverse error happens too. When a loan is paid off, the lender is supposed to record a release, called a satisfaction of mortgage or reconveyance. Sometimes that release is recorded late or never, so a paid-off home still looks mortgaged. If an owner of 30 years shows a small, very old open loan, it may already be paid. Those owners are worth including, and a quick conversation will confirm it.
34×return on a year of Spur Team from one $20,000 deal
One seller-financed deal can pay for a decade of Spur.
- Spur Team: $588/yr billed annually
- Mail 250 long-held free and clear owners × 4 touches = 1,000 postcards at $1.09 = $1,090
- One $20,000 deal = 34× your subscription
Example math. Deal size and response rates vary by market. Run your own numbers →
List + outreach in one
Spur vs. buying a free and clear list
What you needBuying a listSpur
No-mortgage propertiesPaid per record from a list broker✓ Built in
Second loans and HELOCs countedOften missed✓ Built in
Recent cash buyers filtered outMixed into the list✓ Built in
Owner phone and emailSeparate skip trace✓ Built in
Terms letters and mailingOne template for everyone✓ Built in
FAQ
Free and Clear List questions
What does free and clear mean in real estate?
The property has no mortgage or voluntary lien. The owner owns it outright and holds 100% of the equity.
How do I find free and clear properties?
Search any zip in Spur with the no-mortgage filter. Add years owned to focus on long-time owners rather than recent cash buyers.
Why target free and clear owners?
They have the most flexibility: they can sell at a fair price, carry a note with seller financing, or borrow against the property.
How many homes are free and clear?
Census survey data shows roughly four in ten owner-occupied homes have no mortgage. The share varies by neighborhood and owner age.
Can a free and clear property still have liens?
It can have involuntary liens, such as unpaid taxes or judgments. Stack the tax delinquent filter if you're looking for those owners.
Keep exploring
Related lists, plays, and guides
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Find the owners who can sell on terms.
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Free forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
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