Orange County has partial coverage in Propertiz, and it's worth being precise about what that means. You get every parcel and owner from the Property Appraiser, code violations and code liens from both the City of Orlando and Orange County, and absentee and equity signals on every property. You don't get foreclosure filings yet. For many Orlando investors that's still a useful list, because code problems are one of the earliest public signs that an owner has stopped caring for a house.
Why code violations are worth watching in Orlando
A code case is opened when a house has an overgrown yard, an unsafe structure, junk piling up or work done without a permit. Most are fixed quickly. The ones that aren't tend to belong to owners under strain: landlords who live out of state, heirs who haven't decided what to do with a house, or owners who can't afford the repair. When fines go unpaid, the city or the county records a code lien, which stays with the property until it's paid, often at closing when the house sells.
That makes code records different from foreclosure filings. There's no deadline set by a court, so there's no rush. A code lien can sit unresolved for a long time, which gives a patient buyer room to write, follow up and be the one the owner calls when they're ready.
How Orlando leads are built
A lead needs at least one active distress signal, and in Orange County that means an open code violation or a recorded code lien. Owner traits from the Property Appraiser roll then add points:
- Absentee and out-of-state owners. The tax bill goes somewhere other than the property, and in central Florida that often means a rental owned from another state.
- No homestead exemption. The owner doesn't live there, so selling doesn't mean moving a family.
- Long ownership and estimated equity. An owner who bought long ago is more likely to have room to sell at a fair price. Equity is an estimate from sale history; refinances don't show, so treat it as a ranking hint and confirm the payoff before you offer.
Code cases in the city cover property inside Orlando's limits; county cases cover the county's own enforcement area. Other cities, such as Winter Park and Apopka, run their own code enforcement and aren't included.
What isn't in Orange County yet
- Foreclosure filings: lis pendens, final judgments and certificates of title. If you need Orlando pre-foreclosures today, our pre-foreclosure guide explains how to search the Clerk's records yourself.
- Tax-deed sales and probate filings.
Working code-violation leads
Mail to the owner's address on the Property Appraiser record. Be specific and low-key: you buy houses in their neighborhood, you can buy as-is, and you can close on their schedule. Before you offer, look up the open case and any lien amounts, because they're paid at closing. Calls and texts fall under the TCPA and the Florida Telephone Solicitation Act, so direct mail is the simplest channel. For more on owners who live elsewhere, see our guide to absentee owner lists in Florida.