At the legal luncheon, a question asked what a Realtor should do if they found information on the state’s lead paint registry that is different than what the seller has shared on the lead paint disclosure form … and the lawyers were all clear that the Realtor should be disclosing this material defect as soon as known, regardless of what the seller says…. although working to investigate on behalf of your client if believed to be in error is also appropriate.  The more interesting follow-up question that we have been asked is, “WHAT lead paint registry??”   Ah, as reported in March, this is one of many useful databases that buyers agents should know about (and check or tell their client to check) if the facts are of importance. Here is a quick link to these critical databases:

• Mass Lead Paint Registry: Look up the inspection history of a property by entering a street name or street name and number.
• Licensed Lead Inspectors:  Look up licensed inspectors by city/town, company name or individual.
• Contaminated Property Database:  Search over 44,000 hazardous waste sites by location, include simple spills during a fuel oil delivery and complex Superfund sites.
• Massachusetts Interactive Property Maps:  Like a google map on steroids, this system allows you to hover over parcels and see assessors data, measure distances and plots, and more!
• Massachusetts Land Records:  Find deeds, mortgages, easements, property and personal liens and much more on this robust site where you can search by owner or by location.
• Legal MA corporations:  From the Secretary of State, search for Inc., LLCs, LLPs, etc. by principal, location or name, view filings, officers etc..
• Mass GIS data:  Known as Oliver, this allows interactive searching an overlays of wetland, environmental, tax and topography layers, among many others.
• Sex Offender Registry:  A resource for buyer’s concerned about the location of sex offenders.