deedplatState guides / Massachusetts
Massachusetts property data
Massachusetts is a little different. Deeds are recorded at 21 registry districts, so some counties have more than one registry. Property is assessed and taxed by each of the 351 cities and towns, not by the county. Here's what's public, what's hard to get, and what Deedplat puts on one map.
- 14Counties
- PublicSale prices
What you can get in Massachusetts
Massachusetts makes most property records public, including what each property sold for. The catch is that every county keeps them differently.
Public everywhere
Every county has these, and Deedplat loads them all.
- Owners and mailing addressesFrom the board of Assessors in each city and town
- Sale pricesDeeds state the price paid, and the deed excise stamps paid at recording are based on it, so sale prices are public at the Registry of Deeds.
- Deeds and mortgagesRegister of Deeds at each of the 21 registry districts
- Assessed valuesValues are adjusted every year, and the Department of Revenue must certify each city and town's values every five years.
- Tax sale listsRun county by county
- Foreclosure filings and salesCourt filings or recorded notices, depending on the route
- Lot linesCounty parcel maps
Depends on the town
Because cities and towns assess and tax property, assessor cards, tax bills, building permits and code violations are kept at city or town hall, and the Public Records Law covers them.
- Code violations and condemnations
- Building permits
- Rental registration and inspections
- Zoning maps and ordinances
- Water and sewer liens
Not public
What no office will hand over, so you know where the line is.
- Owner phone numbers and emails
- Rents and leases
- Active listingsThose live in the MLS
- Mortgage balancesThe original loan amount is recorded; what's left is not
How property changes hands here
Distressed property reaches the market through a few channels, and they differ by county.
Tax sales
The city or town treasurer takes title to tax-delinquent property through a tax taking, and the owner can redeem by paying the taxes plus interest. Interest is 8% a year on tax titles entered on or after November 1, 2024, and 16% on older ones. If the owner does not redeem, the town forecloses the right of redemption in Land Court, and since the 2024 reform it must sell through a broker or auction and pay the former owner any excess equity.
Foreclosure, two ways
Most foreclosures are non-judicial under a power of sale in the mortgage, usually after a short court case to confirm the owner is not in the military. The lender publishes notice for three weeks and holds a public auction, and there is no right to redeem after the sale.
Land banks
Massachusetts has no general law for land banks that take on blighted property; its best-known land banks, on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, buy conservation land with a transfer fee.
Transfer tax
The state deed excise is $4.56 per $1,000 of price in most counties and $6.48 per $1,000 in Barnstable County, and Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard add a 2% land bank fee on most transfers.
Worth knowing
Since November 1, 2024, a town that forecloses for unpaid taxes must sell the property through a broker or at auction and return the excess equity to the former owner. Tax-foreclosed property now usually reaches investors through those sales.
Worth knowing
The owner of a home with four or fewer units who lives there gets a 90-day right to cure before a lender can start foreclosure, so distressed residential deals move slowly.
Every county in Massachusetts
Choose any county to get started.
Questions
Are property sale prices public in Massachusetts?
Yes. Massachusetts deeds state the price paid, and the deed excise stamps are based on it. Anyone can look up the deed at the Registry of Deeds, and most town assessors also list recent sales.
How do tax sales work in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts does not hold a yearly tax sale. The town takes title through a tax taking, and the owner can pay the back taxes plus interest to get it back. If they do not, the town forecloses in Land Court and, since late 2024, must sell the property and pay the former owner any excess equity.
Where are deeds and mortgages recorded in Massachusetts?
At the Registry of Deeds. There are 21 registry districts across the 14 counties, so some counties have more than one. Registered (Land Court) land is recorded in a separate section of each registry.
How often are Massachusetts properties reassessed?
Every year. Each city and town adjusts values annually, and the Department of Revenue must certify its values every five years.
Is foreclosure judicial in Massachusetts?
Usually not. Most lenders use the power of sale in the mortgage and hold a public auction without a full court case. They usually file a short court case first to confirm the owner is not in the military.
Can I get records Deedplat doesn't have?
Yes. The Massachusetts Public Records Law lets anyone request records from cities, towns and state agencies, like assessor cards, permits and code violations. We file those requests for you, clean up the results and add them to your map.
Sources for this guide
Laws and fees change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.
- mass.gov/info-details/ask-dls-tax-title-reform-part-2
- mass.gov/info-details/ask-dls-tax-title-reform-part-3
- mass.gov/info-details/fy2025-assessment-update
- capecod.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/A-brief-History-of-the-County-Excise-Tax-in-Barnsta
- nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/massachusetts-foreclosure-laws-and-procedures.html
- nantucketlandbank.org/about/establishment/
Every parcel, on one map
Deedplat is in beta. Pick any Massachusetts county to get started.