Mineral Rights Searches
Identifying and verifying ownership of underground resources as it appears in the county land records.
About AFX Research
A Trusted Leader in Title and Mineral Rights Research
Welcome to AFX Research, a trusted leader in comprehensive title and property research services nationwide. With a deep commitment to accuracy, we specialize in uncovering critical insights about property ownership, title history, and mineral rights, so you have the knowledge to make confident, informed decisions.
Certified abstractors, reading the actual record
At AFX Research we understand the complexities of property ownership and the part mineral rights play in a real estate transaction. Our team works in the county offices where the records live, and every report we issue is built from the instruments themselves rather than from an aggregated dataset.
That matters because mineral records are where property history gets untidy. A severance can be a single clause in an otherwise ordinary warranty deed from 1954. A mineral deed can be indexed under a grantor name and never surface in a search keyed to an address. An interest can be held today by a dozen heirs of someone who never recorded anything in the county where the land sits.
We report what the record shows, attach the documents behind it, and are direct about what a records search cannot answer.
What We Do
An extensive range of property research services
Our expertise extends across all 50 states, giving us the ability to provide localized insight while maintaining nationwide reach.
Title Searches
Uncovering the chain of ownership and surfacing title discrepancies against the parcel.
Environmental Lien & AUL Searches
Identifying recorded environmental liens and activity and use limitations for due diligence.
Document Retrieval
Accessing recorded property instruments and returning copies with their recording citations.
2024 Watch
Talking property liens and the recording process
David Mitchell, president of AFX Research, joins a podcast session with Sean Feries, founder and owner of Land Gorilla (Construction Loan Management Software), to discuss property liens, the recording process, and challenges in title research.
Our ProcessThe Stakes
Why Mineral Rights Searches Matter
A mineral rights search surfaces the conveyances and reservations recorded against a property, which is exactly the information that is easiest to discover too late.
Knowing what you actually own
Buying a house or a tract does not necessarily mean buying what is under it. If a prior owner reserved the minerals, the surface changed hands and the mineral estate did not, and nothing on the current deed has to say so.
Avoiding disputes
Most arguments over minerals are arguments about what a recorded instrument says. Reading the reservation before a sale, a lease, or an estate distribution is cheaper than litigating it afterward.
Understanding value
A severed mineral estate affects what a tract is worth and what a buyer, a lender, or an appraiser will want documented. So does a lease of record, and so does a royalty carved out decades ago.
The Company
Three decades of property research
- Founded in 1995: AFX Research LLC has researched land title and property records nationwide for three decades.
- Based in San Luis Obispo: 999 Monterey St, Suite 380, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, with abstractors working in county offices across the country.
- Certified title abstractors: Searches are performed by abstractors, and every instrument reported carries its recording citation and a copy of the document.
- Industry membership: ALTA, BBB, NALTEA — the associations that set the standards our work is measured against.
- Tailored search terms: Whether you need a 20 year, 30 year, or 50 year mineral rights search, the term is matched to the parcel and the question. Compare the terms.
Our Vision
Your partner in property clarity
We strive to set the standard for excellence in title research and property insight. Our mission is to empower property owners, attorneys, real estate professionals, and investors with the information they need to make confident decisions.
In the Press
Featured Articles
Coverage of AFX Research and of the property records work our team does.
- Pursuit MagazineProperty Title Forensics
- Claims MagazineUsing Property Title Abstracts in Adjusting
- PINow.com10 Ways Electronically Stored Information Is Changing the Investigative Industry
- The New York TimesBank Settlement in Mortgage Mess May Hinge on MERS
- ForbesTop 10 Reasons to Check Your Property Title Search
How to Order
Ordering a Mineral Rights Search
Give us the street address, city, county, and state, pick a 20, 30, or 50 year term, and submit the order. A certified abstractor starts the search and the report comes back by email, typically in 2 to 3 business days.
If the search needs to be narrower or wider than a standard term, tell us what you are trying to establish and we will scope it before anything is ordered.
Start Your Mineral Rights Search Today
Certified abstractors search the county land records against your parcel and report the mineral conveyances, reservations, and leases found of record, with a copy of every recorded instrument attached. Order online in minutes, or tell us about the parcel and we will help you pick the search term.
Questions? Call 877-848-5337 ext. 138 or email info@afxllc.com