In today’s world of online data and searchable public records, many Texans are concerned about privacy—especially when it comes to real estate. While it's impossible to make property ownership completely invisible, there are a few strategies to help reduce the public footprint of your ownership.
Use “Current Owner” on Appraisal Records
The most visible source of property data for most people is the county appraisal district's website. These databases are indexed by Google and are often the first thing to pop up when someone searches for a Texas address.
If you don’t want your name listed there, you can request that the appraisal district show “CURRENT OWNER” instead of your actual name. This won’t remove your information from the county clerk’s records (which are still the official source of ownership), but it makes it harder for the average person to trace your real estate holdings through a simple Google search or Appraisal District search.
This step is particularly useful for business owners or individuals who want to limit public knowledge of their assets for personal or safety reasons.
Blur Your Home on Google Street View
Another easy privacy measure: blur your home on Google Street View. If your house is visible and easily identifiable via Google Maps, you can submit a request to Google asking them to blur the image. This helps keep your location more private from the general public or anyone researching you online.
To blur your property:
Go to Google Maps and navigate to Street View of your home.
Click “Report a problem” at the bottom-right corner.
Choose “My home” and submit your request to have the image blurred.
Once Google completes this, the blur is permanent.
Legal Ownership Still Shows in County Records
While appraisal districts and Google Maps can be controlled to some extent, the county clerk’s real property records remain the authoritative and public record of ownership in Texas. These records are typically harder for laypeople to search because they require legal descriptions and access to specific platforms.
Unfortunately, there is no way to remove or hide your name from the county clerk’s deed records once you own a property in your personal name. If privacy is paramount, consider purchasing property through a legal entity such as a trust or LLC—though even those methods come with limitations and must be set up correctly to provide true anonymity.
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