Curbnote

What this listing isn't telling you.

Flood zones, contamination sites, noise, easements, and tax and sale history: what public records say about a home, each finding linked to its source. Free, on any device, no install.

Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. One free check per device; sign in for more.

Shopping on a computer? The Chrome extension runs this check on every Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com listing you open, and adds the listing checks: price history, relistings, and what the description claims.

Add to Chrome

Coverage is deepest in Maryland and DC, where property records are statewide.

Curbnote panel open beside a Maryland Zillow listing, flagging a 147% resale increase, a FEMA Zone AE flood risk, US-50 within 380 ft, and 182 days on market

The Chrome extension beside a Zillow listing, with the listing checks the address check can't run.

What it shows you

  • ASSESSOR

    Spot the modular home pretending otherwise

    Listings sometimes describe modular or manufactured homes as “single-family.” Curbnote pulls the county assessor’s classification field, so you know what you’re touring before you drive 40 minutes.

    SDAT · Classification

    Classified as: Manufactured Home

    Listing describes property as “single-family.”

  • ASSESSOR

    See through cosmetic flips

    A 6-month-old sale at $180k now relisting at $450k? Curbnote shows the price history and time gap so you can decide if it’s added value or fresh paint over old problems.

    SDAT · Sale history

    Last sold $182k, 6 months ago

    Currently listed at $449k. 147% increase.

  • STATE GIS

    Catch the highway nobody mentioned

    “Quiet residential street.” Except for the I-95 sound wall 400ft behind the back fence. Curbnote checks proximity to highways, rail lines, and airports.

    MD iMap · Proximity

    US-50 within 380 ft

    Listing copy: “quiet residential street.”

  • PUBLIC RECORDS

    Read the listing’s history, not just its pitch

    180 days on market. Three price reductions. Relisted under a new MLS number twice. Curbnote surfaces all of it on one screen.

    MLS · Time on market

    182 days, 3 reductions

    Relisted twice under new MLS numbers.

  • FEMA

    Flood zones in plain English

    “Zone AE: high-risk, mandatory flood insurance if mortgaged,” instead of cryptic FEMA codes. Sourced and linked.

    FEMA · Flood zone

    Zone AE: high risk

    Mandatory flood insurance if mortgaged.

  • STATE GIS

    Wetlands and critical area flags

    Maryland, DC, and Virginia environmental layers, queried per-property. Know what you’re allowed to build before you fall in love with the lot.

    MERLIN · Critical area

    Chesapeake Bay Critical Area

    Building setback restrictions apply.

How it works

  1. 01

    Paste a listing link or an address.

    Any Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com home in MD, DC, or VA. Works on your phone.

  2. 02

    Read what public records say.

    Flood, environmental, noise, zoning, and assessment and sale history, each linked to its source.

  3. 03

    Add the extension on your computer.

    It opens beside every listing you view and adds the listing checks. Free during beta. Chrome and Edge.

Why Maryland first

I'm buying my first house in Maryland right now. The process is a mess: eight tabs open, public records scattered across SDAT, MERLIN, FEMA, and a different portal for every county. Curbnote started as a tool I built for myself.

Maryland's public records are unusually open and machine-readable, which made it the right place to start. That groundwork is what let Washington DC and Virginia follow: the rules did not change, only the data sources behind them. The next jurisdiction is a question of which records are public enough to read honestly.

FAQ