What this listing isn't telling you.
Curbnote pulls public records into every Maryland, DC, and Virginia Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com listing: flood zones, tax history, environmental flags, and listing patterns. Plain English. Source-linked. Free during beta.
Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. Coverage is deepest in Maryland and DC, where property records are statewide.
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
01
Install the extension.
Free during beta. Chrome and Edge.
02
Open any MD, DC, or VA listing.
Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com.
03
The dossier appears.
Source-linked findings, side panel, no clicks needed.
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.