My business is to be in business in a captialist marketplace.  As such, I too compete with my competition and knowing their rates is my business because I make it my business, so I sympathize with Kay.

  We offer $40 and $20 current owner searches, but there are many caveats to this.  First, the client must be a long term client involved in foreclosure bidding.  Second, they only get such discounts when they are reach a certain threshold of orders per month (i.e. first 20 orders are at our $80 rate, next 20 orders at $40, etc).  Third, they must subscribe to our daily foreclosure report and remain paid up.  Fourth, the current ownership research only goes back to '84;  if the deed is before that, then an added research premium applies in all cases.  Fourth, the research is per lot, so splits cost more, naturally.

  We tend to do this for a few big money clients and we dissuade the small time investors from an interest in our services since they'll be gone without paying in most cases anyway. 

  This is not at all the bulk of our research work, so 20 bucks pays lunch for a couple days;  it's supplemental, not primary income.

  If this has been your primary income, then I have a great deal of respect for you.   I don't know how you've managed for so long.