FAQs

WHAT IS A TITLE SEARCH?

In the real estate business, this is a search done across all public records from the registrar of deeds to wills of previous owners to identify any missing claims to ownership of the property and ensure that it does not have any outstanding debts on it.

This simple process helps buyers better understand the property’s history and allows sellers to verify it’s legal standing and ensure all liens are removed from the property’s title.

All reports and public records discovered and distilled into a proper report to inform buyers and sellers alike about the property’s current standing in legal record. Click herefor more information about this.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DO A TITLE SEARCH ON A PROPERTY?

When you’re buying or selling a home, it’s important to keep in mind that a title search will take time to complete. To prepare for the lengthy negotiation process, you might ask, how long does it take to do a title search on a property?

Depending on the age of the property, as well as the level of detail necessary in the report, a title search can take anywhere from 24-hours to complete, up to two-weeks. With Title Search Direct, you receive the report digitally to prevent any further delay in the paperwork process, helping facilitate a smoother transaction between buyer and seller.

WHAT ARE THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR A TITLE SEARCH REPORT?

Before you try to run your own title search on a property, keep in mind that you’ll have to look for multiple documents to put together a complete report.

What are the document required for a title search report? Every property is a little different and may have more documents attached to historical record, however, these are the most common documents that you’ll want to look for first:

–        Registered Sale of Deed

–        Conveyance Deed

–        Title Document (Present and Previous)

–        Statement of Wills (Present and Previous)

These documents will give you a baseline understanding of the house’s history and help you ensure that there are no other heirs to the property who may be able to dispute your future ownership.

WHAT ARE TITLE DOCUMENTS FOR A HOUSE?

Congratulations! You’re the proud new owner of a house. Now you need to prove it, which means you’ll need title documents.

What are title documents for a house?

In short, they’re the property’s legal record showing that you own the home. If you’re still paying a mortgage, you may be listed as the owner on a title document, however, the bank’s lien prevents you from taking full ownership over the home until the loan balance is paid.

Any other kind of liens on the document showcase other debts that are on the home. In the case of a clean title, no liens or debts are present, and the document showcases your ownership in full.

WHAT DOES A TITLE SEARCH LOOK FOR?

During a title search at Title Search Direct, our experienced real estate professionals look through various public records to discover more entries about your property before you make the investment.

What does a title search look for? The documents reviewed may range from filed property disputes, to wills of previous owners, and the deed and title documents.

These documents showcase the property’s history, as well as confirms that the current owner is legally allowed to sell the property debt-free. Will and trust documents confirm that there are no hidden heirs that may later come forward to claim ownership of the property. Overall, a title search is meant to confirm that you securely become the legal owner once you purchase a property.

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN A PROPERTY TITLE SEARCH?

When you’re buying your first home, you may find yourself wondering what is involved in a property title search that makes it take so much longer than other documents to procure?

The simple answer is that it’s not a single document, but a manual search across many different public record documents around the property and previous owners of the property.

For the real estate professionals at Title Search Direct, a title search can involve multiple layers of legal documents depending on the level of detail requested from the buyer or seller, as well as how old the property is, discovering everything from previous owners to unresolved liens, and hidden heirs.

DEED VS. TITLE

Real estate can be confusing; you may ask yourself, what’s the difference between a deed and a title?

A title is bestowed to an owner once they purchase a property, showcasing their intent and ownership rights to the property. Liens and other debts that are applied to the property will also be visible on a title, meaning that these debts are inherited in a sale, or that they must be paid off and cleared before a sale occurs.

A deed, however, is an official written document declaring the ownership of the property. This is the physical component of ownership, showing that the owner has paid the loans on the house and has complete and uncontested ownership over the property.

WHAT IS YOUR TURNAROUND TIME?

For refinance transactions (current owner search) it takes 1 to 2 business days. For remote counties it takes longer. For purchase transactions, 2 business days for metro counties. Remote counties take longer.

DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS FOR BULK ORDERS?

Discounts for bulk orders are offered on a custom quote basis.

HOW FAR BACK CAN YOU SEARCH RECORDS FOR A PROPERTY?

We can search back as far as the records go in a county land records office. Usually, purchase searches are the longest for going back. Each state decides how are far you can go back. It’s usually anywhere from 30-60 years depending on the state.