DeedChain archive
Guides & Articles
The archive now leans harder into closing-risk workflows, record-tracing playbooks, and sharper research lanes instead of generic boxed piles.
Priority lane
Closing desk playbooks
Start here when the file is moving toward settlement and risk is time-sensitive.
Tool
Closing document checker
Compare deed, title, parcel, loan, authority, and closing disclosure details before funding.
New
Open permit and unpermitted work
Search permits, failed inspections, and unpermitted improvements before transfer.
New
Judgment lien name match
Confirm whether a judgment hit belongs to the seller or is just a same-name result.
New
Escrow holdback vs seller credit
Match the remedy to the risk when an issue remains unresolved near closing.
New
LLC, trust, and estate seller authority
Verify entity, trustee, estate, and power-of-attorney authority before accepting a deed.
Checklist
Title commitment red flags
Catch Schedule B exceptions, unresolved liens, and vesting issues before signing.
Checklist
HOA estoppel review
Check assessments, violations, and transfer fees before condo or HOA closings.
New
Municipal lien search
Review code-enforcement, utility, permit, and local-balance risk before closing.
New
Survey red flags
Review encroachments, access conflicts, and legal-description mismatches early.
New
Probate sale due diligence
Confirm estate authority, heirs, and court conditions before you buy probate property.
Foundation
Core records workflows
Use these first when you need to confirm ownership, liens, easements, or probate history.
Check property ownership online
Verify the owner of record and gather the parcel details you need for the rest of the file.
How to check for property liens for free
Search recorder, court, and tax-office sources without paying for a basic first pass.
How to read a deed
Break down legal descriptions, granting clauses, and execution language without guesswork.
Understanding chain of title
Trace prior transfers and spot the breakpoints that can cloud ownership.
How to find old property records
Pull historic deed and land records when you need earlier transfer context.
How to research probate records
Find the estate filings that matter when ownership passes after death.
How to find out if a property has an easement
Track down recorded access, utility, and use restrictions before you close.
How to read a legal property description
Understand metes-and-bounds and lot-and-block descriptions before you rely on them.
Law watch
Market and legal shifts
Keep up with the rules and transaction changes that can alter strategy or closing math.
Wire fraud playbook
Protect earnest money with a tighter verification workflow.
Insurance pullbacks checklist
Keep closings moving when carriers tighten underwriting late in the process.
Buyer agent commissions 2025
Plan for the changed fee structure before you negotiate or close.
Short-term rental crackdowns
Run the local restrictions check before you underwrite a vacation rental.
Squatter-law protection steps
Protect vacant assets and react faster when occupancy disputes hit.
BOI filing for LLC owners
Keep property LLCs compliant when the filing obligation applies.
Reference
Deed and title explainers
When the document type itself is the problem, start with these explainers.
Title vs. deed
Separate ownership rights from the document that transfers them.
What is a warranty deed?
Understand the protection level behind the most common deed type.
Quitclaim vs. warranty deed
Know when no-warranty transfers are and are not acceptable.
General warranty deed
See what the broadest deed warranties actually cover.
Special warranty deed
Understand the narrower coverage often used by entities and trustees.
Grant deed
Review the implied promises that matter in grant-deed states.
Bargain and sale deed
Know where limited-assurance deed transfers appear in practice.
Life estate deed
See how present and future interests get split in life-estate planning.