Records vs. the Ground A title search looks at public records: deeds, loans, liens, judgments, recorded easements, and plats. It answers the question, “What does the paperwork say about this property?” A survey answers a different question:...
What Adding a Name Really Does Owners usually have good reasons. They want the home to pass smoothly to a child, avoid probate, or make it easier for a trusted family member to help with the property as they get older. But a deed doesn’t hold a place in line for...
Two Documents, Two Different Jobs When you bought your home, you signed two separate sets of papers. The deed says who owns the property. The mortgage, or trust deed and promissory note, is your agreement with the lender to repay the loan. A quitclaim deed only...
Paying Off the Loan Isn’t the Last Step When you took out your mortgage, a trust deed was recorded with the county. That document is what gives the lender a claim on your home, and it stays on record until something replaces it. In Utah, that replacement is...