Title search in NC - any recommendations appreciated

[Andrew S.]

I’m considering the purchase of a couple of tracts of land in Wilkes County at a Sheriff auction.  I’d like to have a title search done ahead of time so I know what I’m bidding on.  I called a couple of title companies and I’m told that in NC only attorneys do title searches (I’m not sure I fully buy that but that’s what I’m told).  I called a couple of “closing” (real estate) attorneys and they tell me they only do title searches as part of the actual closing process.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an attorney or a title company that will do “one-off” searches?  I’ve tried to do some of this myself at the court house but found it hard to use their records and I’m not confident that I was able to cover it well.