How do I Properly Search for Liens

[Chris Jones]

HELLO everyone!

i am a beginning investor focusing mainly on pre-foreclosures, i currently understand the whole foreclosure process along with what the banks are looking for to accept a short sale.

so my question is WHEN and how do i do a title search (for liens and judgments) to figure out if i really have a deal or not?

now i know title companies or attorneys have the ability to preform this action for me, but i know all of you investors just don't go around throwing $200 or more just to see if the property you are looking at or working with is a deal even without your short sale getting accepted yet and etc

and i heard of getting a preliminary title search say from an real estate agent, but is this something pretty good to go off of to see if a deal is potentially there? i even tried actually going down to my court house/records office to research liens and judgments on properties and man u have to do alot of work just to find all this stuff just for one property so i know it has to be a better & faster way ((plus my county isn't on-line, so i actually has to go down there to research))

now my next question is, the way i plan on selling these properties once i get my short sale accepted will be in a double closing (so i don't have to bring any funds to the table), so i was wondering should i still get title insurance on the property even when i'm flipping it right to my end buyer when they'll most certaining will get title insurance on the property?