Unlimited Title Search?

[James W.]

Hi,

I haven't found any free title search - that shows liens.

Does anyone know a monthly/ yearly paid service that offers unlimited title searches- and actually shows liens?

Thanks.

[Steve McGovern]

Hi James – this is going to depend on your need for the title review and the jurisdiction. Depending on exactly where the property is, the relative technical savvy- level of the area, and what the jurisdiction wants to put out on the Internet. For example, Registry of Deeds records are available in the counties on-line statewide in Massachusetts. In Rhode Island and Vermont, however, deeds are recorded in the towns and each town may or may not have its records online.

The big thing I can tell you however, is that the farther you get away from actual county/jurisdictional records the worse those records necessarily are. Do not, I repeat do not, rely upon third party websites to determine whether or not your property has a title issue. The only exception to this would be is if you were searching in a title plant's own records in a state where title plants are constantly used.

Either travel to the county and do the research yourself or hire a reasonably local abstractor or title company to help you out. Above all stay away from outsourced off shore title companies and or third-party "business research oriented" websites.

Finally keep in mind that you and your successors may not be able to legally rely upon any work that you do online. Many states require certain searches to be done by certain types of professionals. For example, attorneys must certify title in states such as North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana among others. They may be willing to certify title from the professionals that they already know and trust, but probably not from a simple investor without the requisite background.

In past lives, I have been a large-firm real estate paralegal and I was also the manager of real estate analysis for a title and zoning research firm that did work nationwide on infrastructure projects. I have literally reviewed, analyzed and negotiated title work in every state. If you have further questions that I can help you with or if I can direct you to a local pro, I'm happy to do my best and reply.