The cost is usually around 1K-1500 and as @Ned Carey mentioned there will be notification to everyone that has an interest in the property to come forward and make their claim or they can't after that. 

As Ned stated, most fail which could probably be said about any field.

As Ned pointed out above,  there are many reasons a property can be held in trust.

As @Ned Carey said many people want the interest rate return and not the actual parcel.

As @Ned Carey says, it's the title company's job to ensure clear title.

Down side is you wouldn't likely get the stepped up basis benefit from inheriting as Ned mentioned, but that whole "You are going to leave the property to me, right?"

And lenders run a lot of background checks that tend to turn up any real estate with which a borrower is affiliated, so efforts to hide debt are usually futile and, as Ned said, loan fraud.There is a little color I would like to add, however.

As @Ned Carey mentioned, https://publicrecords.netronli... is the easiest way to go. 

As @Ned Carey mentioned, buyers usually want a title policy. 

As @Ned Carey mentioned, money isn't needed for that.Since then, and putting in a little more effort towards her, she has signed up for a RE class and will be going for her license (her decision).