Our Property Title Research Process

Property title search and liens for real estate.

Call toll-free to speak with a property title search specialist:

(877) 848-5337

How we perform your property title search:

Step 1.
Your title search order is placed online or by phone. Then, our secure, encrypted server collects the search information. Our title team identifies the property, and we retrieve the preliminary property information. The property identification and order information is transmitted to our examiner / abstractor in the field, who manually searches the county records at the courthouse.

Step 2.
The property title search abstractor begins researching the records index to retrieve the documents related to the subject property. Several separate records rooms may need to be visited, depending upon the county. The property title documents are collected from the various books and volumes where they are recorded over the years.

Step 3.
The title documents are reviewed, to determine which items pertain to the subject property. Mortgages and liens are cross-referenced for releases, and assignments. The legal and vesting are compared on each document.

Step 4.
The outstanding documents are compiled and the propertytitle search abstract is created. The abstract document contains the summary listing of all the recorded liens, mortgages, and deeds which were located. Lien and mortgage amounts are entered into the title search abstract.

Step 5.
The documents and abstract are sent to the AFX home office. The order is compiled by our title team, and the documents are annotated and converted to a document image. The completed property title search document is uploaded to a private web link.

Step 6.
An email is sent to you, containing the private web link for your completed title search. From the email, your title document can be viewed on-screen, or a copy can be saved to your local computer. You can also print a hard copy, which is exactly the same as what we scanned in. The title search abstract document is an easy-to-read form, with separate, itemized sections for ownership, legal, taxes, mortgages, and liens.

Step 7.
We follow up with a call, and email you to ensure that you have received your search documents, and were able to acces them. We have the property title search document viewing on our screen, and our title team reviews this with you. Any questions or clarifications you may have as a client are welcome.

All of this is completed in 12 - 72 hours, and your search is sent to you immediately. Throughout the process, the entire team is monitoring the progress of every search. Our title team is glad to be of assistance, we welcome your call.

Isn't there an easier way to do a property title search?

In the modern environment of the internet, and "everything online", it is common to wonder why the process of running a title search is so complex. Property title records are recorded and stored as hard-copy paper documents. Information that is contained on hard-copy documents cannot be stored easily in an online database, as can most other types of records. Because of this, title searching involves searching through all of the recorded documents for a property. Property records are recorded the individual county, each of which has different procedures for the records office.

For example, to search for mortgages, the title examiner must first locate the copies of mortgage documents signed by the property owner. All of the papers for a property are not kept together in a group. These copies are kept in books, with each volume corresponding to a particular day and year. In order to locate all the open mortgages, the examiner must go through all the books over time, and find the documents that pertain to the subject property. The county normally keeps an index, which helps the examiner know which books to look in. The examiner must then look for documents that release any of these mortgages that were refinanced, or paid off. The same process is repeated for liens.

In some counties, there are multiple records rooms to go through. All of the information about the liens, and mortgages is contained in the wording of the documents, which must be retrieved and read individually. From this process, the title search abstract is created for a property.

AFX Research, LLC 877-848-5337 info@titlesearch.com