Title Searches
Hello fellow investors,
I'd like to be able to do online title searches at nominal cost. Went to a seminar over the weekend, a speaker says it can be done for $19.95. Any recommendations on which company that would be?
Have you tried www.etitlesearch.com
I will try this. Thx so much for your response. You all are the best!!
[addsig]
while they may be cheap, there is a reason:
5. ACCURACY. While Provider uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up to date information in the Site, Provider makes no warranties or representations as to its accuracy. Provider assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of the Site. Provider will not be responsible to you for any Loss suffered by you, any of your business affiliates, or any other party.
So be careful.
My recommendation would be to have your mortgage broker use his/her title co. I'm a broker and it doesn't cost me a dime if the deal doesn't close. However I am sure to give them plenty of business they will get paid on so I wouldn't make it a habit of abusing the system.
Just to add some more information to this post, I was wanting to do my own title searches as well. I ordered a title searching course which was pretty basic but very informative so I could check out any liens and such on properties. Even though I haven't done any searches myself as of yet, it seems a very lengthy process.
That said, I finally found a website called courthousedirect (do a google search) which relieves you of most of the searching process or it seems and the price for the information is dirt cheap starting @ $3 and up. They also give the information as is so you still will have to do some due diligence but for the price, it beats having to pay hundreds of dollars to have someone do it for you. Hope this helps.
If you just want to do title searches for general information that an investor might need, then depending on your county & state you can get a lot of information for free online from public or official records if the county in question has the info available online. Go to the county website and try the links for the Clerk of courts, tax assesors office, property appraisers office, or even federal or state bk courts. It's all public record and sometimes you can even print or purchase documents of record such as warranty deeds or mortgages.
Note: If you want to do title searches for the purpose of examining and making a determination of title than it is better left to proffessionals. Trying to determine validity of ownership rights, mineral rights, riparian rights, and a hundred other things can become very complicated and unless your liscensed and insured, to do so wouldn't hold any wieght anyway. and usually isn't that expensive.
How much are you being charged by title companies in Cali anyway?
hope this helps and good luck
EG
it does help -- appreciate all the responses