State-Specific Resources
Texas Deed Information
Information about Texas deeds, including quitclaim deeds, warranty deeds, Lady Bird deeds, and transfer-on-death deeds.
Find Out More About Texas Deeds
Florida Deed Information
Information about Florida deeds, including quitclaim deeds, warranty deeds, and life estate deeds (including Lady Bird deeds).
Find Out More About Florida Deeds
California Deed Information
Information about California deeds, including quitclaim deeds, grant deeds, life estate deeds, and TOD deeds.
Find Out More About California Deeds
Illinois Deed Information
Information about Illinois deeds, including quitclaim deeds, warranty deeds, special warranty deeds, and transfer-on-death deeds.
Find Out More About Illinois Deeds
Michigan Deed Information
Information about Michigan deeds, including quitclaim deeds, warranty deeds, covenant deeds, and life estate deeds (including Lady Bird deeds).
Find Out More About Michigan Deeds
Alabama Deed Information
Information about Alabama deeds, including quitclaim deeds, special warranty deeds deeds, warranty deeds, and life estate deeds.
Find Out More About Alabama Deeds
Real Estate 101
What is a Deed?
A deed is a legal document used to transfer real estate. The exact deed form needed to legally transfer title will depend on the laws of the state where the real estate is located. The use of an incorrect form—or of incorrect language in a form—can result in unintended consequences, including a failure to effectively transfer title or the creation of future title issues.
Find Out More
What is a Quitclaim Deed?
A quitclaim deed (sometimes called a quick claim deed or quitclaim deed) is a special deed form that transfers property without any warranty of title. When property is transferred by quitclaim deed, the person who receives the property gets whatever title the transferor has. But the transferor is not responsible if there are any problems with the title (or if the transferor did not have title).
Find Out More
What is a Life Estate Deed?
A life estate deed is a deed form used to transfer property to one party automatically upon another party’s death. The life tenant’s interest is called a life estate. The interest that passes to the remainder beneficiary is called a remainder. A life estate deed involves three categories of owners that hold title at different points in time. Lady Bird deed is a form of life estate often used to avoid probate.
Find Out More
What Are Warranties of Title?
Warranties of title are guarantees regarding the current owner’s title to the property being transferred. Depending on the deed form, the deed may or may not guarantee that the current owner has clear title to the real estate. The types of guarantees regarding clear title are called “title warranties” or “warranties of title.”
Find Out More
What is a Legal Description?
A legal description is a description of real estate that is sufficient to identify it for legal purposes. When preparing a deed, it is important to use the correct legal description. In most situations, the best practice is to use the legal description from the most recent deed to the property. It is very important to ensure that each deed has a correct legal description.
What is Consideration?
Consideration is an archaic legal term used to describe the value that changes hands as part of an agreement between two or more parties. Consideration is the “what’s in it for me” element of the deal. It is what each party gives the other party as part of the bargain. Consideration could be the payment of money or anything else of value.
Find Out More
What Are the Forms of Co-Ownership?
There are several ways that multiple owners can hold title to real estate. In separate property states, the most common forms of co-ownership are tenants in common, joint tenancy with rights of survivorship, and tenancy by the entirety. In community property states, title may be held as community or separate property and may include survivorship rights.
Find Out More