Whether you're a title agent, real estate attorney, or closing coordinator, catching these issues early can save your transaction — and your client's investment.

🚩 1. Gaps in the Chain of Title

A break in the ownership chain means somewhere between the original grant and today, there's a missing link — an unrecorded transfer, an unadministered probate, or a defective deed.

What to do: Order a full 60-year search and work with a title attorney to cure any gaps before closing.

🚩 2. Unreleased Mortgages

A satisfied mortgage that was never formally released of record is one of the most common title defects.

What to do: Contact the prior lender for a release/satisfaction document. Many states have statutes allowing title agents to prepare releases after a statutory period.

🚩 3. Federal Tax Liens

IRS liens attach to all property owned by the taxpayer and survive most transfers, with specific right-of-redemption periods.

What to do: Obtain a lien payoff or subordination letter from the IRS. Factor in the 120-day right of redemption period.

🚩 4. Boundary and Survey Discrepancies

When the legal description doesn't match the survey — or when improvements encroach on easements — you have a problem title insurance may not cover.

What to do: Always require a current survey for purchases. Compare against the legal description and all recorded easements.

🚩 5. Pending Probate or Divorce Proceedings

If a property owner is deceased or parties are mid-divorce, title is clouded until proceedings finalize.

What to do: Require certified copies of court orders, letters testamentary, or final divorce decrees before proceeding.

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At U.S. Title & Escrow, our software automatically flags these issues during the search process. Our tools are built by title professionals, for title professionals.

👉 Check out our plans if you're looking to streamline your title and closing operations.

If you're a real estate agent doing your own title work, you already know the pain:

• Manually searching county records across multiple databases

• Chasing down lien releases and payoff letters

• Keeping track of 30+ documents per closing

• Double-checking everything because one missed lien can blow up a deal

Most agents spend 3-5 hours per closing on title work alone. That's time you could spend prospecting, showing properties, or actually closing more deals.

We built Title & Escrow Tools specifically for agents who handle their own title searches and closings. It's not a full title company platform — it's a focused set of tools that help you:

→ Run title searches in a fraction of the time

→ Track every document with automated checklists

→ Never miss a step from contract to close

If you're closing 4+ deals a month and doing your own title work, this pays for itself on the first deal.

Currently offering a 7-day free trial so you can test everything before committing.