Property Deed Types at a Glance Deed TypeLevel of Protection General Warranty Deed Highest Special Warranty Deed Moderate Quitclaim Deed Lowest Special Purpose Deeds Varies
– Quitclaim Deed: This deed transfers the grantor's interest in the property without any warranties or guarantees. It is often used for transfers between family members where the grantor may not want to warrant the current status of title.
A deed, as you know, is the legal document used by property owners to transfer their ownership of the property to a new owner. In California, the vast majority of property is transferred through one of two types of deeds: the grant deed – by far the most commonly used – and the quitclaim deed.
When committing to a general warranty deed, the seller is promising there are no liens against the property, and if there were, the seller would compensate the buyer for those claims. Mainly for this reason, general warranty deeds are the most commonly used type of deed in real estate sales.
It's why grant deeds are the go-to choice for most property sales in California, with lenders and title insurance companies often insisting on them. If the seller breaks these promises, the buyer can take legal action, making grant deeds a reliable way to transfer property ownership.
Today, Californians most often transfer title to real property by a simple written instrument, the grant deed. The word “grant” is expressly designated by statute as a word of conveyance. (Civil Code Section 1092) A second form of deed is the quitclaim deed.
After you sign your deed, it must be recorded with the county recorder in the county where the property is located. How long does the recording process take? The time varies by county. In Sacramento county, it usually takes 4-6 weeks but in other California counties, it may take several months.
Property ownership information can be requested from the County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. For more information, please visit their website to Request a Real Estate Record.
A: Anywhere between 14 to 90 days after closing. A properly recorded deed can take anywhere from 14 days to 90 days. That may seem like a long time, but your local government office goes over every little detail on the deed to make sure the property is correct and there are no errors.
If you need a copy of the current deed, contact or visit the Alameda County Recorder's Office. Copies of deeds are not available off the internet. There is an online name index. Copies of the document itself must be obtained from the Recorder's Office Public Records Room.