Chain of title
The full history of ownership for a property, going back through every recorded deed. A break in the chain, like a missing signature or a bad conveyance, causes title problems.
Your Room opens on this part of the sale, with the offer and everything before it already ticked.
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See how it worksWhere this comes up: under contract
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
The title search walks back through every deed on your home. A gap in that chain, an old owner who never signed, an estate never settled, is a problem that has to be fixed before you can sell.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
The search finds the 1998 deed was signed by one of two owners. The other owner's interest was never conveyed, and it has to be cleared now.
| What the search finds | What follows |
|---|---|
| Every deed back to the original grant, all in order | Clear chain; the title work moves on |
| A deed missing one owner's signature | That person or their heirs sign a corrective deed before closing |
| An owner who died without the estate being probated | Probate or an affidavit of heirship, which can take weeks |
A chain of title is only as strong as its weakest deed, and the search finds that deed whether or not anybody remembered it.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That title problems come from the current owner. Most come from a deed two or three owners back that nobody looked at until now.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines chain of title in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
Organize my saleFree to set up. Pay once when you list: $89 or $189. 7-day refund.