How to Track the Transfer of a Texas Deed of Trust

A deed of trust is created by the title company's attorneys when you obtain a property mortgage.

When you buy property in Texas, the county or district records the deed of trust as a matter of public record. The title company creates the deed of trust document when you close on a property, and the document legally binds you to pay the mortgage. If another lending institution purchases your mortgage, the deed of trust is transferred to that institution and recorded with the county.

Instructions

1. Contact the county or district in which you want to search the history of a deed of trust.

2. Ask for the department or individual that handles deeds of trust. This will often be the county clerk's office.

3. Request a resource through which to search records. Some counties provide an online database, while others store the records locally on a database at the county courthouse.

4. Visit the resource provided and search on "Transfer" documents and enter additional criteria as desired (for example, property address or subdivision). Each transfer entry should be displayed in the results; you can track multiple transfers of a single property by entering the legal property address as part of your criteria.

Tips & Warnings

• If you know the title company that closed a property, contact the company as it will also have record of deed of trust transfer.

• If you plan to search on the property address, learn the legal description of the property first. Texas legal description of property includes subdivision name.

References

• "Real Estate Principles II"; The Texas Real Estate Commission; 2006
• Travis County Clerk's Office: Search Official Public Records