Deeds: These documents convey ownership of real property.  There are several types of Statutory Deeds: General Warranty Deed, Limited (Special) Warranty Deed, Quitclaim Deed, Certificate of Title, Guardian Deed, Committee's Deed, Personal Representative's Deed etc.  The most common deed used is the General Warranty Deed.   A General Warranty Deed provides the greatest protection to a buyer (grantee), in that the seller(s), (grantor(s)), agree to protect against any and all existing claims against the property.

 

  • Parties to the Deed:
  • Grantor, owner of the real estate
  • Grantee, person acquiring the property

 

ALTA Settlement Statement: This is a detailed list of all fees, debits or credits that the buyer and seller will pay at closing.


Closing Disclosure: Similar to the ALTA Settlement Statement the Closing Disclosure or CD provides a list of charges, debits/credits for closing costs.  You will also find on this form the amount borrowed, the interest rate, an estimated monthly payment, closing costs, cash required to close (a/k/a Cash to Close or CTC) and other amounts relevant to the transaction.  Please note, that the dates at the top left must be accurate.  If they are not, request the signers to contact the title company / lender and request next steps.  They will need to be issued a correct CD prior to closing.

 

4506-T Request for Transcript of Tax Return:

This form is required by the lender/title company to request transcripts of a person’s tax return.

 

Affidavit as to Debts and Liens: In this document, the signers will affirm details about the property more specific, regarding any possible outstanding debts or liens.

  

Amortization Schedule: This is a complete breakdown of a borrowers loan payments of the life of the loan.  This form details how much of each payment will go towards the principal and how much will go towards interest. 


Certification for No Information Reporting on the Sale or Exchange of a Principal Residence: This form is required by the IRS to determine if a seller will be issued a 1099 for tax purposes.  Please note that a 1031 exchange is an investment property exchange; one may mitigate tax consequences by exchanging one investment property for another.  The signer will be fully aware if they are involved in a 1031 exchange transaction.


Signature or One in the Same Name Affidavit: This form is used by parties to a real estate transaction where they will affirm to any other names they may be known as and that may show up on their credit report.  The person will also be affirming that they are indeed the person named on the Note and Deed.


W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification: This form is required in order for the title company / lender to request the name, address, and taxpayer identification information for each party to the transaction.  One form per individual.