Hi there!

I want to be sure that this real estate property I am about to purchase does not have liens on it. Can someone please advice me how I can do this myself? If I have to hire a title company, how much should I expect to pay?

Regards

Titus

I don't know how it's done in the UK, but here you would open escrow and order a preliminary title report. If you don't close the purchase, then there would be no charge.

Generally the title or escrow company does the title work including a title search to ensure you have a good and marketable title.

The searching of title is not a simple matter and individuals wishing to personally search title to a property for liens and/or encumbrances are usually done via the local registry Office and although I am unfamiliar with the procedures and polices in the UK, you may obtain some information via the following Website, or there may be a telephone listing in your local telephone directory where the staff there could advise you accordingly.

http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/environment/land_and_premises/local_land_charges/personal_search.htm

Plus . . . . if you want to purchase Title Insurance, the supporting Abstract will have had to have been written by a recognized authority skilled to performing Title Searches in that area.

For that reason alone, it's not really a Do-it-Yourselfer activity; but you could probably learn how to do enough research if it's only to satisfy yourself.