Warranty Deed vs Quit Claim Deed

When selling a home, there are a few fundamental topics you need to understand. This brings us to the issue of warranty deed vs quit claim deed.

Warranty Deed vs Quit Claim Deed

The process of selling property is easier if you understand the basics of the sales process. Marketing the property and dealing with buyers and/or the hassles of real estate agents can be aggravating, but the piles of paperwork and all the different forms involved are really the biggest issue. Among these many forms and papers are warranty deeds and quit claims deeds, two deeds that are often confused with one another. We'll help make selling property a little easier for you by clearing things up a bit.

A warranty deed is a pretty basic deed that, for the most part, states the seller owns the property and there are no liens (debts, etc) against the property that will be transferred over. It is stating that the property is legally owned and there are no hidden tie-ins the buyer should be aware of. This deed ensures buyers that the property they are buying is actually owned by the person they are dealing with and they won't be met with any surprises later on. Furthermore, if another person were to try to claim the property down the line, the warranty deed would legally protect the new buyer and the buyer would be entitled to compensation from the original seller. The warranty deed is used in the majority of property sales.

On the other hand, quit claim deeds are presented to these buyers instead by a person who does not necessarily legally own the property, but instead holds responsibility for that property. Such instances where this can occur are upon a death when the property is transferred as inheritance, or when spouses are both on the name of the deed and a divorce is occurring. Quit claim deeds, unlike warranty deeds, do not offer a great deal of protection to the buyers of the property. In truth, they should be avoided unless you know exactly what you are doing and have experience in buying and selling property.

Understanding the different between these deeds will help two fold. Sellers of property will not get caught up mistakenly offering the wrong type of deed and buyers will be better prepared to know what sort of legal protection and ownership rights they will be ensured depending on the sort of deed signed. In the case of the warranty deed vs quit claim deed, the warranty deed is definitely the way to go.

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