Florida Property Title Search: How to Check a Property Before You Buy
Found a Florida property you’re thinking about buying? Before you send money, bid at an auction, purchase vacant land, or close on an investment property, a Florida property title search can help you understand what the public records say about the property.
A property may look like a great deal based on the price, location, and condition. But the property’s title history may reveal mortgages, liens, judgments, ownership questions, easements, restrictions, or other matters that deserve attention before you buy.
At Title Company of Florida, we assist buyers, sellers, Realtors, investors, lenders, and attorneys with title and closing services throughout Florida.
What Is a Florida Property Title Search?
A Florida property title search is a review of public records associated with a specific piece of real estate and the parties connected to its ownership history.
The search helps identify who currently owns the property and recorded matters that may affect ownership or the transfer of title.
- Current and previous ownership
- Recorded deeds
- Mortgages and mortgage assignments
- Mortgage satisfactions
- Judgments
- Recorded liens
- Foreclosure documents
- Lis pendens
- Probate-related documents
- Easements
- Restrictions and covenants
- Other recorded documents affecting the property
Why Search a Property’s Title Before Buying?
A Florida property title search can help identify matters that may need additional investigation or resolution before a transaction is completed.
- Old mortgages without recorded satisfactions
- Judgments involving a property owner
- Recorded liens
- Ownership interests that may not have been properly transferred
- Probate or estate issues
- Incorrect legal descriptions
- Potential breaks in the chain of title
- Easements affecting the property
- Recorded restrictions affecting property use
How Do You Search Property Titles in Florida?
Florida property and official records are generally maintained at the county level. Preliminary research often begins with the county where the property is located.
1. Search the County Property Appraiser
Most Florida Property Appraiser websites allow searches by property address, owner’s name, or parcel identification number.
These records may provide the owner shown in the property records, parcel number, property address, legal description, property characteristics, assessed value, and references to recorded deeds.
Important: A Property Appraiser search is a useful starting point, but it is not a complete title search.
2. Search the County Official Records
Depending on the county, Official Records may be available online through the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller or another official recording system.
Records may include deeds, mortgages, mortgage satisfactions, assignments, liens, judgments, lis pendens, foreclosure documents, probate-related documents, easements, and restrictions.
3. Review the Current Deed
Locate the deed through which the current owner acquired the property. Review the grantor, grantee, execution date, recording date, recording information, legal description, and type of deed.
4. Review the Chain of Title
A professional title search may involve examining previous transfers to understand the property’s chain of title.
Potential concerns can include missing deeds, name discrepancies, incorrect legal descriptions, probate issues, trust ownership, entity ownership, or potential gaps in the ownership history.
5. Search for Mortgages
Research recorded mortgages associated with the property and relevant owners. When a mortgage appears, additional research may be needed to determine whether a satisfaction, release, or other appropriate document was subsequently recorded.
6. Search for Liens and Judgments
Potential records may include judgment liens, construction liens, tax liens, HOA liens, condominium liens, recorded code enforcement liens, and other recorded claims.
Some records may be indexed by the names of individuals or entities rather than simply by the property’s street address.
7. Check Property Taxes
The county Tax Collector is another important source of property information. Depending on the property, investigate whether taxes are current, delinquent, or otherwise require attention.
8. Investigate Municipal and Association Matters
A traditional title search and municipal lien search are not necessarily the same thing. Additional research may be appropriate regarding municipal liens, code enforcement matters, open or expired permits, utility balances, special assessments, HOA assessments, condominium assessments, and association estoppels.
Florida Property Title Searches for Real Estate Investors
Title research can be especially important for Florida real estate investors because investment transactions often move quickly.
Consider appropriate title research when purchasing:
- Foreclosure properties
- Tax deed properties
- Auction properties
- Wholesale deals
- Off-market properties
- Vacant land
- Distressed properties
- Probate properties
- Cash purchases
A cheap purchase price does not necessarily mean a simple title.
Florida Property Title Searches Before an Auction
If you’re considering bidding on Florida real estate at auction, title research can be particularly important.
Do not assume every lien, judgment, mortgage, or other interest automatically disappears because the property is sold at auction. The effect of a foreclosure, tax deed sale, or other proceeding can depend on the type of sale, parties involved, proceeding, and other circumstances.
Research first. Bid second.
Florida Foreclosure Title Searches
Foreclosure properties can present additional title research considerations. A buyer may need to understand the foreclosure proceeding, ownership history, recorded liens, mortgages, judgments, and other interests associated with the property.
Florida Tax Deed Property Title Searches
Tax deed properties can attract investors because of their potential purchase prices, but they can also involve specialized title considerations.
Before purchasing a Florida tax deed property, consider researching current and prior ownership, the tax deed proceeding, recorded mortgages, liens, judgments, potential governmental interests, and other recorded matters affecting the property.
Florida Vacant Land Title Searches
In addition to ownership and liens, vacant-land buyers may want to investigate access easements, utility easements, drainage easements, recorded restrictions, declarations and covenants, legal descriptions, and potential access issues.
Owning a piece of land does not necessarily mean you can use or access it in the way you originally expected.
Can You Do a Florida Property Title Search Yourself?
Yes. Many Florida public records are available online, making it possible to perform substantial preliminary research yourself.
The bigger challenge is often interpreting what you find. Finding a document does not necessarily tell you whether it currently affects title or what needs to happen before the property can be transferred.
Florida Property Search vs. Florida Title Search
A basic Florida property search may tell you who appears as the owner, parcel number, assessed value, property characteristics, and tax information.
A Florida property title search goes further by researching recorded documents and ownership history that may affect title.
Florida Title Search vs. Title Insurance
A title search involves researching relevant records associated with the property and its ownership.
Title insurance is a separate insurance product that provides coverage for certain covered title risks subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions, and exceptions of the applicable policy.
Florida Property Title Search Checklist
- Confirm the property address
- Confirm the parcel identification number
- Identify the current owner
- Locate the current deed
- Review prior deeds
- Examine the chain of title
- Search recorded mortgages
- Look for mortgage satisfactions
- Search for liens
- Search for judgments
- Check property taxes
- Review recorded easements
- Review recorded restrictions
- Investigate applicable municipal matters
- Obtain professional assistance when appropriate
How to Do a Title Search in Florida
Want a more detailed step-by-step walkthrough?
Read: How to Do a Title Search in Florida: Step-by-Step Guide
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Property Title Searches
How do I search the title of a property in Florida?
Start by identifying the property’s county, parcel number, current owner, and legal description. Search the county Property Appraiser and then review the county Official Records for deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, liens, judgments, and other relevant recorded documents.
Can I search Florida property records online?
Yes. Many Florida counties provide online access to Property Appraiser records, Official Records, Clerk of Court records, and Tax Collector information. Available records and search systems vary by county.
Can I find liens on a Florida property online?
Many recorded liens can be located through county Official Records. However, a simple property-address search may not identify every relevant matter, and some property-related obligations may require additional searches.
Is the Florida Property Appraiser a title search?
No. Property Appraiser records provide valuable property and ownership information, but they should not be confused with a complete title search.
Should investors get a title search before buying?
Appropriate title research can be especially useful before purchasing foreclosure, auction, tax deed, vacant land, distressed, off-market, or other investment properties.
Does a Florida property title search guarantee clear title?
No. A title search is a review of relevant records. It is not itself a guarantee or a title insurance policy.
Need a Florida Property Title Search?
Title Company of Florida helps buyers, sellers, Realtors, investors, lenders, attorneys, and real estate professionals with title and closing services throughout Florida.
Whether you’re researching an investment property, preparing to make an offer, considering an auction purchase, buying vacant land, or preparing for closing, understanding the property’s title before moving forward can help you make a more informed decision.
Don’t just research the property. Research the title behind it.
Contact Title Company of Florida