The Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Due Diligence: The Title-First Approach

Written By Audra George

Every investor has a due diligence checklist. It usually involves running comps, estimating repairs, and calculating cash flow. But if your checklist doesn’t start with title, it’s incomplete.

This is the ultimate guide to a better due diligence process—one that puts title first.

The Title-First Due Diligence Checklist:

  1. Verify Ownership: Who is on the last recorded deed? Does it match the person you’re talking to?

  2. Check for Liens & Mortgages: Are there active mortgages, judgments, or tax liens against the property or the owner?

  3. Analyze the Seller’s Story: Use the financial data (loan amounts, purchase date) to understand the seller’s situation. Is there equity? Are they in distress?

  4. Review the Legal Description: Does the property described legally match what you see on the ground? Are there any easements or encroachments?

  5. Assess Deal Viability: Based on the title, is this deal straightforward, complex, or a non-starter?

Only after you’ve completed this initial title investigation should you move on to the traditional financial analysis. This process saves you countless hours by weeding out the dead-end deals from the start.

This checklist is just the beginning. For a complete, in-depth system with sample documents, case studies, and advanced strategies, you need The Title Detective’s Playbook. It’s the most comprehensive guide to real estate due diligence ever written. [Buy your copy now and make every deal a sure thing.]

Why did I create the TIP Method? Because I was tired of seeing investors, myself included, do things backward. The industry teaches you to analyze the deal, run the numbers, and make an offer... and then, almost as an afterthought, check the title
Meet the Author: Audra George Audra George is a Real Estate Broker, licensed Title Examiner, and the author of The Title Detective’s Playbook. A teacher at heart, Audra is dedicated to making complex real estate concepts accessible to everyone
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Audra George

Audra George is a licensed Realtor in Missouri. Audra has diverse background; she is a former middle school Math teacher and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, she worked with survivors after the May, 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, and has extensive experience in online marketing- previously running marketing campaigns for fundraising companies, including creating marketing plans for retail and online businesses. Audra has received numerous awards for her work, including her work with individuals after the tornado, and 'Rookie of the Year' in her first year of Real Estate sales.

Audra lives in Southwest Missouri with her two boys, dogs, kangaroos, and cats. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and being in the community helping others. Audra is excited to help and works hard for her clients to make the process of purchasing property as easy as possible.

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Investing in Probate Real Estate: A Guide to Title-First Due Diligence