Last updated April 11, 2024
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What is a Deed of Trust?
A Deed of Trust, also known as a trust deed, is a document used during financed real estate transactions, meaning a buyer borrows money from a lender to buy a property.
It transfers the property’s legal title to a neutral third party, the trustee, who holds it until the buyer pays back the lender.
Once repayment is complete, the trustee reconveys the legal title to the buyer, and the transaction is complete. In many cases, the trustee can foreclose on the property if the buyer doesn’t pay back the loan.
In some states, Deeds of Trust are used instead of mortgages.
Parties to a Deed of Trust
A Deed of Trust always involves three parties: a trustor, beneficiary, and trustee. In some cases, a Deed of Trust also has a guarantor.
Who is the trustor?
The trustor is the borrower buying real property.
Who is the beneficiary?
The beneficiary is the lender providing financing to the trustor. The trustee holds the title for the lender’s benefit.
Who is the trustee?
The trustee is the neutral third party who holds the legal title as security until the trustor pays back the beneficiary.
Neither the borrower nor the lender can be a trustee. A trustee is typically an attorney, a title company, or an escrow agent. A trustee is often the beneficiary’s lawyer.
Who is the guarantor?
The guarantor is the person that is jointly liable for the loan if the trustor defaults. A lender may require a borrower to have a guarantor because they want more options to collect loan repayment should the trustor default.
What is the purpose of a Deed of Trust?
Most buyers must borrow or take out a mortgage to purchase real estate. In these cases, lenders must protect their interests if a buyer defaults on their loan. This is where a Deed of Trust becomes useful.
Using a Deed of Trust allows lenders to ensure they will be reimbursed even if the buyer cannot pay them back. If the buyer defaults on their loan, the trustee can take full control because the Deed of Trust gives them the legal title.
If you lend someone money to buy real estate without using a Deed of Trust and they default on their loan, you may have a harder time getting your money back.
How does a Deed of Trust work?
First, a lender has to agree to give a borrower money to buy real property, meaning immovable property like land or a house. Usually, the parties will use a Promissory Note to outline this arrangement.
Next, the parties use a Deed of Trust to secure the loan and protect the lender’s interests. The Deed of Trust transfers a property’s legal title to an independent trustee.
Throughout the repayment period, the trustee holds the legal title, and the borrower holds the equitable title of the property. The equitable title is the right to use and enjoy the property.
When the loan is fully repaid, the lender directs the trustee to use a Deed of Reconveyance to transfer the property’s legal title to the borrower.
If the borrower doesn’t repay the loan, the property can be put up for sale as long as the Deed of Trust contains a power of sale clause and proper notice and deadline requirements are met. Typically, lenders require Deeds of Trust to include a power of sale clause.
Deed of Trust versus mortgage
Even though Deeds of Trust and mortgages are similar in function, there are some important distinctions between them. Let’s explore their key similarities and differences.
Similarities
Here are some similarities between Deeds of Trust and mortgages:
1. Basic purpose
Deeds of Trust and Mortgage Agreements serve the same basic purpose. They’re both agreements that empower lenders to foreclose on borrowers' property if they don’t pay. With both documents, a property’s title is essentially collateral (security) for the loan.
2. Option for guarantor
Both Deeds of Trust and mortgages can involve a guarantor, the person jointly liable for the loan if the trustor defaults. Having a guarantor is not necessarily a requirement, although a lender may require a borrower to have one.
3. State governed
State laws decide which type of contract the parties have to use. In some states, you must use a mortgage. In others, you have to use a Deed of Trust. Some states allow you to use either.
Differences
Here are some differences between Deeds of Trust and mortgages:
1. Number of parties
A mortgage is between two parties, the borrower and the lender. A Deed of Trust has three parties, the borrower, lender, and trustee.
2. Foreclosure process
When a Deed of Trust includes a power of sale clause and the borrower defaults, the lender has the right to foreclose on the property. Deeds of Trust have a non-judicial foreclosure process, meaning the lender does not have to go through the court system to sell the property.
Alternatively, if a borrower has a mortgage and is facing foreclosure, the case might need to go through the court process because mortgages often have a judicial foreclosure process.
Going through the court system takes much more time and money for both the borrower and the lender. Therefore, using a Deed of Trust may be preferable for lenders in states where you can use either a Deed of Trust or a Mortgage Agreement.
Deed of Trust versus Warranty Deed
A Warranty Deed guarantees that a property’s title is free from encumbrances while transferring its ownership. A Deed of Trust transfers a property’s ownership to a trustee, guaranteeing that a lender will get paid back during financed real estate transactions.
How to get a Deed of Trust
Use our Deed of Trust template to quickly and easily create your document. Our template is customized to your state’s laws and will ask you for the following information:
- The borrower, lender, and trustee’s names and addresses
- The property address
- The amount being borrowed
- The interest rate
- The interest adjustment date
- The frequency of principal and interest payments
- The payment amounts and due dates
- The due date of the final payment
The loan repayment terms should match those outlined in the initial Promissory Note.
In your Deed of Trust, there are also options to include an annual prepayment of principal and a prepayment of entire principal.
The annual prepayment of principal option allows the borrower to prepay a percentage of the principal amount each year before the payment is due.
The prepayment of entire principal option allows the borrower to prepay the entire remaining principal of the trust before the end of the term.
If your state requires you to use a mortgage instead, our template will direct you to our Mortgage Agreement template.
Deed of Trust states
In the following table, check out which states allow you to use a Deed of Trust.
State |
Uses Deeds of Trust |
Uses Mortgage Agreements |
Alabama |
✓ |
✓ |
Alaska |
✓ |
|
Arizona |
✓ |
✓ |
Arkansas |
✓ |
✓ |
California |
✓ |
|
Colorado |
✓ |
|
Connecticut |
|
✓ |
Delaware |
|
✓ |
District of Columbia |
✓ |
|
Florida |
|
✓ |
Georgia |
✓ |
|
Hawaii |
✓ |
|
Idaho |
✓ |
|
Illinois |
✓ |
✓ |
Indiana |
|
✓ |
Iowa |
|
✓ |
Kansas |
|
✓ |
Kentucky |
✓ |
✓ |
Louisiana |
|
✓ |
Maine |
✓ |
|
Maryland |
✓ |
✓ |
Massachusetts |
✓ |
|
Michigan |
✓ |
✓ |
Minnesota |
✓ |
|
Mississippi |
✓ |
|
Missouri |
✓ |
|
Montana |
✓ |
✓ |
Nebraska |
✓ |
|
Nevada |
✓ |
|
New Hampshire |
✓ |
|
New Jersey |
|
✓ |
New Mexico |
✓ |
✓ |
New York |
✓ |
✓ |
North Carolina |
✓ |
|
North Dakota |
|
✓ |
Ohio |
|
✓ |
Oklahoma |
|
✓ |
Oregon |
✓ |
|
Pennsylvania |
|
✓ |
Rhode Island |
✓ |
|
South Carolina |
|
✓ |
South Dakota |
✓ |
✓ |
Tennessee |
✓ |
|
Texas |
✓ |
|
Utah |
✓ |
|
Vermont |
|
✓ |
Virginia |
✓ |
|
Washington |
✓ |
|
West Virginia |
✓ |
|
Wisconsin |
|
✓ |
Wyoming |
✓ |
|
Notarizing and recording a Deed of Trust
To execute a Deed of Trust properly, the parties need to sign in the presence of a notary public. Signing with a notary public ensures that the parties understand the nature of the agreement. It also guarantees that the signatures are authentic.
The deed of trust must be recorded as evidence of and security for the debt. Generally, this means going to the recorder or local county clerk’s office where the property is located. The borrower, lender, and trustee should all keep a copy of the recorded document.
What happens when a Deed of Trust is paid off?
When a buyer fully repays their loan, the lender should direct the trustee to use a Deed of Reconveyance to transfer the property’s legal title to the buyer.