Questions people actually ask

We will explain what each document does and what it asks you to sign. We cannot tell you which one to choose — that is a legal question, and choosing for you would be practicing law without a license. If your call turns out to be one of those, we will say so on the call rather than guess.

The full legal name of everybody going on or coming off title, how title is currently held, the assessor’s parcel number, the existing deed if you have a copy of it, and current photo ID for every signer. If you are missing something on that list, call anyway — most of it can be found before the appointment.

A trust only controls what has actually been put into it, and real property moves into a trust by a deed that gets recorded. Whether yours should be is a question for the attorney who drew the trust. If the answer is yes, preparing, notarizing and recording that deed is exactly the work we do.

No. Drafting a trust around your circumstances is the practice of law and we are not attorneys. We notarize trusts drawn by your attorney, and we prepare and record the deeds that move property into one.

It is emailed to you as soon as it comes back from the county, and the original is mailed with the right postage and mail class. You do not have to chase us for it.

No. Direct Deeds works on simple per-transaction pricing — you pay for the signing you need. No subscription, no retainer, no minimum.

Current, unexpired government photo identification for every person signing, in the name the document is signed in. If the name on the ID and the name on the document do not match, tell us before the appointment rather than at the table.

It can become one. A name that was never added, removed or corrected sits quietly in the chain of title until a sale or a refinance drags it into the light — usually on a deadline. Updating the record is exactly the work we do: we prepare the deed you direct us to prepare, notarize it, and record it with your county.

Where your state provides for one, a homestead declaration on file can shield the equity in your primary home from certain creditor claims. What it shields, how much, and whether it applies automatically or only once the declaration is filed all vary from state to state. A specialist will tell you what your state provides — and if your question turns into a legal one, we will say so on the call.

Qualification rules are set by your state, and they generally cover the home you actually live in — one dwelling at a time. Tell us where the home is and a specialist will confirm what your state provides before anything is prepared.

We do. Your home deed goes to the county recorder for the property’s county with the correct cover sheet and the correct fees. Those fees are the recorder’s, not ours, and they are passed through to you at what they cost.

You keep your originals. We make the copies you ask for, mail anything that has to be mailed, and retain only the notarial journal record the law requires us to keep.

Pricing is different in every state, because every state sets its own requirements and every county its own recording fees. Speak with a professional and you will have your exact quote for exactly where your property sits — confirmed before any work begins, with no hidden fees and nothing added later that you have not already agreed to.

Yes. Our mobile service is available as a premium upgrade: we come to your home, your office, or wherever is convenient — evenings and weekends included, on your schedule. Ask your specialist to add it when you book.

Standard turnaround depends on your county’s processing times, and we keep you posted at every step. Same-day and express service are available — an expedited service fee applies.

Without a power of attorney in place, often no one — the question can end up with a court instead of the person you would have chosen. We prepare the power of attorney you direct us to prepare and notarize it, so the authorization exists before it is needed. What powers it should grant is a question for you and your advisors, and if your question is a legal one, we will say so on the call.