The twelve questions
- 1. 'Is everyone on the deed alive?' — a deceased owner means probate analysis before promises about dates
- 2. 'Is the property in a trust or LLC?' — authority documents needed; request the certification of trust at intake
- 3. 'Any divorce since purchase?' — deeds between ex-spouses go missing constantly; homestead signatures too
- 4. 'Did you ever refinance or pay off a loan?' — unreleased mortgages are defect #1 in America
- 5. 'Any work done on the house?' — permits: pulled? closed? That answer is worth thousands
- 6. 'Any code letters, citations, or fines — ever?' — municipal claims compound quietly
- 7. 'Are HOA/condo dues current? Any disputes?' — estoppel surprises kill timelines
- 8. 'Any judgments, tax problems, or bankruptcies?' — liens follow people onto property
- 9. 'Is anyone on the deed NOT going to cooperate?' — a reluctant signer is a legal problem, not a scheduling one
- 10. 'Is any owner outside the U.S.?' — logistics (RON, mail-away) plus FIRPTA on foreign sellers
- 11. 'Married, and is this the homestead?' — Florida requires spousal joinder even for non-titled spouses
- 12. 'Do you have your owner's title policy?' — reissue credit + a map of the prior exam
What to do with a yes
Don't diagnose — route. Any 'yes' above goes into the escalation lane or the opening email, where our attorney-supervised team classifies it: administrative (we cure in-house), legal (the law firm can quote the fix under separate engagement), or price-it-in (investor deals). Your value is surfacing it early and setting seller expectations honestly; ours is making the cure boring.