Once your trust has been set up, the next step is to complete the paperwork deeding the property into the trust. A deed is a formal document transferring ownership of property from a grantor (the property owner) to a grantee (the individual or entity receiving the property). It is critical that the grant language is filled out correctly, or a deed may not be legally valid.

In the typical case where a user individually--or on their own--owns a property, they will grant the property from themselves as an individual to themselves as trustee of the trust they’ve set up.

Next, the deed requires some property specific information. Information required may vary by county but typically it will include the parcel number and the property legal description. For more information on finding these, please see this article on the parcel number and this article on the property legal description.

As you fill out the deed, the platform will auto-fill some of these details. This auto-fill process is done for convenience purposes only and you must make sure to review the information in its entirety to ensure accuracy and validity of your deed.

Because this deed will be recorded at the relevant county recorder, it will need to be notarized. In the next article we’ll walk you through what a notary is and what you’ll need to know about getting a notarized signature. Don’t worry, we’re with you every step of the way!