Published November 13, 2025
Essential Home Buying Documents & Protecting Your Investment in Pierce County
Buying a home comes with a stack of paperwork, and while it might seem overwhelming, these documents are crucial for protecting your investment. If you're purchasing a home in Pierce County, Bonney Lake, or surrounding areas, here’s a quick guide to the key documents you'll encounter during the closing process.
Title and Title Insurance
The title proves legal ownership of the property. Before closing, a title search ensures there are no liens, disputes, or ownership issues.
Title insurance protects buyers and lenders from future claims against the title—giving you peace of mind. For a comprehensive understanding of title insurance and its importance, you can refer to the American Land Title Association's guide:
Deed
The deed is the official document transferring ownership from the seller to the buyer. It is recorded with the local county and includes important property details, such as boundaries and legal descriptions.
Closing Disclosure
This document outlines the final terms of your loan, including:
Closing costs
Review carefully to ensure it matches your initial loan terms and is error-free. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers a helpful tool to verify the details:
Property Survey
A survey confirms property boundaries, improvements, and any easements or encroachments.
Essential for understanding where your property starts and ends.
Mortgage Note & Deed of Trust
The mortgage note is your promise to repay the loan.
The deed of trust secures the lender’s interest in the property.
These documents are vital if financing your purchase. For a detailed explanation of the differences between a mortgage note and a deed of trust, Nolo provides an informative article:
Protecting Your Property from Fraud
Title fraud is a growing concern, and while paid monitoring services like Title Lock exist, they often alert you only after a fraudulent deed has already been recorded.
Good news for homeowners in Pierce and Snohomish Counties.
These counties now offer free property monitoring services.
Homeowners can register on their county website to receive notifications if any new documents are recorded against their property. For Pierce County, you can sign up here
This is especially valuable for paid-off properties, which fraudsters often target.
King County hasn’t joined the program yet, but if you’re in Pierce or Snohomish County, I highly recommend signing up.
Need help registering or have questions? Reach out anytime!
