Real Estate Terms Glossary
What is a Deed of Trust?
We can define a deed of trust , also known as a trust deed, as a legal document that acts as the security for a property loan. The deed of trust serves as an agreement between a homebuyer and a lender. Note that the document itself is usually recorded with the registrar of titles or county recorder in the county where the property or real estate is located. Also, a deed of trust often involves 3 parties: a borrower, a lender, and a trustee.
Examples of Deed of Trust
- Example 1: Mortgage deed
- Example 2: Grant deed
Here’s Investopedia’s definition of a Deed of Trust.
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Ryan Darby is a California attorney and commercial real estate developer with more than a decade of civil litigation experience. From 2010 through 2024, he operated the Law Office of Ryan T. Darby. His practice initially focused on landlord-tenant matters and later shifted to defamation defense and First Amendment litigation, including anti-SLAPP motion practice. He served as co-counsel for the plaintiff-appellant in a published Ninth Circuit opinion that reversed the dismissal of First Amendment claims and established precedent protecting speech and press rights against retaliatory government action. Ryan founded Quintessential Capital in 2019 to pursue multifamily acquisitions and later shifted the company’s focus to flex-industrial development. He has since completed a ground-up flex-industrial project in Sparks, Nevada. As a real estate principal, he has negotiated letters of intent, purchase agreements, a loan agreement and related extension, and listing agreements. His legal experience includes drafting and negotiating leases, settlement agreements, and releases, and advising clients on contract disputes. Ryan earned his J.D. from Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law, where he served as a Senior Staff Editor of the Chapman Law Review. His current practice focuses on real estate and lease agreements, settlements and releases, and contract-related disputes. His experience as both counsel and client helps him distinguish between theoretical concerns and risks that matter in practice. Ryan lives in San Diego with his wife, young son, dog, and cat.
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