Ever felt like you were stuck with a property that was impossible to sell?
That’s exactly the situation two sisters found themselves in. They came to us with a 160-acre property in Blythe, California.
Their goal was simple: sell the land and finally close out their late father’s estate. But they had already tried to sell it without any luck.
Why? They were facing two major real estate problems.
Problem #1: A Landlocked Property
First, the parcel was completely landlocked, meaning it had no legal, deeded access to a public road. For the vast majority of buyers, this is an immediate deal-killer.
Without guaranteed access, the land’s potential uses are severely limited, making it nearly impossible to build on, develop, or even visit without trespassing.
The prospect of a costly and uncertain legal process to secure an easement from neighboring landowners had likely deterred other potential buyers.
Problem #2: A Ghost on the Title (Lost Deed of Trust)
The second problem was even trickier. A title search revealed an unreleased deed of trust.
Here’s what that means in plain English. Over 25 years ago, a loan was taken out on the property from a private individual. When that loan was paid off, the lender should have signed a document to “release” the deed, clearing the title.
But that never happened.
To make matters worse, the lender had since passed away, and the family had no records of the loan or any idea how to contact the lender’s family. This unreleased deed was like a ghost haunting the property’s legal title, creating a “cloud” that made a legitimate sale impossible. No title company would insure the property.
Solving the “Unsolvable”: Lost Trust Deed Bond Solution
This is the kind of challenge we love. We buy land with problems that make other people walk away.
While the landlocked issue was a known limitation, the clouded title needed a direct fix. We solved it by purchasing a lost trust deed bond.
To get the deal done, the title needed to be insured against that old loan. The solution was a lost trust deed bond, but here’s what made our approach different: we took on the risk ourselves.
We paid the $3,375 premium to secure a $150,000 bond. This bond indemnified the title company, guaranteeing they wouldn’t suffer a loss.
However, by purchasing the bond as the buyer, we took on the full liability. This meant that if the old lender’s heirs ever came forward with a valid claim, the financial responsibility—up to $150,000—was on us, not the sellers.
This step removed the final roadblock and allowed the sisters to sell the property without any lingering risk.
With that bond in place, the title company was satisfied, the “ghost” was gone, and the title was finally clear!
A Win-Win-Win Outcome
With the title issue solved, we were able to buy the 160 acres directly from the sisters. They avoided all the stress and legal fees of trying to fix the problem themselves and close their father’s estate.
The story doesn’t end there. We later found the perfect new owner: a conservation group that wanted the property to preserve natural habitats. They valued the land for its remote, untouched quality, so for them, being landlocked wasn’t a problem!
Got a Problem Property? We Can Help
If you’re reading this and nodding along because you have a property with a tangled history, don’t give up. Whether you need to sell landlocked property or you’re dealing with an unreleased deed of trust, these issues don’t have to be a dead end.
We specialize in buying land with complex problems. We handle the paperwork, the legal hurdles, and the costs so you can walk away with cash.
Contact us today for a no-obligation cash offer and let us turn your problem property into a success story.
