In real estate transactions, a trust deed transfers the legal title of a property to a third party until the borrower repays their debt to the lender. Some states don't use mortgages in home sales.Instead, they use deeds of trust, in which a third party holds the title and can foreclose. With a mortgage, the borrower holds the property's title. In a deed of trust, however, the trustee holds the property's legal title. A deed of trust is a legal document that is the security for a real estate loan. Essentially, both state that the borrower will repay the loan. First, discuss with your estates attorney whether you need to put your house in a trust altogether. You can search for, get copies of, or update property ownership records, such as deeds and mortgages. A deed is often referred to as a title.