A trust deed is always used together with a promissory note (also called "prom note") that sets out the amount and terms of the loan. A Deed of Trust is a legal document similar to a home mortgage.It guarantees a real estate transaction between a lender and a borrower. I'm just going to take you through the exact process of how to fill out a deed of trust exactly and you can see what I mean it's very straight forward. Some states allow both mortgages and deeds of trust. A main difference is that a mortgage foreclosure proceeding needs to go through the courts. A Deed of Trust is typically used in combination with a Promissory Note or Mortgage Agreement which sets out the amount and terms of the loan agreement. A Deed of Trust is rarely used without a Promissory Note. A promissory note is one of the two documents needed for a Real Estate Loan. A deed of trust is a specific type of secured real estate transaction that is sometimes used instead of a mortgage.