Deed Types Explained: General Warranty, Limited Warranty, and Quitclaim

The deed is the document that actually transfers ownership of real estate, and not all deeds offer the same protection. Most buyers never think about what type of deed they’re receiving until a situation arises where the difference genuinely matters.

General Warranty Deed: The Strongest Protection

A general warranty deed is the gold standard in residential transactions. The seller warrants that they hold clear title and defends against any title claims — not just claims arising during their own ownership, but claims going back through the property’s entire history. Most standard residential purchases in South Carolina convey by general warranty deed, and as a buyer, this is what you generally want.

Limited (Special) Warranty Deed: Narrower Coverage

A limited warranty deed — sometimes called a special warranty deed — warrants only against title defects that arose during the seller’s own period of ownership. Anything that happened before they took title is outside their

warranty. These deeds commonly appear in sales by builders, banks selling foreclosed properties, estates, and other institutional sellers who can’t reasonably vouch for a property’s full history.

Receiving a limited warranty deed isn’t automatically a problem — but it makes your title search and owner’s title insurance policy meaningfully more important, since the seller’s warranty covers less of the risk.

Quitclaim Deed: No Warranty at All

A quitclaim deed transfers whatever interest the grantor has in a property — if any — with no warranty whatsoever that they actually hold valid title. Quitclaims are common in non-sale transfers: moving property between family members, into or out of a trust, resolving title questions between divorcing spouses, or clearing up ownership ambiguities.

What a quitclaim deed is not appropriate for, in most cases, is an arm’s-length purchase where you’re paying real money for a property. If someone offers to sell you property via quitclaim deed, that’s a signal to slow down and involve a real estate attorney before proceeding, because you’d be buying with zero title assurance from the seller.

Why This Pairs With Title Insurance

Whatever deed type your transaction involves, your title search and owner’s title insurance policy work alongside the deed’s warranties to protect your ownership. The weaker the deed’s warranty, the more that title insurance is carrying — one more reason the owner’s policy is worth its one-time premium.

Questions about the deed in a transaction you’re considering? Your closing attorney is the definitive resource, and I’m always happy to help you understand what to expect. Reach me at 864.913.8295 or Ambur.Davis@Century21Blackwell.com.