Smith County General Warranty Deed with Vendor Lien (Individual Grantor) Form

The Texas general warranty deed with a vendor's lien is the instrument of a seller-financed sale. The Grantor conveys real property to the buyer with the broadest title warranty Texas recognizes and retains a vendor's lien and superior title to secure the buyer's purchase-money note. The seller keeps that security interest in the property until the buyer pays the note in full, when the deed becomes absolute. This package prepares the deed for a single Grantor, with a fillable form, a completed example, and a section by section guide.

What a vendor's lien does

A vendor's lien is the security a seller keeps for the unpaid purchase price when the seller carries the financing. Texas recognizes two forms. An implied vendor's lien arises by operation of law when a seller conveys land without receiving the full price, but it is comparatively weak and can be lost to a later buyer who has no notice of the debt. An express vendor's lien is written into the deed, as this form does, and reserves to the Grantor not only the lien but superior title to the property until the note is paid. That retained superior title is the distinctive feature of the Texas vendor's lien, supporting the seller's remedies on a default. Most sellers also sign a separate deed of trust, which adds the power to foreclose without going to court.

What the form covers

The deed is organized into numbered sections that track the order of a recorded Texas conveyance:

• A Grantor block and a grantee block, with marital status and the form of co-ownership where it applies
• The legal description of the property and its street address
• The source of title, identifying the recorded instrument by which the Grantor holds
• Reservations and exceptions, which carve matters out of both the conveyance and the warranty
• The consideration recital and the operative general warranty language
• A purchase-money note recital and the retained vendor's lien and superior title

Signing and recording

The Grantor signs the deed before a notary public, who completes the acknowledgment certificate. Where the property is the homestead of a married Grantor, the Grantor's spouse joins under Texas Family Code Section 5.001 by signing the second block to convey the homestead interest; where the property is not homestead or the Grantor is unmarried, that block stays blank. The buyer does not sign the deed, but signs the separate note and any deed of trust. The deed is then recorded with the county clerk of the county where the property is located, placing the retained vendor's lien in the public record. The confidentiality notice required by Property Code Section 11.008 appears at the top of the first page, and Senate Bill 16 added a photo identification requirement at the recording counter for instruments filed in person on or after December 4, 2025.

What the package includes

The package contains a blank fillable deed, a completed example, and a guide that explains each section, the vendor's lien and superior title doctrine, and the recording process. The materials are informational and are not legal advice.