When it comes to property lines, it might seem straightforward that what falls on your property is yours, and what’s on your neighbor’s side is theirs. But if you’ve ever reviewed property survey records, you know it’s not always that simple.

When you move through the home buying or selling process, there are endless things to keep track of. You may be so focused on financing the home, you overlook some other key details. In the flurry of paperwork and home inspections, you may forget about one small but important element—a property title search.

When we think about the cost of homeownership, a few staples immediately come to mind. Your mortgage, maintenance costs, homeowners insurance and potential HOA fees often top the list—then there are property taxes. It’s something that generated a whopping $487 billion for local governments in 2016, according to research from the Tax Policy Center.

Want to be more active in real estate processes but unsure of how much work it takes?

You’re not alone. Even something as simple as figuring out who owns a property can seem like a daunting process. Maybe you want to put an offer on your dream home when it’s not listed or need to get the owners to clean up their much-neglected property. Whatever the case, it’s not always as easy as knocking on someone’s door.

Buying a home seems simple: you find a property you like, make an offer, and move in. While that may cover the broad strokes, owning a property involves a lot more legwork and legal paperwork, including a deed.