One way of categorizing deeds is by the type warranty the grantor in the deed is providing in connection with the ownership history (title history) of the property.

For real estate, the warranty provided in a deed is what the grantor will defend against and/or repair.

And, the most commonly known types of warranty deeds range from coverage of the full ownership history of the property to no warranties at all and they are (in order): general warranty deed, special warranty deed, and quitclaim deed.

In a general warranty deed, the grantor is responsible for issues and claims related, not only to the period of time they owned the property, but before they owned the property.

Caution:

Be thoughtful when signing a general warranty deed, especially if the deed is related to family real estate. You should confirm with an attorney that it makes sense to sign a general warranty deed as opposed to a special warranty deed or quitclaim deed.