Paperstac

Deed of trust or mortgage? It depends on the state.

About half of U.S. states primarily use deeds of trust (California, Texas, Colorado, Virginia, Arizona, and more), while others use mortgages (New York, Florida, Ohio, and beyond) — and some allow both.

The instrument affects how foreclosure works, so always confirm what’s used where the property sits.

Ready to browse notes? https://paperstac.com/for-sale

Proud to be featured by Hunter. 🎉

A look at how Paperstac built a retail marketplace of nearly 40,000 users — and how we’re expanding into the enterprise mortgage note space, working with institutions managing $500M+ in assets, with the help of Hunter.io.

We started in 2015 to make buying and selling mortgage debt safer and simpler, and it’s rewarding to see that mission scaling to the biggest players in the industry.

Learn about the system Brett developed to understand Paperstac’s market in a way that would enable multi-channel outbound to create a halo effect with our enterprise audience. 👇

📖 hunter.io/blog/customers/mortgage-note-marketplace-vendor-uses-hunter-to-reach-enterprise-leads-across-ads-and-email

What is a Deed of Trust—and how is it different from a mortgage? 🏠✍️

If you’re investing in real estate or note buying, understanding this key legal document is essential.

Here’s what you need to know:
It’s not the loan: A deed of trust secures the loan; the promissory note is the actual promise to pay.

The 3-Party Setup: Unlike a traditional 2-party mortgage, a deed of trust involves the Borrower (Trustor), Lender (Beneficiary), and a neutral Trustee holding the title as security.

Why lenders like it: In the event of default, many deed-of-trust states allow for non-judicial foreclosure—making the recovery process significantly faster than a standard court-handled mortgage foreclosure.

Roughly half of U.S. states use deeds of trust instead of traditional mortgages.

💡 Note Investors: Always know which instrument secures your paper before closing the deal!

👉 Browse Deed of Trust Notes on Paperstac.

Need a refresher on the mechanics? Check out our latest deep dive on the Paperstac Blog: What Is a Deed of Trust?

Why Mortgage Borrowers Default (It's Not What You Think)

Why do borrowers stop making their mortgage payments? Is it simply because they don't want to pay—or is there much more to the story?

In this episode of the Paperstac Podcast, Brett Burky and Rick Allen break down the real reasons borrowers default on their mortgage loans and what every note investor should understand before buying performing or non-performing notes.

Why Mortgage Borrowers Default (It's Not What You Think) Why do borrowers stop making their mortgage payments? Is it simply ...

Wondering how much you need to start investing in mortgage notes? There's no single minimum. Many new investors begin with one performing note in the $10K–$50K range. Want a lower entry point? Buy a partial (the rights to a set number of payments), or pool capital through a joint venture or note fund. Start where your budget and goals fit. Browse notes for sale: https://paperstac.com/for-sale

Myth: you need a fortune and a finance degree to invest in notes.
Reality: you need a proven process — and that's exactly what Paperstac Academy gives you. 💡

Learn more 👉 academy.paperstac.com

Mortgage notes, tax liens, and infinite banking get lumped together constantly — and they shouldn't be.

Two of them are assets. One of them isn't.

📄 Mortgage notes — an ASSET. You buy real estate debt and become the lender, collecting monthly principal and interest at a yield driven by the discount you paid.

🏛️ Tax liens — an ASSET. You buy a government's claim for unpaid property taxes. You earn a statutory return when the owner redeems, or you may be able to foreclose if they don't.

🏦 Infinite banking — a FUNDING STRATEGY. Not an asset class at all. It's using the cash value of a dividend-paying whole life policy as a source of capital.

So it isn't "notes vs. liens vs. banking" as three interchangeable investments. It's two asset classes plus one financing method that can fund either of them.

Which is exactly why some investors combine them — borrowing against a policy to buy notes, then using the note income to repay the policy loan.

Read the full comparison: https://paperstac.com/blog/mortgage-notes-vs-tax-liens-infinite-banking/

Educational only — not financial, tax, legal, or insurance advice.

Ever wondered what’s actually inside a mortgage note?

It comes down to three things: the promise to pay (borrower, lender, amount, date), the money terms (rate, payments, maturity), and the safeguards (prepayment, late fees, default clauses). When you buy a note, you inherit all of it — so knowing how to read one matters.

Learn the full anatomy of a mortgage note here: https://paperstac.com/blog/what-is-a-mortgage-note/

Here’s something a lot of investors don’t realize: you can hold mortgage notes inside your retirement account.

A Self-Directed IRA or Solo 401(k) lets your retirement funds invest directly in notes, with a few advantages:

• Tax-advantaged growth — income grows tax-deferred or tax-free, depending on the account type

• 2026 contribution limits of $7,500 (or $8,600 if you’re 50+)

• Rollovers aren’t capped — you can move existing retirement funds in well beyond the annual limit

It’s one of the most popular ways to build a note portfolio for the long term. (Always check with your CPA — this is education, not tax advice.)

Learn the fundamentals at Paperstac Academy (link in the comments).