HI Eric,
It is really better to hire a professional to do a title search for you. Just call a title company and they will get it done RIGHT. It costs about $60 and takes 24 – 48 hours around here.
If you really want to learn how to do a title search, you need to go to your county clerks office. Have a particular property to research, and they will show you everthing you need to do.
For the untrained eye, it is SO easy to miss a tax lien or 2nd lien or IRS lien so I would STRONGLY advise ordering the title search through the title company or abstract company
Jackie