Obtaining a copy of the deed to your house was always a cumbersome thing. In Cook County, you can now get a copy of your deed online for about $2. Go to www.ccrd.info You will need the PIN number of your property (from your tax bill). Type in the PIN and the property recording history will appear. Input your credit card and you can download the deed. I use this all the time and it works well, (except for a period of about two months in April and May of 2005 when it didn’t work at all). Now the bugs are worked out and it’s a great convenience.