At least in California it's reasonably easy to get a new title.  Not so easy here in Nevada.

I learned you need to not only ask if they have a clear title in their name, but also if they actually have it in their possession.  At least 3 times I've gone to look at a bike and the person selling says something like "My uncle in Colorado is supposed to mail it to me, I'll send it to you when I get it". 

Full disclosure, the one time I did buy the bike without a title anyway (it was mostly complete and super cheap and I had a good feeling about the seller being honest), he did actually mail me the title a couple of weeks later.  His story was they were moving and title was "in a box someplace".  They were obviously moving...  I got there just as they were bringing the bike to a neighbor to hold/sell for them as they were all packed and ready to leave.   

Have to love the honest people, I bought a "running" WR250R that was in storage, owner said the missing key was coming from Japan in the mail. Went with my gut instinct and the price was right so I took the risk. Two weeks later I got the key in the mail from him and after a bit of cranking it fired up, with all of 67 miles on the odometer, could still smell the production chemicals burning off the exhaust on my first ride.

Going pick up a DT3 Sat...