Title Insurance
A title search is an early step in the home buying process to uncover issues that could limit your rights to the property.
As title professionals, we make sure everything checks out during the closing process. We check past records to see if there are any problems with your title and work to reduce your risk of ownership issues in the future. If we find a problem, we will often fix it without you even knowing about it – giving you one less thing to worry about!
There are two types of title insurance: the owner’s policy and the lender’s policy. The owner’s policy protects your property rights as the homebuyer, whereas the lender’s policy insures the financial investment of the bank or lender.
Common Risks
Here are some examples of problems with title:
- Liens against the property that serve as security for the payment of an obligation (e.g. mortgage liens, judgment liens for unpaid court judgments, federal tax liens, state and local liens for failure to pay real estate taxes or assessments, mechanic’s liens to secure payment for property improvements, liens for recovery of child support payments).
- Easements that have been created by contract or arisen through use or adverse prescription (e.g. rights of way for utilities, rights acquired by neighbors because of a fence encroachment).
- Building or use restrictions contained in recorded plats, agreements or deeds.
- Claims arising out of bankruptcy.
These are just some of the many reasons why getting owner’s title insurance is crucial when buying or refinancing a home. It gives you peace of mind that your property rights are protected.
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