Title Insurance & Settlement Services
Is owner’s title insurance really optional?
Owner’s title insurance is optional, there is no law that requires it. But when you understand the benefits, you’ll realize that peace of mind isn’t as expensive as you might think.
Read Full ArticleShop around! Don’t pay too much for title insurance.
Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind as you shop around for title insurance: 1. Don’t waive your right to choose your own title company. Your real estate agent may ask you to sign a disclosure form, or an authorization to order title insurance for you. However, you are not obligated to…
Read Full ArticleWhat to Expect From a Full Service Settlement Company
When you finally find the perfect home for you and your family and the seller accepts your offer, you’re not quite across the finish line. There is still plenty of work to be done. For most homebuyers, the next move is to enlist the help of a settlement company. Since buying a home isn’t something…
Read Full ArticleWhat is Owner’s Title Insurance? Do I Need It?
Owner’s title insurance offers essential protection against the unknown. Legally, it is not required, but let the buyer beware…
Read Full ArticleWhat Happens at Settlement?
If you’re in the final stretch of buying a new house, it’s still not quite time to pat yourself on the back. You’ve made it this far and are inches away from owning your dream home. Now that you’ve jumped through all of the necessary hoops and obstacles, there’s one final, significant hoop you must…
Read Full ArticleAvoid the end of the month for your next real estate closing
Is it better to schedule your closing at the end of the month or the beginning? There’s no monetary advantage either way, but if you avoid the last few days of the month you’ll be much more likely to have a smooth closing.
Read Full ArticleWhat is an Affiliated Business Arrangement (ABA) and are they even legal?
An Affiliated Business Arrangement, a legal way to share profits in the real estate industry, limits consumer choice and drives up the cost of buying a house.
Read Full ArticleIs Shopping for a Title Insurance and Settlement Service Company a Waste of Time?
So, your realtor just referred you to a title insurance and settlement company. But that doesn’t mean that’s where you’ll get the best deal or the best service. “Homebuyers should shop around because the cost of the services, as well as the services themselves, will vary greatly from company to company,” said Frank Dowd, Licensed…
Read Full ArticleDo I Really Need Owner’s Title Insurance?
Between fees and unexpected additional costs, buying a house can end up costing more than you anticipated. So it’s totally normal to question those extra items and whether or not you really need them. Take owner’s title insurance. If you’re going to have a mortgage, your lender will insist on a lender’s policy, but is…
Read Full ArticlePlacing our client’s best interests above all else
As professionals working within the real estate industry, we are and should be held to the highest standards under the law when it comes to protecting the interests of our client. You’ll find many definitions of “fiduciary duty,” but this one seems to sum it up perfectly. “A fiduciary duty is the highest standard of…
Read Full ArticleWhy choosing the right settlement company matters
I received a call last week from a mortgage broker with a question about a possible title insurance claim. He was contacted by a client who has a friend that refinanced in 2006. At closing the homeowners paid off their existing mortgage, a municipal utility lien for $15,000 and received a small amount of cash…
Read Full ArticleNeed a copy of the deed to your property? Don’t fall for this scam.
We’re hearing from more and more people who are receiving letters in the mail from third-party companies that are offering to provide you with a certified copy of the deed to your property for a small fee of $89. The letters that I’ve seen would lead you to believe that if you don’t have the…
Read Full ArticleYou know a good deal when you see one…or do you?
Last week I came across a post on a social media site from a real estate agent in PA who was teaming up with their in-house mortgage company and a title insurance company, offering discounts on their services when you hired them to buy a house. The real estate company was offering a modest commission…
Read Full ArticleDo you know where your property begins and ends?
Unless you’re purchasing new construction, you’re most likely taking someone else’s word for it when they tell you that the property line “goes all the way back to the tree line and over to the fence.” Unless you are able to locate the lot pins that were put in place the last time the property…
Read Full ArticleYou never know what you’ll read next on social media.
I stumbled upon this Facebook post today from a local real estate broker. The names have been changed to protect the greedy. “What a great office/business meeting today. We had 85 percent of all our agents in attendance. Our title company XYZ Abstract released our quarterly profits. Our agents with one share got a check…
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