Title Insurance & Settlement Services
Is owner’s title insurance 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 MoreShop 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…
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What to Expect From Your 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 MoreWhat 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 MoreWhat 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 MoreAvoid 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 MoreWhat 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 MoreIs 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 MoreYes, It’s True – Fees Are Negotiable When Buying a House
When you’re buying a new house, the actual house itself isn’t the only thing you’re paying for—there are a number of fees that are rolled into the final price in order to make it officially yours. Although many experienced homebuyers are aware of the extra costs, there are plenty of first-timers who are hit with…
Read MoreDo 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 MoreFirst Time Homebuyer’s Guide to Saving Money at the Settlement Table
Every spring the articles start popping up everywhere, “The five most important things you need to know about buying or selling a house.” As someone who started out twenty-five years ago selling real estate and has now been in the title industry for more than twenty years, I find that the information in the majority…
Read MorePlacing 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 MoreWhy 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 MoreNeed 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…
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