Shop 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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Do 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…

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You 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…

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You 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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Top 3 Reasons to Give Up Your Right to Choose

We’ve designed our website www.ALTtitle.com to be a resource for anyone who’s considering buying or refinancing real estate. From the more than one thousand people who visit our site every month, we list the top three reasons that they’ve been given as to why they shouldn’t shop around for title insurance and related settlement services.…

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The Facts on Title Insurance

What is title insurance? Title insurance protects the home owner and mortgage lender against ownership disputes relating to your property. Title Insurance is a specific type of insurance, paid in a one-time fee during settlement, which protects you and your lender in the event of a dispute over the property’s rightful owner. Think of it…

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How much does title insurance cost?

The cost of title insurance for a sale is determined by the purchase price for the property and for a refinance, the loan amount determines the price.  Title insurance premiums, which are approved by the state department of insurance,  are a one-time payment. In Pennsylvania, there are different title insurance rates for a home purchase…

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