Title Insurance for Your Peace of Mind

Purchasing a home is probably the single biggest investment you will make in your lifetime. Before closing on the house, you'll want to know that no other individual or entity has a right, lien or claim to the property.

Determining that your rights and interests to the property are clear is the business of a title company.

You pay the title company a single premium which includes the cost of verifying clear title and covers you in case some fault is later discovered in the title.

The title company searches the property's title history. Through its research, the title company can almost always identify any title problems that may arise and have these problems cleared-up before you close on the property.

Because Real Estate Law is so complex, you need an expert to make sure that all previous transactions have been correct, so you don't end up with legal problems or a problem with the title to your property. Your title insurance owner's policy will describe the property and outline any recorded limitations on your ownership. It will also cover what the title company is responsible for. Title insurance usually covers:

• Contested title — Someone, usually a previous owner or occupant, claims they still own the property or have not given up their claim. In this case, the title insurance company will defend the title and will cost you nothing.
• Defective title — This is a general term for a legal problem with the title that cannot be corrected and includes "contested title" above. Other examples of title defects include problems with legal access to the property, easements that make the property less usable, unusable, or unsaleable. Any number of other complex problems define "Defective title" or "Clouded Title." The title insurance policy will protect you from these errors if the title company doesn't discover them.