Title Insurance for Your Peace of Mind

Purchasing a home is likely the single largest investment you will make in your lifetime. Before you close, you'll want to know that no individual or entity has a right, lien or claim to the property.

A title company does all the research to insure that a property has clear title. Making sure that a property is clear of all legal encumbrances is the job of a title insurance company.

You pay the title insurance 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 insurance company searches the title history of the property. The title insurance company can almost always identify any title problems and clear up these problems before you close on the property.

Real Estate law is extraordinarily complex. Title companies make sure that all the T's are crossed and all the I's are dotted so you don't end up with a clouded title and legal problems. Your title insurance owner's policy will describe the property and outline the limitations on your ownership. It will also cover what the title company is responsible for. Title insurance covers the following:

• Contested title — This usually happens when someone who owned or even lived in the home before you claims to still hold an interest. In this case, the title 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. Many other complicated problems define "Defective title." The title insurance policy will protect you from these errors if the title company misses them.