What is a Title Company and What Do They Do?

What is a Title company and What Do They Do?

Well, let’s answer that question.

When you are buying a home, you will deal with several different types of companies, such as a title company. In these real estate transactions, these companies have several significant key roles to play. Generally, these companies operate as agents of both the seller and the buyer. Also, the insurance company involved, and any parties involved in the transaction. A good example of any other party involved in the real estate transaction is the mortgage lenders. You may fail to comprehend the purpose of the title company in these undertakings. However, you ought to know that they play a very significant role by protecting you from legal issues that you may not be aware of. Rate Search: Shop and Compare Mortgage Rates.

What Does a Title Company Do?

Do a title search into the legitimacy of a deed to a property. Act as the escrow agent. Hold deposits and other payments until the transaction completes.

Title Company Ensures the Seller is Legitimate and has max Rights to Sell the Property.

Issue title insurance for the buyer and lender. Protect them against any claims or issues with the property.

Orders the property survey Acts as a closing agent. The final closing for a home is typically held at the office of the title company.

They carry out a title search

This is one of the most significant duties performed by these companies. Title searching enables you as the buyer to acquire the information on the history of that particular home that you intend to buy. This information explains who was the buyer and the seller of that particular property. The title search ensures there are no outstanding issues with the property such as;

Unpaid taxes

Open second mortgages and HELOC loans

Special assessments Judgements or demands

Unpaid HOA fees Liens for unpaid taxes

Other legal issues specific to the area

What about after the completion of the title search? These companies finally come up with a comprehensive report basing the information on their findings. In the home buying process, this report is very significant. It entails any problems that might stall the sale of the home. What this uncovers by the title search is to come up with an abstract of the title. Finally, a legal document referred to as the title opinion letter indicating the validity of the title issued.

Title Companies also Serve as the Escrow Officers

These companies act as escrow officers by holding either money or any kind of document. This is under the instructions of either of the parties involved. This can be further explained by a situation where the seller surrenders a signed deed to the company. All while the buyer gives the money to the company. The company only releases the money and the signed deed to the property as instructed by the buyer and the seller in a written form.

Ensures the Seller is Legitimate and has Maximum Rights to Sell the Property

These companies have the mandated duty to research the history of the property. This enables the company involved to verify and determine whether the seller is the legitimate owner. Also, they have the right to sell the property. How do you avoid cases where the original owner of the property died and one of his sons wants to sell the property without involving the siblings? These companies have to look into a couple of issues to establish this.

Hidden issues a complete title search will reveal

Undisclosed heirs

Forgotten wills

Defective deeds

Previously unknown land mineral rights

Invalid court proceedings

Issue the buyer with the title insurance

After the validity of the title has been established, the company involved goes on and issues title insurance. Title insurance protects the new owner from any issues that may come up from the previous ownership disputes among other problems. The advantage that comes with this kind of insurance policy is that the buyer pays a one-time premium depending on the value of the property bought, unlike other insurances that have annual premiums. In this case, the insurances involve are the owner’s and lender’s title insurances protecting the property owner and the mortgage company respectively.

Orders a property survey

Most of the lenders ask for a location map of the property, therefore, with the consent of the buyer, the company orders a survey to be done. After the survey is done, they review it to ensure that no issues will arise during the closure of the process or later on. In case of any issues detected, both the lender and the buyer are notified. On the settlement date, the survey is handed over to the new buyer.

The title company acts as a closing agent

For all the transactions involved in the home buying process, the title companies are often the closing agents. This means that the company acts as an agent of both the buyer and the seller during the transactions. As a closing agent, they receive and surrender all kinds of payments related to the transactions and also obtain the signatures on all the documents involved. After signing the documents, all those that require to be recorded including the mortgages and the deeds are recorded by the company in the land records office. The above are some significant services offered by a title company.

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