Title Insurance = Peace of Mind

The biggest investment you will make in your lifetime will likely be purchasing a home. So before you close, you need to be sure that that no one else has a claim to the property.

A title company ensures that your new property is free of encumbrances and other legal obstacles.

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 performs an extensive search on the title history of the property. The title company can usually identify any title problems and have these problems cleared-up before you close on the property.

Because Real Estate Law is so complicated, 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 selling your property. Your owner's policy will describe the property and outline any recorded limitations on your ownership. It will also set forth the title company's responsibilities should any claim covered by the policy terms arise. Typically your title insurance will protect you in the following cases:

• Contested title — Someone, usually a previous owner or occupant, claims they still own the property or have not given up their claim. If this happens, the title company will defend your 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 complicated problems define "Defective title." The title insurance policy will protect you from these errors if the title company doesn't discover them.