Title Insurance Protects Your Biggest Investment

Buying a home will likely be the largest investment you make in your lifetime. So before you close, you need to be sure that that nobody else has a claim to the property.

A title insurance 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 company.

For a modest, one-time title insurance premium, you will receive continuous title insurance protection equal to the purchase price of the property or its current market value.

The title insurance company searches the title history of the property. The title insurance company can usually find any title problems 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 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 insurance company's responsibilities should any claim covered by the policy terms arise. 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. If this happens, 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. Defects are rare, but they can be very difficult, making the property inaccessible, unable to be built, or unsaleable. Any number of other complex problems define "Defective title." The title insurance policy will protect you from these errors if the title company misses them.