If you’re a first-time homebuyer, be sure to reach out to the title company that will be doing your closing to see if they can answer any questions you have. Your Realtor or real estate agent has most likely built a relationship with a local title company they trust. Some counties do not provide this information online, so visiting the county recorder in person may be the only option.
Search the public record in person or request a service like Fee Favor to retrieve documents. You can search by owner name and instrument or document type like mortgage, deed, release of lien, etc. Many counties will keep land records online. If you want to get started on researching a property’s title history, a buyer or investor has a few options: There is one title insurance policy for the lender and one for the homebuyer. Title insurance is one of the many types of insurance homebuyers need to know. This is required for financed deals so that the lender’s interest is insured. Outstanding claims or recorded liens on the propertyĪ title search is typically performed by a title company or real estate law firm on behalf of the lender (if the purchase of the property is being financed) and the buyer. Legal ownership (or who currently holds the title to the property). While a homeowner’s title insurance policy will ensure any recorded liens and errors in the public record are addressed, there is, however, another type of search that is just as important, the municipal lien search for unrecorded debt and property issues.Ī title search on a house or piece of land will establish: A title search is one of the ways for a buyer to protect themselves from others claiming a right to their property.
Will the house pass inspection? Will my financing go through? Is the neighborhood safe? Is this the best school district for my kids? Doing the right kind of research or due diligence before making an offer is important to avoid surprises, especially for first-time homebuyers.
There’s a lot of worries involved in homebuying.