Title Insurance Protects Your Investment

Purchasing a home is probably the single largest investment you will make in your lifetime. Before closing on the house, you'll want to know that no other individual or entity has a right, lien or 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 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 company searches the property's title history. Through its research, the title company can almost always find any title problems that may arise 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 with the title to 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. 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 your title at no expense to you.
• Defective title — "Defective title" covers any number of problems with the title to your home. It can even include a "contested title". 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 complex problems define "Defective title." The title insurance policy will protect you from these errors if the title company doesn't discover them.