Title Insurance Protects Your Biggest Investment

The biggest investment you will make in your lifetime will likely be the purchase of 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 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 insurance company searches the property's title history. Through its research, the title insurance company can usually identify any title problems that may arise, and clear up these problems before you close on the property.

Real Estate law is extraordinarily complex. Title companies make sure that all the T's are crossed and all the I's are dotted so you don't end up with a clouded title and legal problems. Your owner's policy will describe the property and outline any recorded limitations on your ownership. It will also cover what the title company is responsible for. Title insurance usually covers:

• Contested title — This usually happens when someone who owned or even lived in the home before you claims to still hold an interest. If this happens, the title company will defend your title at no expense to you.
• 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 complicated problems define "Defective title" or "Clouded Title." The title insurance company will find these problems, or if they miss them, protect you from financial loss - up to the amount of the policy.