Title Insurance Protects Your Home Investment

The biggest investment you will make in your lifetime will probably be purchasing a home. So before you commit to the transaction, you must be sure that the property's title is free of other claims.

A title 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 company searches the property's title history. The title company can usually identify any title problems that may arise and have these problems cleared-up prior to closing.

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 title insurance owner's policy will describe the property and outline the limitations on your ownership. It will also cover what the title insurance company is responsible for. Title insurance covers the following:

• 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 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.