Buying a home will likely be the largest investment you make in your lifetime. Before closing on the house, you'll want to know that no other individual or entity has a lien or claim to the property.
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 insurance company.
You pay the title 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 title history of the property. Through its research, the title company can almost always find any title problems and have these problems cleared-up prior to closing.
Because Real Estate Law is so complicated, 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. Typically your title insurance will protect you in the following cases:
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