What Is A Title Search?

Title Search

A professional will search public records for debts, legal judgements, and other homeownership issues to give you peace of mind in your investment.

Some of the reviewed items include:

• Prior deeds
• Mortgages
• Divorce Decrees
• Court Judgements
• Delinquent Taxes
• Child Support Payments

A title professional will also look for covenants, conditions, restrictions, and other types of easements. When an issue is discovered, the title professional will take care of it ‑ typically without you even knowing about it. If the problem is not easily resolved, you will be notified. Title searches reveal problems on more than a third of all residential real estate transactions.

Unknown Issues

Some title issues are not apparent from a review of the public record. Title insurance provides coverage for undisclosed title defects that might later result in a claim.

Unknown events include:

• Forgery
• Documents signed by minors or someone incompetent
• Deeds executed under an expired power of attorney
• Errors on the public record

This work is necessary to issue policy and often includes the cost of conducting a title search, examination, correcting errors, issuing the policy, and, frequently, the settlement or closing for consumers. An owner’s policy protects against these additional items.