Tag: title insurance
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Your Home’s Measurements Differ From the Description. Now What?
Maybe your property is smaller than the way it’s presented in the legal description. Maybe it’s bigger. Maybe you don’t own the home yet, but your agent has noted that the lot size, as described, is off by a few yards, or a certain percentage of an acre. The legal description of the property…
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Opinion: Who Really Wins? New York’s Deed Fraud Bill Protects Title Insurers, Not Homeowners
New York lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 7732 as a response to the growing crisis of deed fraud — a real and rising threat to property owners across the country. On the surface, the bill looks like reform. But a closer look reveals what it really is: a convenient liability shield for title insurers.
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Hey, Back Off! When an Encroaching Neighbor Wants a Piece of Your Property
So, the folks next door did some landscaping. And you’re pretty sure it crossed your property line. Maybe they built a shed over the boundary. Maybe they’re using a part of your land to park equipment, or to drive over. In some cases, the encroachment isn’t obvious. Then the deed holder wants to build a…
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Ghoulish: Who Steals Deeds From the Dead?
In Houston, stealing deeds from dead people is a thing. Investigators are looking into a deed fraud scheme carried out by three people. These people allegedly laundered deeds of dead homeowners through their limited liability companies. Then they sold the homes to unsuspecting buyers. They’ve pulled in hundreds of thousands of dollars. “This is no…
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Q & A: Why Did I Get a Notice of Default on the Mortgage?
It’s that time of year again. Mortgage holders’ bank accounts face extra stress in many households. The 2024 tax bills are now due. So are estimated 2025 taxes for small business owners. When taxes are done, what if insufficient funds remain for the mortgage payment? Mortgage lenders send a notice of default (a.k.a. notice of…
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Will an Easement Need a Separate Recording When Someone Wants to Sell or Buy?
An easement gives someone the right to enter, use, or travel through a deed holder’s land for a specified reason — without impacting the deed holder’s ownership of that same land. In this Q&A column, we take a look at easements that come up when a deed changes hands.
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How Do I Get a Deed for a Home I Build?
Great question! We generally talk about “getting a deed to a home.” But the accurate phrase would be “getting the deed to the land.” The actual, built home does not have a deed. Let’s go a bit deeper. What do people who build their own homes need to know about their deeds?
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Borrowing Against Your Title to Ward Off Deed Theft: A Smart Idea?
Some deed holders deliberately get a lien recorded on their properties to make it harder for anyone to commit deed theft and take their homes. Is there anything to this? First, it’s music to our ears when homeowners ask how to keep their deeds safe and sound. Borrowing against home equity to get a voluntary…
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Title Talk: What’s a Municipal Lien Search?
You might think a title search is an all-in-one exercise. It’ll show any outstanding liens against the title to the home you’re buying, right? Not necessarily. Not all municipal liens get filed with the county recorder of deeds’ office. Unrecorded liens don’t appear in a title search. And they might or might not be found…
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First American Title Presents “Order Insights”: Real-Time Fraud Alerts for Deed Transfers
Fraudsters never rest. So it’s good to know that one of the major U.S. title companies is fortifying its security system to protect deed transactions from bad actors. First American Title, the well-known title insurance and settlement services firm, has introduced Order Insights. The company calls it a real-time, transaction-based fraud alert system. All agents…
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A Title Agent Turned Swindler? It’s Not Unheard Of.
Ryan Goodrich, now a convict, used to be a trusted deed expert. For years, Goodrich ran a title company. Behind the scenes, Goodrich stole millions of dollars from home sellers and buyers, their mortgage lenders, and even peers in the title industry, said Utah officials. The activity, they alleged, involved sending people falsified receipts for…
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Biggest Deed Slip-Ups (and How Not to Make Them)
Mistakes happen. When they happen to a deed, they can go unnoticed for a long time — sometimes leaving a clouded title through a chain of owners. But at some point, a deed mistake catches up to an owner, buyer, or heir. So, let’s take a look at 8 common homeowner deed mistakes, and how…
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Congrats on Closing! Now, How Will You Get Your Deed?
Closing is the last step before you have the keys to your new home in hand, and your deed is on its way. The all-important deed is a legal instrument (document) that shows the transfer of property ownership from the seller, over to you, the buyer. This document confirms your ownership status for the property…
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When Do You Need a Warranty Deed?
Sometimes it’s best to use a warranty deed to transfer property. It’s common whenever there’s a seller and buyer who didn’t know each other before their deal. In fact, a mortgage lender or insurance company could insist on a transfer by warranty deed. But why? A warranty deed transfers a title with certain protections. This…
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Seniors Under Pressure: Could Someone You Love Sign a Deed Away?
It’s an all-too-common story. You’re caring for your parent, who’s a deed holder. And when you’re not looking, another person persuades the senior to sign over the deed. Who puts pressure on elders to give away their homes? It could be a renter. Maybe an acquaintance or relative. Maybe a health assistant or handy person. …
