What is Title Insurance?

Title insurance protects the insured from a financial loss related to the ownership of a property. There are two policies in the mix at a home loan closing: the lender’s policy, which is required, and an optional owner’s policy. Both are a one-time, upfront cost — not a monthly premium that will be added to your mortgage payment.

What is covered?

Generally, a person thinks of insurance in terms of the payment of future loss due to the occurrence of a future event. For instance, a person obtains car insurance in order to pay for future loss caused by a future "fender bender" or for the future theft of the car. Title insurance is a unique form of insurance. It provides coverage for future claims or future losses due to title defects which are created by a past event (i.e., event prior to the acquisition of the property.) These risks are far less obvious than those protected against by automobile insurance, but can be just as devastating. The following information will answer some commonly asked questions about title insurance.

Our Search

In order to determine the status of title, Titles Unlimited conducts a diligent search of the public records for those documents associated with the property. Titles Unlimited then examines those recorded documents in order to determine if there are any rights or claims that may have an impact upon the title to the property. The title search may reveal the existence of recorded defects, liens or encumbrances upon the title such as unpaid taxes, unsatisfied mortgages, judgments and tax liens against the current or past owners, easements, restrictions and court actions. Matters that are discovered in the search can be excepted, resolved or extinguished prior to the closing of the transaction. In addition, you are protected against any loss or damage resulting from recorded defects, liens or encumbrances that are within the scope of coverage of the particular policy issued in the transaction.

Hidden Risks

The title to the property that you have purchased could be seriously threatened or lost completely by hazards which are considered "hidden risks." "Hidden Risks" are those matters, rights or claims that are not shown by the public records and, therefore, are not discoverable by a search and examination of those public records. Matters such as forgery, incompetency or incapacity of the parties, fraudulent impersonation, and unknown errors in the records are examples of "hidden risks" which could provide a basis for a claim after you have purchased the property. The policies issued by Fidelity National Title protect you against many of these “hidden risks.”