Real estate has traditionally been a family's most valuable asset. It is a form of wealth that is protected by many laws. These laws have been enacted to protect one's ownership of real estate and the improvements located on the land. The owner, the owner's family, and the owner's heirs may have rights or claims in and to the property that you are buying. Those who have an interest in or lien upon the property could be governmental bodies, contractors, lenders, judgment creditors, or various other individuals or corporations. The real estate may be sold to you without the knowledge of the party having a right or claim in and to the property. In addition, you may purchase the real estate without having any knowledge of these rights or claims. In either event, these rights or claims remain attached to the title to the property that you are buying until they are extinguished.

Why do you need Title Guarantee?

To protect possibly the most important investment you'll ever make - the investment in your home.

With a title insurance policy, you as owner, have an indemnity contract that will reimburse you for loss in the event someone asserts a claim against your property that is covered by the policy.

How can there be a title defect if the title has been searched?

Title Guarantee is issued after a careful examination of information from the public records. But even the most thorough search cannot absolutely assure that no title hazards are present, despite the knowledge and experience of professional title examiners. In addition to matters shown by public records, other title problems may exist that cannot be disclosed in a search.

What protection does title insurance provide against defects and hidden risks?

Title Guarantee will pay for defending against any lawsuit attacking your title as insurances, and will either clear up title problems or pay for any losses. For a one-time premium, an owner's title guaranty policy remains in effect as long as you, or your heirs, retain an interest in the property.



Escrow Services

What happens in escrow?

An escrow is an arrangement in which an impartial third party, called an escrow agent, holds legal documents and funds on behalf of a buyer and seller, and distributes them according to the buyer's and seller's instructions.

People buying and selling real estate often open an escrow for their protection and convenience. The buyer can instruct the escrow holder to disburse the purchase price only upon the satisfaction of certain prerequisites and conditions. The seller can instruct the escrow holder to retain possession of the deed to the buyer until the seller's requirements, including receipt of the purchase price, are met. Both rely on the escrow holder to carry out faithfully their mutually consistent instructions related to the transaction and to advise if any of they instructions are not mutually consistent or cannot be carried out.

An escrow is convenient for the buyer and seller because both can move forward separately but simultaneously in providing inspections, reports, loan commitments and funds, deeds and many other items, using the escrow holder as the central depositing point. If the instructions from all parties to an escrow are clearly drafted, fully detailed and mutually consistent, the escrow holder can take many actions on their behalf without further consultation. This saves time and facilitates the closing of the transaction.

The escrow process was developed to help facilitate the sale or purchase of your home. The escrow holder accomplishes this by:

Security
Efficiency in the managing of funds
Acting as the impartial "stake-holder," or depository of documents and funds
Keeping all parties informed of progress on the escrow
Maintaining security and accountability of monies owed and owing.